Russian security forces persecute Russians for wearing yellow and blue symbols — even those who support the regime

At the end of May, Russian security forces detained and then released a Russian man holding a yellow and blue flag of the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to British military intelligence, this is evidence of the spread of paranoia among Russian officials. 

The intelligence service stated this in its daily report. 

The Russian telegram channel "Ostorozhno, Novosti," owned by Russian pseudo-oppositionist Ksenia Sobchak, reported the incident with a flag. It took place in late May in Volkhov, Leningrad region. A unit of the Russian Guard responded to a call about the public display of the Ukrainian flag. It turned out that a 20-year-old resident of the city was holding the flag of the Russian Aerospace Forces. This flag also consists of yellow and blue colours. The man stated he was "directly related" to Russian military aviation and was released then. 

The ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia has also received complaints about the yellow and blue colours. Its symbols also consist of these colours. Yaroslav Nilov, a member of the Russian parliament from this party, said that the LDPR would not change its symbols despite the complaints. 

"The clampdown highlights uncertainty within a paranoid Russian officialdom," British intelligence said.