La macchina repressiva di Putin si rivolge verso l’interno per prendere di mira le figure favorevoli alla guerra

> Schulmann describes the divide as a struggle between two rival camps – the veteran propagandists tightly bound to the defence ministry and the Kremlin, known as the “loyalists”, and the sprawling grassroots movement of ultranationalist war supporters known as the “militarists” or Z-bloggers, after the letter that has become a symbol of the invasion.

> Made up of hundreds of prominent bloggers and volunteer activists, they have raised money, bought drones and vehicles, and delivered supplies directly to the frontlines. It took shape as a network soon after Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when it became clear that the army often failed to provide even the most basic equipment and support.

> The hard-line “militarists” have at times openly criticised the way the war is being waged, and their relative independence of the state has led Moscow to endorse attacks against them.

> “Autocracies fear civic mobilisation of any kind,” Schulmann said. “Any authentic movement, including a pro-war one, is perceived as obstructive and potentially dangerous.”

> The Kremlin has in the past moved to curb parts of the pro-war movement where it has slipped from its control, most notably by imprisoning the popular far-right commentator Igor Girkin in 2024.

> With billions of roubles channelled toward the war in Ukraine, money has emerged as another point of contention.

> “At its core, their conflict is a battle for resources,” said Ivan Philippov, a Russian researcher and writer who specialises in the country’s pro-war movement. He described how Vladimir Solovyov, a powerful television propagandist who is the public face of the “loyalist” camp with close ties to the defence ministry, had spearheaded efforts to purge the pro-war bloggers and volunteers, reportedly angered that many of them raised more funds for the front than his own state-approved charity.

> The irony of the crackdown has not escaped Russia’s longstanding anti-Putin opposition.

> “It’s been amusing to watch how those who never objected when liberals were imprisoned are suddenly discovering that justice in Russia is selective, that literally anyone can be thrown in jail without cause,” Philippov said. It is many ways a modern echo of the old Soviet refrain: “Comrade Stalin, a terrible mistake has been made!” – a phrase once uttered by devoted communists who realised too late that Stalin’s purges would not spare even the faithful.

Russians seem to be waking up to the fact that this is a theatrical conflict, not intended to be won by either side

Schulman has an English-speaking channel with a Pradnya Bivalkar called Unboxing Russia. It gives interesting insides about modern autocracies. Especially interesting currently.

The machine must keep feeding itself.