Russian police claim they are being overwhelmed by the number of people snitching on each other, according to the BBC. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the government enacted new laws to punish those who criticize the war, and Russians have been eager to denounce those they feel violate those laws. Sometimes those who report others truly agree with the war effort, but sometimes it’s done to settle a personal grudge. “People are always looking for an excuse to denounce someone over the ‘special military operation’,” said one former police officer. “Whenever something real comes up, there’s nobody to investigate. Everyone’s gone to check on some grandma who saw a curtain that looked like the Ukrainian flag.”
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