Last summer, as Dmitry Gudkov arrived at London’s Luton Airport, he was met by two plain-clothed police officers. The Russian opposition politician, living in exile in an EU country, was flying to the UK for a friend’s birthday.
“They were waiting to intercept me right after I got off the plane,” Dmitry recalls. “That was a first for me.”
However, the police were not there to arrest him; instead, they wanted to issue a warning.
“They informed me that I was on a list of people at risk. They asked about my accommodation and phone number,” Dmitry shares.
Dmitry Gudkov, co-founder of the Anti-War Committee, is wanted in Russia for spreading misinformation about the Russian army in relation to the conflict in Ukraine.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a crackdown on dissenters within the country led to the exodus of almost all activists and independent journalists.
Several Kremlin critics residing in Europe have informed the BBC that Russia is escalating efforts to silence, threaten, and persecute opponents abroad. Some were reluctant to share their experiences publicly. The Russian embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment.
‘They can reach people almost anywhere’
Analyst Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian security services, concurs that the campaign against Russia’s adversaries abroad is growing more intense. “It mirrors the increasing paranoia of the Kremlin,” he remarks, “as it engages in a political battle for survival.”
With dissent stifled within its borders, Russia is targeting opponents who have sought refuge in Western countries. Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president now serving as deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, labeled them as “traitors who have defected to the enemy and wish for the downfall of their homeland”.
Another anti-Kremlin activist, Ksenia Maximova, was also contacted by British police. “They wanted to discuss the safety of myself and my family,” Ksenia discloses.
The founder of the Russian Democratic Society in London received advice from the police to avoid traveling to countries where Russian agents operate more freely.
“The campaign against ‘enemies’ is intensifying, that’s undeniable,” Ksenia asserts, “They are tightening the screws.”
She and her fellow activists have observed an increase in cyber attacks and efforts to infiltrate their group online.
In a statement to the BBC, a spokesperson for UK Counter Terrorism Policing stated, “We have been transparent about the growing demand within our casework related to countering state threats… We have been actively bolstering resources dedicated to countering hostile state activities.”
In December, new UK legislation came into effect, granting police enhanced authority to combat threats from hostile states like Russia.
Alesya Marokhovskaya received threatening messages revealing personal information, including details about her dog [Alesya Marohovskaya ]
Investigative journalist Alesya Marokhovskaya received messages last year that included personal details and threatening language.
The threats pinpointed the street in Prague where she resided. “I relocated to make it more difficult for them,” Alesya explains.
“Initially, we thought it might be a deranged pro-Putin Czech individual who recognized me on the street.”
However, the messages escalated, calling her derogatory names and vowing to track her down wherever she took her wheezing dog.
Alesya’s dog indeed wheezes while walking. She reported the incidents to Czech authorities.
Subsequently, when Alesya was preparing to travel to Sweden for a conference, the sender sent more specific threats, including details of her flight, seat number, and hotel reservation. “It was evident they had access to confidential documents,” Alesya notes. “It resembles the tactics of the Russian state.”
Alesya had been labeled a ‘foreign agent’ by the Russian government years earlier due to her work at the independent Russian news website iStories.
“When I left Russia for Prague, I harbored a false sense of security,” Alesya reflects. “Now, I realize that [Russian intelligence services] can reach people almost anywhere in Europe. I can’t deny feeling afraid, because I am.”
So why is this happening now? Experts propose that the Russian security services are initiating operations abroad after a period of turmoil. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of Russian diplomats believed to be intelligence agents operating under diplomatic cover were expelled from Western nations.
“There was a time of uncertainty post-2022,” explains Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov, who specializes in intelligence services. “In 2023, the agencies regrouped and found renewed purpose. They acquired resources and began applying pressure.”
Mark Galeotti suggests that authorities are increasingly delegating their dirty work to proxies – criminal organizations: “For physical violence or even murder, they are much easier to employ,” states Mr. Galeotti, who has extensively covered the ties between the Russian state and organized crime.
The Polish government suspects this was the case in the assault on Leonid Volkov, a prominent activist and associate of the late Alexei Navalny. He was brutally attacked with a hammer in Lithuania four months ago but survived.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that a Belarusian individual working for Russian intelligence had paid two Polish football hooligans to carry out the attack. All three perpetrators have been apprehended.
“Intimidation is the goal,” Mark Galeotti proposes. “The message is to keep a low profile. It acts as a deterrent against the emergence of any coherent political opposition [to the Kremlin].”
Olesya Krivtsova had to flee Russia after facing threats of imprisonment for posting anti-war messages [BBC]
The Russian authorities also seek to make life as arduous as possible for opponents abroad.
Activist Olesya Krivtsova, aged 21, escaped Russia after being arrested and threatened with incarceration for anti-war social media posts. She now resides in Norway but recently discovered her Russian passport had been revoked, preventing her from applying for travel documents.
“I view this as a new form of repression,” Olesya remarks. “Siempre están pensando, ¿cómo podemos hacer más, cómo podemos presionarlos?” Varios otros activistas que viven en el extranjero también han tenido sus pasaportes cancelados sin previo aviso. Muchos tienen casos penales abiertos en Rusia – sin un pasaporte válido, no pueden contratar abogados o hacer pagos en casa. La única forma de resolver el problema es regresar a Rusia. Para Olesya, regresar significaría arresto y prisión. Ahora ha solicitado una identificación noruega temporal para refugiados. “En Rusia, ahora solo tengo un derecho: el derecho a ir a la cárcel. Mi pasaporte está cancelado. Esto muestra la esencia de su crueldad”, dice la joven activista. “Ya han destruido por completo mi vida y la vida de mi familia… Nunca van a parar.”