How Russian vigilantes enforce Putin’s ‘traditional values’ | Global News Podcast

Across Russia, a network of nationalist vigilantes is carrying out raids targeting migrants, the LGBT community and anyone they deem to have violated what Vladimir Putin has described as "traditional values". Vigilante activities have become more prominent since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as Mr Putin and the Kremlin have increasingly used nationalist rhetoric about the dangers of what they call "Western liberalism".

Our investigations team, BBC Eye, has spent a year tracking the movements of the Russkaya Obshina nationalist group. In 2025, the Russian Orthodox Church – a powerful ally of the Russian state – recommended that all its bishops build partnerships with Russkaya Obshina. The BBC has also seen financial documents that suggest Russkaya Obshina receives funding from figures close to the Kremlin – though the group denies it.

Investigative journalist Christopher Giles tells us what he’s heard from current and former members of Russkaya Obshina, and the people caught up in their raids.

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00:00 Introduction
00:20 Tracking the vigilantes
01:41 Targeted by a raid
03:34 Online harassment
04:17 Rising pressure during the Ukraine war
05:11 Links to the Russian Orthodox Church
07:11 What former vigilantes say
07:46 What Russkaya Obshina says