Up to 15 Years Imprisonment Planned for Spreading Fakes About the Russian Armed Forces

The State Duma has adopted a bill in its third and final reading that establishes criminal penalties and hefty fines for disseminating false information that discredits the Russian army and calls for sanctions against Russia, reports RIA Novosti.

“The bill will be sent to the Federation Council immediately; a session will be held at 14:00 today in the Federation Council, and after its approval, the bill will be presented to the President,” said State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.

The document states that the term of imprisonment for such a crime could be up to 15 years, and it will apply if the disseminated fakes about the Russian special military operation have severe consequences.

It is noteworthy that on the morning of February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine. In a televised address, he stated that the circumstances “require us to take decisive and immediate actions, as the people's republics of Donbas have appealed to Russia for assistance.”