Seeking to criminalize the desecration of military graves and memorials, the Russian government has introduced a bill to the State Duma [lower house of the Federal Assembly] that would amend the title and opening clause of the article on "the destruction or damage of military burial sites, monuments, steles, obelisks and other memorial structures honoring those who died defending the homeland or its interests," by explicitly adding the term "desecration." The amended article sets a maximum sentence of five years in prison. In the explanatory note, the bill’s authors claim that authorities have documented more than 370 "high-profile incidents of desecration" involving military graves and memorials since February 2022. The Sever.Realii...
Female inmates at Penal Colony No. 11 have been applying en masse to join the war effort, the Lyudi Baikala [People of Baikal] independent media outlet reported, citing sources familiar with the situation in the penal colony located in Bozoy, Irkutsk region. Authorities turned away about a third of the more than 60 volunteers, either due to health issues or because they had minor children. The rest completed a one-month military training program, which included basic nursing skills, and left for the front in December 2024.
Relatives of wounded participants in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have acquired the right to take up to 35 days of additional unpaid leave after Vladimir Putin signed a corresponding bill into law. Moreover, close relatives may take up to 14 days of unpaid leave in the event of a service member’s death.
Lawmakers moved to exclude the retroactive application of a bill giving military authorities a year to call up an individual from the moment a decision to conscript them is taken. Members of the State Duma [lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly] introduced an amendment ahead of the bill’s second reading so draft offices would not carry out fall 2024 decisions in 2025. Another amendment would exempt two groups from regular conscription: citizens who have served at least six months in volunteer units recognized under the Law on Defense, and those who served in the armed formations of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" beginning May 11, 2014. The State Duma plans to consider the bill on April 8.
"Foreign agents" would face dismissal from military service under a draft decree from Putin, the Parliamentary Gazette states. If the amendments to the "Regulation on the Procedure for Military Service" take effect, service members labeled as foreign agents would not only lose their positions but also forfeit the right to wear military uniforms and insignia. The decree would apply the same penalty to military personnel found guilty of alcohol abuse, drug use, intentional crimes or misusing their official positions to serve political parties, as well as to those dismissed for "loss of trust" or expelled from military academies. The amendments would also change the mechanism for discharging troops. Legal experts interviewed by the...
The State Duma [lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly] passed a law allowing parents, spouses and children of service members who are undergoing treatment or rehabilitation to request up to 35 days of additional unpaid leave. In the event of a service member’s death, parents, widows and children may take up to 14 days of unpaid leave.
Law enforcement officers raided a Moscow fitness club in search of draft dodgers, forcing everyone present—both men and women—to lie face-down on the floor before dividing them by ethnicity into "Russians" and "non-Russians," customers reported. Officers then checked each person’s record in a conscription database, releasing those with proper military registration and taking anyone without a passport or registration for further verification, one visitor said. Employees noted that "such roundups happen everywhere now." It is worth noting that Russia’s next spring conscription campaign begins on April 1.
Pavel Prikashchikov, a suspect in a case of rape and sexual violence against orphanage children, has avoided punishment by going to war. A former orphanage resident himself, Prikashchikov initially pleaded guilty to having sexual relations with children but later retracted his testimony. A final verdict was never issued—his case was suspended due to his contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
Authorities have drafted amendments to the Internal Regulations of the Military Police to allow the detention, under martial law, of soldiers suspected of grave or especially grave crimes for up to 30 days without trial. Such offenses include resisting or assaulting a commanding officer, hazing resulting in serious injury, going AWOL for more than a month, desertion, feigning illness, self-harm, and deliberate destruction of military property. The changes to internal regulations stem from the 2024 amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code that first permitted 30-day detentions without a court order.
Lawmakers introduced bills to "prevent interference in Russia’s domestic politics" in the State Duma [lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly]. Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced them last week. The legislation calls for prison terms of up to five years and possible confiscation of property for discrediting the Armed Forces or for urging sanctions against the country. It also mandates up to seven years of imprisonment and possible confiscation of property for what it describes as "self-serving assistance" to international organizations that exclude Russia—including the International Criminal Court—and to foreign state bodies. In addition, authorities plan to label individuals as "foreign agents" if they cooperate with "foreign...