When Russians started being arrested for opposing the Ukraine offensive, Maria felt the same kind of fear she guessed her ancestors, victims of repression under Soviet leader Josef Stalin, must have lived through.
Now 2½ years into its military offensive, Russia has imprisoned hundreds for protesting or speaking out against the campaign — even in private — in a crackdown that has paralyzed the Kremlin's domestic critics.
"It's not normal when you start behaving like your ancestors did. Twitching every time the phone rings ... thinking all the time about who you are talking with and what you are talking about," said Maria, a 47-year-old from Moscow.
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