Putin Bans high-ranking officials from resigning as Russia-Ukraine War Intensifies

As Russia’s “unprovoked” war with Ukraine rages on, the Kremlin has imposed an official ban on Russian officials from resigning their posts, according to investigative outlet iStories.
There are reports that several Russian officials are expressing the will to resign from their positions as the war intensifies.
But the Kremlin has not only stopped them from resigning, it has threatened them with criminal prosecution, a source close to the presidential administration was quoted by iStories.
“If everyone leaves, control will be lost,” the source said, clarifying that the desire to resign is seen as a betrayal by Kremlin. The source further said that the civil servants are expected to “demonstrate unity”.

A former employee in the Federal Security Service (FSB) was also quoted by the media outlet that he knows of “at least two cases where governors tried to leave their posts, but they were not just prohibited by the Internal Policy Department, it was also hinted that they could face criminal prosecution”. He confirmed that the ban is informal and essentially illegal.

He said there are bound to be some exceptions to the ban, with fair possibilities of officials being released from their positions for health or corruption reasons. He said, by this point, “several officials are willing to pay a high price for the opportunity to quietly and discreetly leave now”.
Moreover, as per the mobilization decree signed by President Putin in September 2022, members of the special services, including the majority of FSB employees, cannot resign even after their contracts expire.