The far-right nationalist group Russkaya Obshchina (“Russian Community”) had been around for four years already when it rose to prominence in 2024. Around the same time, activists and human rights groups began documenting an increase in anti-migrant sentiment across Russia, linked in part to the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack in Moscow. In May 2025, Russkaya Obshchina found itself in the media spotlight for a variety of reasons, ranging from reports of open cooperation with regional police and news of violent attacks by the group’s members, including one that proved deadly. As it turns out, Russkaya Obshchina isn’t just linked to Russian law enforcement. One of the organization’s members admitted to journalists last year that they sometimes carry out assignments for the FSB. Now, Meduza special correspondents Andrey Pertsev and Lilia Yapparova can reveal how Russian intelligence, federal officials, and regional authorities all cooperate with the country’s most notorious far-right group.