Russian President Vladimir Putin is relying on coercion to control "hostile" Russians, accordingto the MoD.Vladimir Putin is becoming more reliant on using coercion to control the Russian public who may be “hostile” to his regime, according to UK intelligence.The ministry of defence (MoD) noted how independent Russian media outlets report that convictions on treason charges in the country are now at the highest level for at least nine years.And there were more convictions in the first six months of 2024 than in all of 2023, according to the Russian ministry of justice. This crackdown reflects Moscow’s altered approach to dealing with potential pushback from the Russian public.In the latest social media update from the MoD, it also noted: “There has been significant growth in convictions under criminal articles relating to extremism, terrorism, and ‘disinformation’.”The intelligence officers concluded: “This conviction data illustrates the increasing reliance by the Russian gov