The history of Wladimir Putin as an agent of KGBThe Russian secret service is responsible for the great fame President of Russia You don't have to forgive your enemies and destroy them in a very special way.
And it's not for free. The KGB was a secret and political police force unparalleled in the world it was on a different level than other secret services because it was also a ministry.
It had 300,000 members, armored vehicles, fighter planes and boats and was a military organization completely independent of the armed forces.
The organization comprised five general directorates. The most important of these the first directorate included the subdirectorate for illegals: agents living abroad under false identities, the scientific and technical subdirectorate, a counterintelligence service, an action service and a service for dirty business assassinations, plots, kidnappings and bombs.
The KGB was active between March 1954 and November 1991. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the intelligence service was divided into two parts: the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) for internal security and the Secret Service for Foreign Affairs (SVR). ), on the external level.
But the fact that the KGB officially no longer exists does not prevent its methods from continuing to be exploited by the Russian government.
A clear example of this is currently: Yevgeny Prigozhinthe businessman who was friends with Putin and died in a plane crash after rebelling against the Russian president.
Prigozhin rose to fame and prominence by operating in the shadow of the Kremlin. When the government was unable to solve certain tasks or did not want to be able to carry them out the entrepreneur used informal tools such as: mercenary that allowed the Russians to operate out of sight and without being held accountable.
But the close relationship between Putin and Prigozhin did not end well. Just like the businessman, other men and women who dared to challenge the President of Russia did not have happy endings.
O Your money compiled a list of the Kremlin chief's main opponents and told the public story of each of them.
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Putin's declared enemies
In recent years, several opponents of Vladimir Putin and critics of the Russian government have died under suspicious circumstances. These deaths have often raised questions about possible retaliation for their political or investigative activities. Here are some of the most infamous cases:
Former FSB agent and Kremlin critic Litvinenko died in London in November 2006 as a result of poisoning with polonium210, a radioactive substance. He accused Putin of promoting state terrorism and being involved in various illegal activities.
Investigative journalist and Kremlin critic. Particularly known for her critical reporting on the war in Chechnya, Politkovskaya was shot dead outside her Moscow apartment in October 2006. She denounced human rights violations and the authoritarianism of the Russian government.
Estemirova, a human rights activist and employee of the NGO Memorial, was kidnapped and murdered in Chechnya in July 2009. She investigated human rights violations in Chechnya, which brought her into conflict with local and federal authorities.
Magnitsky, a lawyer and accountant, died in police custody in 2009 after reporting tax fraud by Russian officials. His death led to the adoption of international laws (Magnitsky Law) imposing sanctions on Russian individuals involved in human rights violations.
Nemtsov, one of Russia's most prominent opposition leaders, was assassinated in February 2015. He was shot several times in the back while walking near the Kremlin in Moscow. Nemtsov was a harsh critic of Putin and condemned government corruption and Russian intervention in Ukraine.
Although he survived, KaraMurza suffered two serious poisonings in 2015 and 2017, which he blames on the Russian government due to his political activism and opposition to Putin. He is a supporter of international sanctions against Russian officials involved in corruption and human rights abuses.
Russia denies involvement in the deaths and denies the allegations, but these incidents remain the subject of international concern regarding freedom of expression and human rights in the country.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the man who wanted to invade Moscow
Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner paramilitary group
The Wagner Group was best known for its role in the war in Ukraine, but the mercenary force has been growing in strength since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The group's activities in Ukraine brought to the fore the figure of Prigozhin, an oligarch who controlled several Russian companies. Lauded and demonized, debate raged over how close he really was to Putin when he led the mercenaries, what privileges he enjoyed and whether he even harbored presidential ambitions.
Prigozhin behaved like a natural person his relationship with the state was informal and therefore fragile and could end without notice. He was never close enough to Putin to be trustworthy at the government level.
The businessman's fame began after the annexation of Crimea. The conflicts in Donbass, as Ukraine's eastern region is known, as well as Russia's standoff with the West have created space for gray geopolitical tactics that official institutions have difficulty offering.
The oligarch began to use informal instruments of influence mercenaries and media mechanisms that were new to Russia and allowed the country to operate in secret and without accountability.
Prigozhin put it succinctly: If the government cannot solve certain tasks or does not want to do so these quasigovernmental instruments could fill the gap. Putin liked the approach, which is also being used in the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin leader agreed to outsource certain government functions, but did not legitimize Prigozhin. On the contrary, the Russian president, anticipating the businessman's rise, began in the months before the uprising to call on Wagner to take his foot off the accelerator at the front.
At this point, problems between the Russian government and Prigozhin intensified, as the businessman criticized Defense Ministry decisions and led a mutiny against Moscow.
The businessman's rebellion did not last long and on August 23, 2023, the plane in which Prigozhin was on board crashed during a flight between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, with seven passengers and three crew members on board.
At the time, Putin promised to investigate the case and hold those responsible accountable, but to this day it is not clear what caused the plane crash or who caused it.
Alexei Navalny, the last person to die in Russia
Alexei Navalny, opponent of Vladimir Putin's government
The bestknown opposition leader against Putin's government in Russia, Alexei Navalny, died this Friday (16) at the age of 47.
He was a prominent figure in Russian politics and gained notoriety for his fierce opposition to Putin. A trained lawyer, he initially gained notoriety by exposing corruption in stateowned companies and among Russia's political elite in a blog.
Navalny's political career includes numerous controversial court cases that are viewed by many international observers and supporters as politically motivated.
Navalny was convicted of several financial crimes that he said were false and an attempt by the government to silence him. Nevertheless, he continued to organize large demonstrations against corruption and thus gained popular support.
But the opponent's situation came into the spotlight in August 2020 when he was hospitalized in serious condition due to poisoning with a Novichoktype nerve agent. The treatment took place in Germany, where he recovered for several months.
The incident sparked international condemnation and increased tensions between Russia and the West.
After his recovery, Navalny surprised with the decision to return to Russia in January 2021, where authorities immediately arrested him.
His arrest sparked a wave of protests across the country and highlighted his significant influence within Russian society and the diaspora.
Since then he has been subjected to harsh prison conditions and has had to undergo further court proceedings which resulted in his prison sentence being extended.
According to Russian authorities, Navalny was imprisoned in a penal colony in Charp, about 1,900 kilometers northeast of Moscow, and felt “unwell” after a walk this Friday (16).
*This text was supported by artificial intelligence tools