As Russia faces intense pressure in battlefield, President Vladimir Putin has issued a warning to “traitors” on Wednesday.
The leader said that the West may try to use them as a fifth column to destroy Russia.
Not just this, Putin said that Russians would be able to differentiate the “patriots from the scum”.
In Moscow, warnings in the form of graffiti have come up on the doors of activists.
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In just hours of the speech, a Moscow-based activist Dmitry Ivanov, said that his mother witnessed a graffiti message on the door to their apartment landing, saying “Don’t betray the motherland Dima”.
In comments to government ministers on Wednesday, Putin said that Russians would spit out traitors “like gnats”. He also said that society would be better for it.
“I am convinced that this natural and necessary self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to meet any challenge,” Putin said.
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On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, said many people were showing themselves to be traitors.
“They are vanishing from our lives themselves. Some people are leaving their posts, some are leaving their active work life, some leave the country and move to other countries. That is how this cleansing happens,” Peskov said.
(With inputs from agencies)
