Russia does not want a “confrontation” with the United States after the crash of the American drone in the Black Sea.

they were Discussed in early March. The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, today adopted A.I amendment Punishment of critics against groups “volunteers” Fighter in Ukraine. Russian authorities regularly use this term to describe mercenaries of the Wagner paramilitary group, very active on the front in eastern Ukraine.

Penalties punish “The act of defaming the Russian Armed Forces extends to volunteer formations, organizations and individuals who provide assistance to the Armed Forces in carrying out their mission.”The State Duma announced on its website. Everyone who risks his life today to ensure the security of the homeland and its citizens is protected from provocations and lies. With this law, the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, determined that “The penalties will be severe, up to fifteen years of deprivation of liberty.”.

The amendment, which still needs to be approved by the upper house (the Federation Council) and signed into law by Vladimir Putin, would add to legislation passed shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 that censors criticism of the armed forces. After years of denying their existence, the Russian authorities now fully acknowledge the Wagner soldiers, who are currently on the front line of the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

In January, the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, asked parliament to ban negative publications about the paramilitary group in the media by amending the Penal Code, a request quickly accepted by the State Duma speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin.

Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office has already opened more than 5,800 cases against people accused of defaming the armed forces, according to human rights organization OVD-Info.