Putin's warning to anti-war Russians evokes Stalinist purges
The Russian president's references to "cleansing" of "scum and traitors" evoked terrifying memories of the mass arrests of the Stalin era, when repression was justified for "cleansing" Soviet society.
The Kremlin doubled down Thursday on recent statements by President Vladimir Putin that Russian society would benefit from what he called a "cleansing" of "scum and traitors" who align with the West in its criticism of the war in Ukraine.
The reference evoked terrifying memories of the mass arrests of the Stalin era — when repressions were justified for "cleansing" Soviet society of traitors — and it followed new laws criminalizing criticism of what the Kremlin calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
Russia has seen an exodus of political activists, journalists, celebrities and entrepreneurs critical of the war or fearing
