What’s a “Putin critic”?

Googling “Putin critic” turns up reports of a Russian defector assassinated in Ukraine; of a memorial to a Russian opposition leader killed near the Kremlin; of the current opposition leader jailed for a street protest; of a Russian investigative journalist who barely survived a poisoning – and so on.

As a one size fits all descriptor, “Putin critic” is technically acceptable but not particularly helpful to the audience. There are millions of Putin critics in Russia but rather fewer opposition activists and serious journalists. Also, consider the difference between a “Trump critic” and “Putin critic” as used by the mainstream media.