August 25, 2026

Hear an Accent? Call the FSB


Hear an Accent? Call the FSB
An FSB arrest. FSB Press-service, Wikimedia Commons.

On August 22, the independent Russian news outlet Meduza reported that the governor of Oryol Oblast urged residents to report "[those that] have an accent" to the FSB, Russia's internal security service. The official issued the command amid threats of possible sabotage from Ukraine amid Russia's war against its neighbor.

In the past few days, Russia has intensified air and drone strikes in its War on Ukraine. In return, Ukraine has intensified drone incursions on Russian airspace. Oryol Oblast, located 195 miles from the border between Russia and Ukraine, has been regularly intercepting Ukrainian drones. On August 19 alone, the region purportedly shot down 42 quadcopters over its airspace.

Amid the attacks and threats from Ukraine, the oblast's governor, Andrey Klychkov, urged Oryol residents to report "anything considered strange" to the FSB. Klychkov added that residents should inform the authorities of any camps in the forest, hiding spots, hidden cameras, and radio stations. The government official said the oblast's residents should report to the FSB "suspicious faces, [those] poorly oriented in the area, [and those who] have an accent." 

In June, authorities in Murmansk, a region bordering Norway and Finland, issued a similar message warning of sabotage attempts by foreign groups. The Telegram post was quickly deleted.

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