"Certain Attitude Towards...": Putin Defends Arrest Of Critics During War

Putin was responding to a question from a reporter who asked him to comment on the recent jailing of a theatre director and a sociologist.

President Vladimir Putin on Saturday defended an unprecedented crackdown on dissenting voices in Russia at a time of "armed conflict" with Ukraine, urging everyone to follow "certain rules."

"It's the year 2023, and Russia is engaged in an armed conflict with a neighbour. And I think that there should be a certain attitude towards people who harm us inside the country," Putin told reporters in Saint Petersburg.

"We must keep in mind that in order for us to achieve success, including in a conflict zone, everyone needs to follow certain rules," Putin added.