Russian authorities have initiated 273 cases for spreading “fakes” about the Russian army under Article 270.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation since the start of the war in Ukraine. This was reported by Alexander Bastrykin, the Head of Russia’s Investigative Committee. According to him, 134 of these cases, involving 136 individuals, have been forwarded to courts. However, an independent tally by the OVD-Info project indicates that a total of 261 people are implicated in such cases.
Furthermore, Bastrykin disclosed that another 81 criminal cases have been initiated under the article on "discrediting” the Russian army. Out of these, 44 cases involving 45 persons have been sent to courts. Meanwhile, OVD-Info data suggests that 155 individuals are being prosecuted under this article.
At least half of the sentences for "fakes" about the army were due to statements about the killing of civilians in Ukraine, as previously discovered by Verstka. Judges have imposed a variety of penalties: five individuals were mandated to undergo compulsory treatment, eight received suspended sentences, 16 were assigned to correctional labor, and 12 faced hefty fines ranging from 150,000 to 3 million rubles. 47 Russians were sentenced to actual terms, with the majority, 38 people, receiving 5 or more years in a penal colony.

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