inside russias crackdown on dissent

Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Kremlin made it a crime to oppose the war in public. Since then, it has waged a relentless campaign of repression, putting Russian citizens in jail for offenses as small as holding a poster or sharing a news article on social media.

Valerie Hopkins, an international correspondent for The Times, tells the story of Olesya Krivtsova, a 19-year-old student who faces up to 10 years in prison after posting on social media, and explains why the Russian government is so determined to silence those like her.


Valerie Hopkins, an international correspondent for The New York Times, covering Russia and the war in Ukraine.

Olesya Krivtsova is still behind a table with lawyers on either side. She has her face in her hands. In the background, a man in military uniform watches over them.
Olesya Krivtsova at the court in Arkhangelsk. She was charged with justifying terrorism and discrediting the Russian armed forces. She faces up to 10 years in prison.Nanna Heitmann

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Valerie Hopkins contributed reporting.

Anastasia Vorozhtsova provided translation.

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