Russia has confirmed the existence of a database tracking citizens who have expressed opposition to the war in Ukraine, raising concerns over intensified state surveillance and repression.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the revelation emerged during a court case in Tatarstan involving activist Andrey Bogdanov, who was convicted of "repeatedly discrediting" the Russian army and attempting to set fire to a military enlistment office. Case documents revealed that officers from the Centre for Combating Extremism (Centre "E") identified and prosecuted Bogdanov using a specialised database of individuals with anti-war views.

The database reportedly includes profiles of Russians who have participated in anti-war protests, shared critical opinions on social media, or otherwise opposed what the Kremlin refers to as its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Bogdanov, previously fined twice in 2022 for protesting against the war, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

While unofficial watchlists and state monitoring of opposition figures have long been suspected, this case marks one of the first instances where law enforcement has explicitly referenced such a database in legal proceedings. Authorities claim the database merely records individuals who have been convicted of offences.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has intensified its crackdown on anti-war activism. The human rights organisation OVD-Info estimates that more than 20,000 people have been detained for anti-war actions, while 1,190 criminal cases have been launched against anti-war dissidents. Although large-scale protests have become rare due to severe legal consequences, authorities continue to target individuals expressing dissent online. The database appears to be a key instrument in this broader effort to stifle opposition.