Russian President Vladimir Putin today signed several amendments to the country’s criminal code, making wartime punishments harsher for various crimes.
Offences such as refusing to obey the orders of a senior officer during wartime, armed conflict or combat operations – or refusing to take part in military or combat operations during those times – could lead to maximum 10 years in prison.
According to the Kremlin’s statement on the amendment, “Federal law also provides for criminal liability for voluntary surrender of servicemen, as well as criminal liability for robbery during martial law, wartime or armed conflict or combat operations”.
The Kremlin statement said that people sentenced to prison for particularly serious crimes can now be replaced by forced labor or other lesser punishments only after serving at least two-thirds of their sentences.
The Russian President has also signed a law that will punish violations of the terms of state contracts in the field of defense, especially if such violations cost the state at least 5% of the contract price and at least 5 million rubles (approximately 86,000 rubles). US dollars), and failure to perform the contract.
The Kremlin’s statement said the penalty could be waived “if the violation is voluntarily eliminated”.
some context: After Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive this month, Putin and Russian authorities have taken a series of measures to strengthen the country’s military and suppress dissent at home.
Some 300,000 reservists have been drafted into the army in what Putin called a “partial mobilization”.
According to a monitoring group, nearly 1,500 anti-war protesters have been detained in Russian cities since the announcement, some of whom were directly drafted into the army. The penalty for refusing to recruit in Russia is now 15 years in prison.