An example of the Kafkaesque, terrifying nature of Putin’s Russia:

A court in Moscow on December 1 fined imprisoned Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza for a “violation of the law on foreign agents” because while incarcerated he failed to report every three months to the Justice Ministry about his activities . . .

The Kremlin has labeled Kara-Murza a “foreign agent,” you see. That’s what they do to Russian patriots. “Foreign agent” means “critic of Putin.”

I have quoted a bulletin from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — which further says,

Kara-Murza’s lawyer, Anna Stavitskaya, told the Business FM radio station that since her client is serving a 25-year prison term in a Siberian prison, he was unable to file reports with the ministry.

Above, I used the word “Kafkaesque.” A long time ago, I made a decision about “Kafkaesque,” and “Orwellian,” too: I would use them sparingly, only when circumstances absolutely warranted. In Putin’s Russia, as in the Soviet Union he served, a great many things are Kafkaesque and Orwellian.

No one was better — is better — at pointing this out than Vladimir Kara-Murza. He is a great man, and a conscience of his country. (Which is why he is in a Siberian prison.)

• Here is some good news from Australia:

As you may know, Kremlin agents twice tried to kill Kara-Murza through poisoning. (They tried to kill Alexei Navalny the same way, once. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail. They have many corpses to their credit.) As a result of these poisonings, these murder attempts, Kara-Murza is in a greatly weakened physical condition. And he must cope with solitary confinement in Siberia. (Navalny is also in solitary confinement, at Melekhovo, about 140 miles east of Moscow.)

• The KGB from which Putin sprang was very good at sowing chaos in other countries — democratic countries, in particular. The Kremlin’s agents were expert at “disruption campaigns.” The KGB is now the FSB, but that is little more than a change of initials.

In Finland, the media are reporting that Finnish intelligence has uncovered solid evidence of a particular disruption campaign, or series of campaigns: campaigns designed to keep Finland and Sweden out of NATO.

When Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, you recall, those two countries — Finland and Sweden — decided they should join NATO. Fast. Finland is now in. But Sweden is still delayed, by two governments: Erdogan’s in Turkey and Orbán’s in Hungary.

In Sweden, there have been instances of Koran-burning, and the same has occurred in Denmark as well. Analysts have long suspected a Russian hand behind these instances. It would be obtuse not to.

Obviously, the Kremlin has an interest in blocking new NATO members — and sowing chaos where and when they can — and Erdogan does not take kindly to Koran-burning and the like.

The scheme that Finnish intelligence has apparently uncovered involves not just Koran-burning but other measures, too — including anti-Islamic and anti-Erdogan graffiti (crude but effective). The Kremlin’s efforts did not succeed in Finland; but they are still hampering Sweden.

It would be dumb to look for a Russian under every bed. It would also be dumb — naïve, ignorant — to forget what the Kremlin has done — has virtually specialized in — for generations.

(If you would like to read a news story about the matter of Sweden and Finland, consult the Moscow Times, here. The paper used to publish in Moscow, of course. But it has been exiled — prudently exiled — since 2017.)

• As you can read below, the British are alert to Kremlin machinations. And alertness is what is called for: now and always.