From September 1, international scientific cooperation in Russia is officially controlled by the FSB. From now on, any civilian research can only be conducted with the permission of the special service, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine reported, writes UNN.
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According to Ukrainian intelligence, the new rules effectively place science under the direct supervision of special services. Scientists fear that publications in foreign journals may be considered as "transfer of information to foreigners." This leads to self-censorship, fear, and paranoia among researchers.
Exceptions are made only for law enforcement agencies – the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rosgvardia, and several other departments. Their scientific projects remain outside the control of the FSB. Instead, civilian areas such as medicine, economics, humanities, sociology, and philology turned out to be the most vulnerable.
Previously, the FSB gained the right to its own pre-trial detention centers, controls the access of foreign vessels to ports, and is increasing internal repression and external threats
According to intelligence officers, this step is further evidence that Russian society and science are under virtually total control of special services, which distances Russia from global scientific standards and international cooperation.