UK intelligence services on Wednesday pointed to the extension of »measures dating back to the Soviet era» to limit foreign travel by Russian officials since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, unleashed in late February 2022 on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
»Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian officials and public workers have been subjected to harsh and increasing restrictions on foreign travel. Some officials have probably had to surrender their passports to the Federal Security Service (FSB), they have indicated, according to a series of messages published by the British Ministry of Defense through its account on the social network Twitter.
Thus, they have stated that »the employees closest to the center of power face the toughest restrictions» and have added that »Kremlin officials are banned from all leisure travel abroad». In this regard, they have stressed that »travel restrictions were tightened after the annexation of Crimea in 2014».
»The measures are probably designed to prevent the flight or defection of increasingly disaffected officials,» they have explained, while asserting that »there is a realistic possibility that as the strengthening of security within the Russian state continues, travel restrictions will be tightened for an increasing number of public sector employees.»
The analysis has been published a day after the British Intelligence services pointed out that Moscow »increasingly applies the principles of planned economy» to its military industrial complex and added that Russia would be »rationing» the supply of artillery ammunition due to the shortage of this material in frontline areas in Ukraine.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
