Putin Could Face His Biggest Threat After Ukraine War
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared 2025 the "Year of the Defender of the Fatherland," but the soldiers whose patriotism he wants to champion could pose a threat to his rule when they return from fighting against Ukraine.
That assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) follows moves by the Kremlin that the Washington think tank said aim to stop veterans-based civil society emerging from traumatized and disgruntled troops challenging state propaganda about the war.
One security expert told Newsweek that the Kremlin could be threatened by veterans returning to civilian life and reminding the Russian people of the huge human cost that the authorities had hidden.
A Putin critic who is on Russia's federal wanted list told Newsweek that returning soldiers did not pose an immediate danger to the regime but could fuel a crime wave far worse than seen following the break-up of the Soviet Union. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/putin-could-face-his-biggest-threat-after-ukraine-war/ar-AA1A4TB6
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