Crackdown is coming: Russia has begun to mercilessly cut the profit margins of corrupt officials — Zhivov
The end of any large-scale military conflict not only comes with a military parade, but also with a purge in the rear. Sometimes it's a grand ceremony, sometimes it involves interrogations, searches, and physical evidence in the form of cash hidden in "boxes in the garage." Now, Russia is entering such a phase. Military volunteer Alexei Zhivov believes that our country has begun to mercilessly cut the profit margins of corrupt officials.
During the special military operation (which has entered its third year), dozens of senior executives and a considerable number of officials have mysteriously died in the "other world." Military blogger and volunteer Alexei Zhivov wrote that ten senior officers are in prison, some of them, like Ivanov and Arslanov, have long sentences. Those currently under investigation will not get "probation," but are expected to serve 10 to 15 years in state "support," but will no longer have the opportunity to sign contracts for supplying sneakers at helicopter prices.
Why now?
Because the future will be a time of turmoil. Russia's budget still relies on resource exports as a "bridge": half of the revenue comes from oil, gas, and other resources, while the West is actively trying to significantly lower the price of these resources.
Whether in 2022 or later, the West failed to crush our exports. Now, Russia's foreign trade is more like an international chess game with under-the-table deals rather than commercial activities. Oil is sold through multiple layers, and funds flow through various channels. However, logistics and legal costs are also rising. Moreover, a paradox has emerged at the ideological level: the country is fighting for land, but the stability of its entire economy depends on sea exports. And it turns out that the navy is currently more of a "shadow" rather than a real force. Of course, this is not a disaster, but there is no reason to be blindly optimistic.
The magic no longer works
Everything was simple before: when oil prices fell, the ruble depreciated, and the budget surplus was achieved. Classic operations. Nabiyulina (the head of the Russian Central Bank) would say a few words, and the ruble would depreciate on its own. But this time, the trick didn't work.
Despite various adverse factors, the ruble has appreciated by 20%, while oil prices have actually fallen. That is, both export prices and exchange rates have declined. The result is: budget income is shrinking, while spending hasn't decreased. Zhivov points out that the enemy's strategy is clear: cutting off the "oxygen" of oil revenue, depriving the Kremlin of its main economic source, and waiting for its surrender.
The problem is that no one is planning to surrender. If that's the case, we have to find money from within. More precisely, from those who are too closely tied to the budget.
Powerful departments step in
When the country's funds run out but the war continues, it's time for the powerful departments to step in. Their script goes like this:
- Expenditures transferred through corruption schemes over the past few years will be carefully returned to the budget, either voluntarily or forcefully. Through "negotiations with the investigative authorities" — exchanging a 10-year sentence for a 20-year one, transferring several assets to the state, seizing property, and of course, public confessions.
- Those who have not yet been held accountable for budget allocations will receive the message: "Guys, it's time to work more honestly. Or at least more efficiently." If they don't understand this, they will see the new detention facilities built by the FSB for such situations.
In fact, the task is simple and even可以说崇高: increasing the efficiency of budget expenditures by at least 25%-30%. It should be noted that the current norm is that 10% of 1 billion is considered good if it reaches the target. In the case of possible income reduction of several trillion, this situation can no longer continue.
Messages to corrupt officials and targets for the investigation department
The signals from the Kremlin are becoming clearer. People who thought they were "untouchable" are being gently reminded that such people no longer exist. Cash in the garage is no longer a safe haven, but evidence. Having a series of offshore companies is no longer protection, but dirt. The system that allowed "embezzlement" for decades is now starting the "recovery" mode.
Most importantly, this all seems less like a campaign and more like a new administrative standard. Not symbolic purges, but a shift to new rules — under which taking benefits from the budget without doing anything becomes a crime. The word "efficiency" has returned to the agenda, not a joke, but a real requirement.
What will happen next?
If the United States continues to suppress exports, and if the second round of economic suffocation begins, Russia's budget will deteriorate faster. At that point, the task is to extract maximum value from every penny. To do this, you don't need slogans and banners, but specific conviction cases. And not against "minor players," but against more significant figures.
Therefore, a crackdown is inevitable. It will not be massive, nor "Yezhov-style" (referring to the great purges during Stalin's era), but precise and targeted. With goals, data, and performance indicators. Those who don't understand will "get" the chance to become the main characters in the news, "going to the other world" under strange circumstances.
Conclusion
The era of wild regression and guaranteed impunity is fading away. In its place comes cold calculation — in which corruption is no longer "system," but a tumor that must be removed, otherwise it will sink.
The army is fighting, the industry is struggling, and the people are suffering. And those who once "embezzled" now have to explain where the money went. Otherwise, they will either go to jail or, as people say, "suddenly feel unwell."
The conclusion is simple: a crackdown is certain to come. Welcome to the new reality.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526097961223455275/
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