Russian blogger and translator Dmitry Puchkov expressed astonishment on Radio Sputnik over a new bill introduced to the State Duma regarding housing for secret police officers.
The legislative proposal would allow employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs whose information constitutes a state secret to avoid living in official state-assigned departmental housing. To prevent officers from compromising their confidential status, the plan would instead allocate state funds to cover the cost of renting apartments in standard residential buildings.
Speaking alongside co-host Tatiana Ladyaeva during a broadcast published on the social network VKontakte, Puchkov said he was left speechless after reading about the initiative. He questioned why such sensitive housing measures were being announced publicly and asked who parliamentarians were classifying as secret employees.
Security risks for undercover informants
Puchkov warned that if the proposal applies to undercover informants, disclosing any details about their housing situation poses severe risks to their safety. He said that revealing the identities of covert personnel could result in them being killed, describing discussions about placing such employees in designated service accommodation as incomprehensible.
Puchkov, widely known under his online pseudonym Goblin, is a prominent Russian commentator who first gained fame as a translator and voice actor for film dubs. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, known as the MVD, acts as Russia's core law enforcement body, while the State Duma serves as the lower chamber of the national parliament.
Personal safety concerns
During the radio discussion, Puchkov also referenced his own safety concerns, stating that he receives regular threats of physical violence against his life.
The blogger added that filing complaints with law enforcement authorities regarding these threats was futile, stating that reporting the incidents to police agencies yielded no results.
Radio Sputnik is a state-funded radio network whose programming is widely distributed across VKontakte, Russia's largest social media platform.
