There have been reports in Russian media about the launch of surveillance cameras with the function of recognizing "ethnic affiliation" in St. Petersburg. According to the portal [The Insider](https://theins.ru/en/news/284392) and the local paper "Peterburgsky Dnevnik", Vice-President of the Committee on Information and Communication Igor Nikonow reported this during the debate on the city budget at 2026-2028.