Since the start of the extensive invasion of Ukraine by the Russian armed forces on February 24, 2022, protests against the regime and the war have unfolded in various cities across Russia. Demonstrations in the early days of the war and then due to military mobilization triggered a wave of arrests, with a total of nearly 20,000 people detained to date. Single pickets, posters, and anti-war partisan actions persist weekly throughout Russia. Repression affects anyone who speaks out against the war or Putin's regime, including women, children, artists, journalists, and others. A significant number of intellectuals, teachers, and university professors are also targeted, regularly falling victim to denunciations, dismissals, and even criminal prosecution.

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Here are some instances of prosecution against professors or scientists:
• Boris Kagarlitsky, a professor at the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, was placed in a temporary detention center as a suspect in a "justification of terrorism" case. The case was initiated sometime after Kagarlitsky published an article about the explosion on the Crimean Bridge.
• Irina Gen, a teacher in a Penza school, is criminally prosecuted following a discussion with school students. A student asked Irina why Russian children could not participate in the European swimming championships. In response, Irina began speaking emotionally about the war in Ukraine and a "totalitarian regime where any dissent is considered a thought crime." Irina now faces up to 10 years in prison for disseminating "fakes" about the Russian armed forces.
• Yevgeny Bestuzhev, a political scientist and former employee of the Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg, was arrested for his anti-war publications and is currently held in prison.
• Mathematician Azat Miftakhov, who broke a window in the offices of the United Russia party, was recognized as a "malicious offender" and taken to a detention center with very tough detention conditions. Azat was supposed to be released on September 4 but was detained upon leaving the penal colony. Now he faces additional charges based on new facts and his case has been reclassified as "justification of terrorism" due to alleged discussions with co-detainees.
•  Mikhail Lobanov, an Associate Professor at Moscow State University, was dismissed for his critical stance towards the regime and the war, had his home searched violently, and was recognized as a "foreign agent". He was forced to flee Russia due to the ensuing threat.
There are numerous other instances where professors have been dismissed either for their anti-war stance or for supporting Navalny. Most of these professors will never secure a teaching position in Russia again. The only solution for them is to leave the country. An initiative titled Teachers Against the War was launched in the early days of the extensive invasion of Ukraine, collecting 5,000 signatures within a few days. Their collective anti-war declaration was published on March 4, 2022.  However, two weeks later, it had to be removed from the initiative's website, as many teachers and professors who signed it experienced pressure and threats of dismissal.
The Kremlin is also putting pressure on educational programs by causing history books to be rewritten, introducing mandatory patriotism courses with predetermined content, and maintaining control over teachers and professors... Academic freedoms are persistently violated, forcing intellectuals into exile.