The Kremlin, ahead of the September vote for the State Duma of the Russian Federation, has temporarily postponed a number of unpopular decisions that could cause discontent among Russians. This includes, in particular, paid VPN, a technology fee on electronics, new approaches to mobilization, and a bill on the development of protected natural areas. This is reported by UNN with reference to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
Details
According to the FISU, Kremlin political strategists chose a tactic of "silence" before the vote: no new high-profile bans or restrictions that could irritate voters.
The intelligence service noted that deputies of the "United Russia" party, who previously supported prohibitive initiatives, are now publicly criticizing some of their own decisions. This concerns, in particular, the labeling of works mentioning drugs, the ban on video games, and the regulation of artificial intelligence.
The FISU notes that unpopular topics have been effectively removed from the agenda until the end of the electoral cycle.
One such decision could be the introduction of a fee for VPN. According to intelligence, the idea of taxing international traffic exceeding 15 gigabytes per month was discussed back in the spring, but its implementation was postponed and tied to the end of the voting.
A similar situation has arisen with the technology fee on electronics. It was planned to be introduced on September 1, but was postponed to December 1. Intelligence believes that after this fee comes into effect, prices for phones and laptops in Russia may rise.
Separately, the Foreign Intelligence Service points to risks associated with mobilization. According to the agency, in the temporarily occupied Crimea, military enlistment offices are already working with reservists and persuading them to sign contracts, warning of a possible new wave of mobilization after the September vote.
In addition, the second reading of the bill on the development of specially protected natural areas was postponed until the fall. The document is supposed to allow the seizure of land for federal facilities.
The FISU emphasizes that the Kremlin has not abandoned these measures, but only postponed them in time to avoid additional discontent among Russians before the vote.
Reminder
The Kremlin plans that the newly elected State Duma deputies will call on Putin to mobilize. However, Russian officials deny preparations for a new wave of mobilization.