President Vladimir Putin has vowed to crush anybody trying to divide Russia.
Putin also hailed the effectiveness and unwavering loyalty of the country's law enforcement agencies.
He has increased a decades-long crackdown on civil society, independent media, and opposition amid his military offensive in Ukraine, with dissent and criticism of the Kremlin outlawed and punishable by years-long prison sentences.
"Those who try to intimidate people, to split our society, to play on religious or national feelings will never succeed.
"Inevitable and just retribution awaits them," he said.
Russia regularly uses such language to describe those who oppose the Kremlin, including domestic critics who Moscow paints as being Western spies or puppets.
Putin spoke while marking Russia's 'Investigation Officers' Day' and paid tribute to various Russian law enforcement agencies, including the Investigative Committee and the FSB security services, the successor to the Soviet-era KGB.
Comments