The Kremlin is paying the wives of Russian soldiers not to protest against their long deployment following small-scale demonstrations in Moscow, the UK ministry of defence said.

“The Russian authorities are likely attempting to quash public dissent by wives of deployed Russian soldiers, including by attempting to pay them off and discrediting them online,” it said.

“In recent weeks, the authorities have likely offered increased cash payments to families in return for them refraining from protest.”

Women have been gathering in cities across Russia to challenge the Kremlin’s argument that mobilised troops are needed in combat indefinitely to secure victory in Ukraine.

It comes as a majority of those questioned in Russia have expressed their support for peace talks over continued fighting, with 74 per cent saying they would be happy for the president to sign a peace deal immediately.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin dramatically increased the Russian troop numbers by nearly 170,000 to reach a total of 1.32 million.

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