Rule By Decree - Russia’s Dying Society
Comparative analysis of Putin’s Secret Decrees and the State Duma Decrees In Russia 2022-2025
12 July, 2025 - news broke of another Kremlin decree targeting this time - old age Russians who are childless.
For childless Russians, the russian government claims it is necessary to establish an "old-age tax" so that they compensate for the state's costs for their maintenance after retirement, - Deputy Gurulev suggested. He was outraged by the fact that the state should support a "infirm" man, "who lived all his life for himself, leaving no offspring".
According to the deputy, Russians who have chosen this model of behaviour should be liable for it with an additional ruble. Earlier, Gurulev proposed to return the tax on childlessness, which was in force in the USSR from 1941 to 1990.
Putin has issued hundreds of secret decrees over the past three years, while the Duma has issued as many, to control a dying society. This thread offers a deep dive and comparative analysis between Putin’s cowardly “secret decrees” and the official Russian Duma equivalents over the past three years. What is revealed is quite shocking, just how many secret decrees have been signed into force by Putin.
This is the style of rule by decree now emulated by Donald Trump.
Putin’s “Secret” Decrees (2022–2024)
2022: Putin signed 996 decrees, of which 45 %—approximately 448—were classified as secret
2023: He issued 997 decrees, with 49.5 %—about 494—kept secret.
2024: Full-year data isn’t yet available, but interim figures (e.g. 62 % classified in July 2023; ongoing high rates since 2022) suggest secrecy remains prevalent.
The Total Russian Decrees for 2022–2023:
~1,993 decrees
~942 classified as secret
Laws Passed by the State Duma (2022–2024)
2022: The Duma enacted a record 653 laws
2023: Though full-year totals aren’t easily found, the spring session alone saw 331 laws adopted (Jan–July)
2024: Legislative activity continues robustly, but aggregated figures for the year aren’t yet confirmed.
At minimum, 2022–2023 saw: 653 (2022) + 331 (early 2023) = 984 laws
Monthly Trends (Recent Years)July 2023: A peak month, with 62 % of Putin’s decrees classified as secret—the highest monthly share in his presidency so far
Summer 2023 (July alone): Mediazona reports that between July 27–31, 12 decrees were secret—marking the single highest monthly total since February 2022
First 7 months of 2023: On average, 48 % of decrees were secret, with the proportion climbing during military operations.
Early 2022 (March): The share hit ~54 % as the full-scale war in Ukraine began
Secret decrees surged during key wartime periods—peaking in spring/summer 2022–2023, then moderating slightly, but still hovering well above historical norms.
Trends in Earlier Years
2001: Under Putin’s first presidency, 47 % of decrees were secret—until July 2023, the record high
Pre-2022 era: Classified decrees consistently stayed below 30–40 %, though exact monthly breakdowns are sparse.
Total volume: According to research, presidential decrees nearly doubled post-2019, reaching around 1,131 in 2024, fuelled largely by wartime measures.
The decree narratives
Here’s a timeline‑focused narrative linking key secret decrees and Duma laws to major wartime events in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine:
February–March 2022: War Begins & Censorship Laws
Feb 24, 2022: Putin declares the “special military operation”—launch of full-scale invasion
Mar 4, 2022: Putin issues secret decree amending Criminal Code articles on “fake news”, threatening up to 15 years imprisonment for “discrediting” the armed forces—the start of a sweeping censorship regime
Mar 2022 (March): Share of secret decrees jumps to ~54%, marking a sharp increase aligned with wartime mobilisation.
Mid‑2022: Mobilisation & Treaties
Sep 5, 2022: Putin signs decree on partial mobilisation of 300,000 reservists
Sep 20, 2022: The Duma swiftly adopts amendments introducing strict military-law offences (voluntary surrender, desertion, looting, punishable by long prison terms)
Sep 21, 2022: Putin issues another secret decree formalising mobilisation; Duma enacts supporting legislation for combat bonuses, employment rights, tax breaks
Sep 29–30, 2022: Putin issues secret decrees recognising “independence” of Zaporizhzhia & Kherson—a prelude to annexation
Oct 3, 2022: State Duma ratifies accession treaties for Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson via federal constitutional laws
Dec 2022: Duma passes laws penalising distribution of “maps challenging Russia’s territorial integrity” (fines and potential arrest)
2023: Expansion of Repression & Continued Annexation
Jan–Jul 2023: Putin issues nearly 1,000 decrees; approximately 48% classified secret—ongoing wartime secrecy.
Jun 2023: Duma enacts laws giving military immunity for minor wartime offences, expanding "wartime" legal definitions.
Apr 2, 2025: (as precursor) Duma pushes new repressive bills criminalising broader dissent: expanded "foreign agents", trials in absentia, harsher penalties for "discrediting" military.
Later 2024 & 2025: Continued Secrecy & Veteran Politicisation
Summer 2023: Secret decree rate peaks at 62% in July—the highest monthly share ever.
2024: Total presidential decrees double post‑2019, reaching ~1,131—many classified secret.
Mar 2025: Kremlin plans to appoint 100 Ukraine-war veterans into Duma seats for 2026, reinforcing military influence in parliament.
Overall Narrative
Secret decrees surged in wartime—44% in 2022 → nearly 50% in 2023 → 62% peak in July 2023.
The Duma has mirrored this with rapid passage of martial/war-related laws, especially in late 2022–early 2023 (mobilisation laws, annexation ratifications, censorship expansion).
Together these instruments show a tightly coordinated executive-legislative strategy: reinforcing wartime mobilisation, annexation, censorship, and repression—often within days or weeks of battlefield developments.
The political shift extends into postwar consolidation—laws packing Duma with veterans and expanding state control.
What This All Means
Wartime correlation: Each spike in decree secrecy aligns with major military operations or escalations in Ukraine. Record secrecy levels: 2023’s 49.5 % annual share surpassed the 2001 Chechen-era record of 47 %, with monthly percentages reaching up to 62 %. Rising volume: The total number of decrees issued increased significantly post-2019, peaking at 1,131 in 2024.
Over the past two full years, the number of secret presidential decrees and parliamentary laws passed are very close—roughly mid-900s. Putin’s secret decrees have been trending upward: 45 % in 2022 → ~50 % in 2023, with peaks above 60 % during key war-related periods. Duma legislative output hit an all-time high in 2022, with sustained activity in 2023, though exact full-year numbers await final reporting.
In the past three years, Russia’s executive and legislative branches have churned out almost equal volumes of policy instruments—around mid‑900s each for secret executive orders and enacted laws.
References and sources:
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-secret-decrees/32533722.html
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/26311
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-secret-decrees-ukraine-war-convicts/32756314.html
https://pledgetimes.com/with-war-in-ukraine-putin-imposes-secrecy-on-half-of-the-decrees-he-signs/
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/08/3/7414095/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://freepolicybriefs.org/tag/putin/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
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Why anyone would be surprised or shocked by the sheer number of decrees issued by putin is beyond me. This controlling behaviour is typical of an authoritarian leader determined to suppress any dissent or criticism of his policy decisions (as you suggest, trump is imitating putin's style of leadership)