REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
- Russian media is reporting investigations and arrests of police officers over leaks to Ukrainians.
- The country appears to be overhauling its domestic security bodies over the leaks, experts said.
- But experts said it may also be happening as the Kremlin looks to "consolidate further control."
Russia's federal security service appears to be conducting a major overhaul of the country's domestic security forces, including arresting police officers, over leaks to Ukrainians, experts monitoring Russia's invasion of Ukraine said.
Washington DC-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said in an update on Wednesday that the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB, appears to be conducting this large-scale overhaul, while also being involved in "raids" on Moscow police departments.
A Russian source told the think tank that police officers had been detained as part of the investigation.
The ISW said that the investigations, which Russian media reports said are related to leaks to Ukrainians, may also be part of an effort to get rid of officials that the Kremlin wants to dismiss, allowing Russia's government to further consolidate its power.
It cited a Wednesday report from Russian state news outlet TASS, which said the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Main Directorate of the Security Service have been investigating the Moscow Central District Internal Affairs Directorate and several police offices in Moscow.
TASS reported that the checks were taking place over "the leakage of data from Russian security forces at the request of Ukrainian citizens," according to ISW's translation.
Online Russian outlet Baza also reported on Wednesday that FSB officers had been investigating the Internal Affairs' Main Directorate and Moscow police departments for weeks over leaks, and that some Ukrainians had received information about Russia's security forces from the police.
Baza reported that Ukrainians were paying for information on Russian security forces and judges, and that police officers had been arrested.
The ISW noted that the investigations are happening as leaders of Russia's national guard, Rosgvardia, have been arrested and dismissed. This includes two commanders who were reportedly arrested in March, accused of corruption.
"The Kremlin may be pushing for such arrests and investigations in order to conduct an overhaul of the domestic security apparatus to oust officials who have fallen out of Kremlin favor and consolidate further control internal security organs," the ISW said.