Deputies of the State Duma adopted in the second and third (final) readings a bill that would introduce criminal liability for the dissemination of knowingly false information about the actions of the Russian military.
The bill introduces a new article 207.3 into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The maximum punishment for it will be 15 years in prison.
The legislative initiative, according to its authors, will help combat “discredit” and calls to prevent the use of the Russian armed forces “in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintain international peace and security.”
The document also introduces punishment for calls for sanctions against the Russian Federation.
According to the speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, this law will be considered by the Federation Council on March 4 and immediately sent for signature to the President of the Russian Federation.
On the night of February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing the Russians on the air of the Russia 24 TV channel, announced the start of hostilities in Ukraine. We are talking about conducting a “special military operation”, which is associated with the conflict around the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics.
Putin noted that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Meanwhile, he demanded that the Ukrainian army soldiers lay down their arms. According to him, those who fulfill this requirement will be able to freely return to their families from the war zone.
The purpose of the military operation, as the president stated, is “to protect people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for 8 years.” He also promised that Russia would “strive for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.”
