Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has signed a decree restricting access of foreign vessels to Russian ports, which will now be permitted only with approval from the Federal Security Service (FSB).
That is according to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Ukrinform reports.
The agency notes that the formal justification for the move is Article 8 of the Federal Law “On Martial Law,” which allows the president to impose a range of restrictions.
The expansion of the FSB’s role in regulating foreign economic relations and the isolation of port infrastructure from the outside world will have both economic and geopolitical consequences. For international partners, this is yet another sign of the unpredictability and opacity of the Russian regime.
Additionally, legislative changes have expanded the FSB’s authority to control cooperation between Russian scientific institutions and foreign nationals. The vague wording of the law creates conditions for a new wave of repression within the academic and research community.
It has also been revealed that Russia is building a new network of prisons and detention centers under FSB control — rather than under the Federal Penitentiary Service — to monitor dissent. The use of special railcars, expanded powers for transporting prisoners, and the right to conduct court proceedings within prisons all point to preparations for large-scale repression.
“Control over maritime routes, nationalization of property, restricted access to information, criminal prosecutions, and interference in financial and tax policy are all hallmarks of Russia’s transformation into a military dictatorship,” Ukrainian intelligence said.
It also warned that the Kremlin is preparing for a protracted confrontation with the West and is mobilizing the country’s resources without officially declaring full martial law.
Earlier reports said that Russia was seeking to gain control over messaging apps developed in “unfriendly countries.”
Source: Putin expands FSB powers, turning Russia into military dictatorship – intelligence
