According to a classified report from the FSB’s Center for Countering Extremism in Dagestan, the number of criminal and administrative cases under Article 280.4 (“public calls for separatism”) rose from 14 in 2021 to 158 in the incomplete year 2025. While religious radicalism was previously the main motivation, since 2023 national separatism has become dominant, including calls for Dagestan’s independence. An internal FSB survey of 4,200 respondents in major cities showed that 27% of residents aged 18–35 support independence (compared to 4% in 2021), 41% believe Dagestanis’ participation in the war is unfair, and 19% are ready to join protests. The most radical sentiment is recorded in the Khasavyurt, Kizilyurt, and Buynaksk districts. Security officials link the surge to extremely high wartime casualties among Dagestanis and the mass removal of contract soldiers and mobilized men from ethnic villages.

FSB reports sharp rise in separatist sentiment in Dagestan