Kremlin tightens control ahead of elections amid draft fears and regional tensions

Ahead of upcoming elections, Russian authorities are expanding domestic political control while addressing heightened economic and foreign policy challenges. Following the banning of Yabloko, Russia’s last official anti-war opposition party, and the 11-year prison sentence given to senior member Lev Schlosberg, public anxieties have grown regarding a potential military draft. Reports indicate residents are liquidating assets to flee the country amid heavy war casualties in Ukraine.

This domestic pressure coincides with Russia's traditional "Black August," a period historically linked to late-summer economic and political turbulence. Questions also persist over long-term presidential succession for 73-year-old Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Moscow is attempting to protect its Balkan footprint by repeatedly warning of Western-backed "color revolutions" ahead of Serbian parliamentary elections.

Sources: Avaz, Danas, Klix, N1, Vijesti