June 9, 2025
Authorities in Russia’s Tula and Kaluga oblasts have begun fining residents and journalists for posting photos and videos from Ukrainian drone strike sites on social media, the newspaper Kommersant reported on June 9.
A total of 42 administrative protocols have been filed in Kaluga Oblast for violating a ban on distributing information about the consequences of drone strikes. Among the violators are local residents, journalists, Telegram channel owners, administrators of VKontakte groups, and individuals with personal social media pages.
In two cases, responsibility was placed on media outlets, while in three cases, individuals who left comments on social networks were held accountable.
Local authorities defend the ban, stating that such information could aid the organizers of drone strikes in planning future attacks. Ilya Zenov, deputy head of the governor’s administration, explained that the consequences of these strikes constitute “critically important information for the enemy.”
Fines for individuals in Kaluga Oblast range from 3,000 to 200,000 rubles.
The first fine under this new regulation has already been issued in Tula Oblast, where a local resident was fined 25,000 rubles for publishing a video of a drone attack in the city of Aleksin.
Currently, the ban on publishing materials related to drone strikes is in effect in 12 oblasts of Russia, including the Astrakhan, Vladimir, Volgograd, Ivanovo, Kursk, Leningrad, Tver, Tula, and Kaluga oblasts, as well as in the republics of Adygheya and Kalmykia and in St. Petersburg.
In Ryazan and Rostov oblasts, while the amounts for fines have been established, no formal ban has been introduced on filming the aftermath of attacks. Fines for individuals in various oblasts range from 1,000 to 5,000 rubles, with legal entities potentially facing fines up to 1 million rubles.
In some oblasts, no fines have been issued yet, but authorities are tightening control over the information space, warning the public about the “danger” of spreading such content.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces periodically carry out drone strikes on military targets within Russian territory. On June 9, the Armed Forces of Ukraine targeted the VNIIR Progress enterprise in Cheboksary, located in the Chuvash Republic of Russia. The plant manufactures antennas for Shahed drones, among other products.
Ukraine has made the cockroaches quite paranoid, so it seems.