The fact that even pro-government bloggers in the Russian Federation began to openly criticize the actions of the government and illegitimate President Vladimir Putin indicates a wide split in the highest echelons of power in the Kremlin. The Wall Street Journal wrote about this on May 6, citing experts and sources.
The mass criticism is part of an internal conflict between a faction in the Putin administration, led by deputy head of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko, and the FSB, experts say. Intelligence agencies are believed to be behind the tightening of controls over internet access, fearing it could be used to attack Putin and mobilize anti-government opposition. But some of Putin's political advisers see the restrictions as fueling anti-government sentiment.
The Washington Post cites the example of Z-blogger Ilya Remeslo, who suddenly began calling for Putin to be tried and then ended up in a mental hospital. WP believes that the open disobedience of the propagandist, who worked for about 10 years for the presidential administration, denigrating opposition activists, “exposes a split in the Russian power structures.”
Craft himself stated this in a WP comment. In his opinion, part of the system is already starting to work against Putin, and “the scale of discontent is colossal.” The lawyer claims that there is a “very large-scale struggle for power”, and the FSB and the AP are in a state of serious conflict.
Oppositionist Mikhail Khodorkovsky also believes that “there is an absolutely clear conflict” between the presidential administration and the 2nd service of the FSB, which is responsible for “protecting the constitutional order and fighting terrorism.” According to his version, the special service, having received a lot of powers, began to “tighten the screws very tightly,” and the AP is trying to convey to Putin that “the lid could be ripped off this cauldron.”
