Putin reportedly ordered FSB to prevent rebellion after Navalny’s death

The Kremlin instructed Russia’s security forces to take measures to “protect the constitutional order from threats” following Alexey Navalny’s death, The Moscow Times reported on Friday, citing two high-ranking sources from the Russian government.

According to the sources, the prospect of a public funeral for Navalny alarmed Russia’s leadership, despite Putin’s efforts to project strength following the opposition leader’s death.

“Navalny’s funeral was a stress test for the Russian authorities. It was one of the most important topics in meetings between Kremlin officials and generals from the FSB [Federal Security Service] and Interior Ministry,” one high-ranking official reportedly said.

According to the official, FSB and Interior Ministry generals were ordered “not to allow a situation similar to the memorial service for [Andrey] Sakharov,” the Soviet physicist and dissident whose funeral drew hundreds of thousands of mourners in 1975.

Russia’s pro-government media outlets were reportedly also given specific orders for Navalny’s funeral. “State media was given a command to flood the airwaves with things like the president’s speech promising trillions of rubles in investments and stories about how the common people are the new elites,” said the official.

Alexey Navalny’s funeral was held in Moscow on March 1. Despite a heavy police presence and an intimidation campaign from the Russian authorities, thousands of people came to pay their respects.