Former FSB Officer Arrested, Was 'Kremlin Laundress' Telegram Channel Blackmailing Russian Elites?

A former FSB colonel named Mikhail Polyakov, allegedly linked to the "Kremlin Laundress" Telegram channel, has been arrested in Russia. Polyakov is suspected of extorting influential politicians and businessmen and had ties to high-ranking officials like Putin's deputy chief of staff and the mayor of Moscow. The arrest might be part of the Kremlin's efforts to control the information related to internal politics, following the revolt by Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Russian state media confirmed Polyakov's arrest on suspicion of extortion, but charges have not been filed yet.