Russia's FSB wants to expand surveillance of country's Internet users – ISW

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) intends to expand its own capabilities to spy on users of the Russian Internet, as well as disguise its operations.

Source: ISW (Institute for the Study of War)

Details: The report notes that the FSB is likely to support amendments to the bill of the State Duma of Russia, which will expand its digital authoritarianism tools to spy on users of the Russian Internet, banking and telecommunications companies.

Experts conclude that the FSB's efforts to gain control over the databases of large companies are probably part of an attempt to strengthen surveillance measures over the population of the Russian Federation and occupied Ukraine.

The FSB also intends to use potential new access to databases to disguise its operations more easily.

Potential new FSB access to databases of private companies may affect information security in other countries that use the services of the Russian Big Data Association.

Experts recall that in August the Kremlin tried to force Yandex to provide the FSB with their international users’ data.

Analysts also noticed that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on 29 September that 130,000 troops will be drafted into the Russian army from October to December 2023, compared to 147,000 troops drafted during the spring conscription.

Regarding operations at the front, the review notes that on 29 September, the Ukrainian military continued counteroffensive operations in the west of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast and in the vicinity of Bakhmut.

Russian sources claim that on 28 and 29 September, Ukrainian forces attacked north of Robotyne (10 kilometres south of Orikhiv), as well as near Verbove (18 kilometres southeast of Orikhiv) and Novoprokopivka (13 kilometres south of Orikhiv).

Russian milbloggers claimed on 20 September that Ukrainian forces unsuccessfully tried to advance east of the railway line south of Bakhmut in the area of   Klishchiivka (7 kilometres southwest of Bakhmut) and Kurdiumivka (13 kilometres southwest of Bakhmut), and also reported heavy fighting on the Klishchiivka-Andriivka-Kurdiumivka line.

To quote ISW Key Takeaways for 29 September:

• Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast and in the Bakhmut area on 29 September.
• The Russian government announced details about the semi-annual conscription cycle set to begin on 1 October in most of Russia, reportedly including the illegally annexed territories in Ukraine.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and former Wagner Group commander and current Ministry of Defence (MoD) employee Andrey Troshev on 29 September signalling that Putin will likely back the MoD in its apparent competing effort with the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) to recruit current and former Wagner personnel.
• The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) is likely supporting amendments to a Russian State Duma bill that would expand its tools of digital authoritarianism to surveil users of Russian internet, banking, and telecom companies.
• The apparent self-censorship in the wider Russian information space has likely opened the door for some fringe elements to directly criticise and speculate about senior Russian military commanders without pushback.
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast and advanced in some areas on 29 September.
• Russia may be continuing attempts to circumvent sanctions through military-technical cooperation with Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries.
• Russia is relaxing passport controls on Ukrainian citizens leaving and entering Russia likely in an attempt to simplify the movement of Ukrainian citizens to Russia.

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