CNN: Popular Discontent Is Growing In Russia

Putin responds in the only way he knows how.

Nearly four years after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has faced an outbreak of discontent. In turn, law enforcement agencies have launched a new wave of high-profile political raids and arrests.

That's what CNN writes, stating that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is responding to the wave of discontent "in the only way he knows how."

Internet shutdowns in Russian cities have hurt ordinary citizens, and public opposition to the Kremlin is growing.

The country is facing wartime economic hardship while its security agencies contain protests, and the military conflict in the Middle East has given Moscow's war against Ukraine an unexpected boost thanks to soaring oil prices, CNN recalls.

"Nevertheless, Russia's repressive state apparatus is probably now gaining momentum," the author of the article states, pointing to a wave of high-profile political arrests and searches in recent weeks.

At the same time, CNN writes, the Russian government, is reviving the ghosts of the Soviet past.

The article cites as one of the latest such examples a search of the offices of one of the country's largest publishing houses and the detention of employees as part of a criminal investigation into what Russian authorities call "LGBTQ+ propaganda."

Russia under Vladimir Putin has long been hostile to what it considers dangerous ideas from the West. The Russian dictator labels his role as a defender of traditional values.

The publishing industry is not the only one where Russia is cutting back on space for free speech, CNN notes.

In April, the offices of Novaya Gazeta, whose co-founder won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, were searched.

The RIA Novosti propaganda agency, citing the Interior Ministry, reported that journalist Oleg Roldugin had been detained for questioning in a case of allegedly illegal handling of personal data. The journalist himself did not admit his guilt during the court hearing on choosing a preventive measure.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the newspaper was forced to close its print version, but Novaya Gazeta continues to operate online. The searches have further sidelined the remnants of the independent press.

At the same time that the Kremlin is attacking the media, it is also reviving former symbols of political repression, CNN noted. Recently, Russia's FSB Academy, where Vladimir Putin trained as a KGB agent, was renamed in honor of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Soviet secret police.

CNN also points to a number of other developments that suggest Moscow may be intent on preserving the country's dark totalitarian past.

At the same time, the Russian dictator himself is showing indifference. Only on Thursday, April 23, did Putin for the first time directly respond to complaints from Russians regarding mobile Internet restrictions in Russia.

The Russian dictator said that this was "connected with operational work to prevent terrorist acts." At the same time, he made it clear that the public does not need to know all the details.

Rezuming, CNN notes that there are no signs of any easing of repression by Russia's security services against the population.

In early April, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated that the Kremlin has recently faced a harsher reaction from the Russian population due to increased censorship than Moscow had expected.

The trust rating for Vladimir Putin has fallen by five percent (from 76% to 71%) since March 22, according to data from a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM). This was the biggest drop in Putin's approval rating since 2019.

The weekly FOM polls show that Putin's approval rating has been falling steadily since February 8, 2026.

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