Sterilizing KPRF: Behind the Kremlin’s effort to rein in Russia’s increasingly unruly Communist Party

In 2021, Russia's Communist Party managed to become a headache again for the Kremlin, reemerging as a genuine threat to the country's ruling political party. The Communists staged protests, nominated unruly candidates for the State Duma, and opposed the government's unpopular introduction of COVID-19 vaccine passports. In return, the party's members have found themselves under felony investigation and at the center of attack pieces in the pro-government media. Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev examines how the Kremlin and Russia's security apparatus have targeted the Communist Party, and he explores what we know about President Putin's thoughts on the campaign. Original Article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/12/09/sterilizing-kprf