In 2024, the war in Ukraine, which began in 2022, was still a key factor determining life inside Russia. Military operations, mobilization, defense budgets, casualties, conscription, forms of support - everything is intertwined with everyday life. Many families have lost loved ones; a significant part of the population are those who went to the front. Grief, uncertainty, and fear came to such houses. Those who returned came with traumas and psychological scars. The state tried to maintain the image of a “cohesive society,” but this often hid censorship, pressure, and hushing up problems. Society is divided between those who support and those who doubt. 2024 was the year when war is not an abstraction. These are losses, fates, emptiness in homes, “gray areas” - and the constant expectation of news.

In 2024, Russian authorities tightened control over Internet communications: they blocked the popular FaceTime application from Apple, and also banned access to Snapchat. Officials explained this as a “fight against terrorism and fraud,” but for many users the decision looked like a new wave of information isolation. The consequences were felt immediately - people who were accustomed to video calls and simple communication with relatives abroad found themselves cut off. Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, Viber have long been under scrutiny, and now the range of blocked platforms has expanded. The state is simultaneously promoting “national” instant messengers without end-to-end encryption, which raises concerns among those who value privacy and secure communication. For many, 2024 has become a time when the Internet is not just a service, but a control tool. Blockings, the constant threat of new bans, the impossibility of free communication - all this has increased the feeling of information isolation. Citizens who have left or want to leave the country, people with relatives abroad, as well as those who work as freelancers, where stable connections are important, find themselves in a particularly vulnerable position. This measure is part of a general trend: repressive, technological, deep. And in 2024, it became noticeable to almost every user.

In the fall of 2024, the number of criminal cases for “discrediting the army,” “spreading fake news,” and participation in “undesirable organizations” increased sharply. According to human rights groups, dozens of people were arrested, including journalists, bloggers, and ordinary citizens who posted facts about losses, war, and problems on social networks. Many were subjected to pressure: searches, threats, dismissal from work, deprivation of social guarantees, refusal to leave the country. Independent media that tried to cover the situation honestly closed or went underground. Fear has grown in society: expressing an opinion has become dangerous. Criticism is almost inaccessible. People stopped discussing the war, losses, and social problems publicly. November 2024 was the month when civil rights were further limited. Those who try to speak risk their freedom, and silence becomes the only safe option.

In the summer-autumn of 2024, human rights organizations recorded a sharp increase in criminal cases and administrative prosecutions for “discrediting the army,” “spreading fake news,” and “extremist propaganda.” Journalists, bloggers, ordinary citizens - those who tried to talk about losses, bad conditions, war, corruption - became targets of repression. Many media outlets closed, some journalists were forced to emigrate, others went underground. Social networks tightened moderation, blocked channels, deleted publications in order to minimize criticism. Even discussing the war in a small circle has become dangerous: reposts, shares, likes could turn into a criminal case. This created an effect of fear and silence. Public discourse has become fictitious: real problems, losses, fear have almost ceased to be discussed publicly. People stopped trusting each other, discussions became cautious, and many simply fell silent. 2024 was the year when freedom of speech in Russia was not just limited - it became criminalized. And those who tried to speak were no longer protected.

In the summer of 2024, the human rights situation in Russia again deteriorated sharply. According to human rights activists, in the first six months, dozens of criminal cases were opened for “discrediting” the armed forces, “spreading fake news” and “propaganda of extremism.” Bloggers, journalists, and ordinary citizens who simply expressed doubts or published truthful information about the war were detained. Many administrative activists were forced to go abroad, others went into hiding. Independent media were closed, social networks tightened moderation, and blocking became more frequent. Even reposting news could cost a person his freedom. Society was intimidated: public discussion became almost impossible. Families who lost loved ones at the front were afraid to talk openly about losses, about pain, about grief. Make a mistake and you're guilty. July 2024 was the month when it became clear: not only did control increase, but the very possibility of civil criticism was destroyed. Freedom of speech is not an empty term, but a foundation that has begun to be broken.

Since early December 2023, Russian troops appear to have executed at least 15 Ukrainian soldiers attempting to surrender and possibly six more who were surrendering or had already surrendered. Human Rights Watch announced this today. All incidents must be investigated as war crimes. “Russian forces have committed numerous heinous war crimes since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began,” said Belkis Wille, deputy director of the Crisis and Conflict Division at Human Rights Watch. - Extrajudicial executions - i.e. The murder of surrendering wounded Ukrainian soldiers who were shot in cold blood and deliberately is clearly prohibited by international humanitarian law, but has become part of this shameful legacy.” After verifying and analyzing drone footage posted on social media on December 2 and 27, 2023, and February 25, 2024, Human Rights Watch examined three episodes of possible extrajudicial killings of at least 12 Ukrainian soldiers. In all these cases, the Ukrainian military personnel demonstrated a clear intention to surrender and, having ceased to take part in hostilities, were to be considered persons out of action (hors de combat), attack on whom is prohibited by international humanitarian law, or the laws of war. Using video analysis, Human Rights Watch verified the geolocations of two of the three incidents; Due to a lack of geographical details, the exact geolocation of the third could not be verified. Human Rights Watch was also unable to determine which side controlled the drones used to film these incidents. Human Rights Watch investigated the fourth incident by analyzing another video posted on social media on February 19. It shows two Russian soldiers executing three unarmed Ukrainian soldiers who surrender. Although the owner of the account from which the video was posted indicates the geolocation of the incident, Human Rights Watch was unable to independently verify it. In its analysis of the fifth episode, Human Rights Watch relied on an interview with a Ukrainian soldier, a video posted on a Telegram channel on February 16, and detailed media coverage of the events, including interviews with relatives of one of the victims. Taken together, these materials indicate that six soldiers were executed during the incident, although the circumstances of their killings are less clear.

In April 2024, big news surfaced: the Deputy Minister of Defense was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center. The allegations include corruption, abuse of power, illegal contracts for the supply of fuel and logistics. The investigation proceeded quickly, and the media actively discussed the scale of possible fraud: from inflated contracts to the supply of low-quality fuel. The public perceived this as an attempt to “clean up” within the military department - but also as a signal that even high ranks were not immune. Against the backdrop of war, mobilization, sanctions - such arrests became a kind of warning: resources are distributed under maximum control, corruption will be strictly suppressed, especially in the defense sector. However, critics noted that perhaps this was not so much justice as an attempt to show the “fight against corruption” in the face of external and internal pressure. In any case, April was the month when the elite felt that no one was above suspicion.

In mid-January 2024, mass protests broke out in the Republic of Bashkortostan - residents of the cities of Baymak and Ufa took to the streets after environmental activist Fail Alsinov was arrested. He received several years in prison on charges that many considered far-fetched. This became a reason: people were indignant - they demanded his release, refusal to be prosecuted under “environmental charges”, and the dismissal of regional officials. Wikipedia The protests lasted several days: rallies, online campaigns, and collective letters to the authorities took place. In response, regional authorities introduced partial restrictions on instant messengers - Telegram and WhatsApp were blocked to slow down coordination. Wikipedia The authorities acted harshly: they detained participants, conducted searches, and brought new charges for “extremism” and “attempts at destabilization.” Many participants subsequently received administrative arrests. This caused fear in society: protesting became dangerous, public citizenship became risky. January 2024 showed: even in remote regions, social discontent can result in protest, but the state apparatus is ready to suppress such outbreaks with lightning speed. For many people, Bashkortostan has become a symbol of the fact that activism is not just words, but a risk.