A Russian court has fined a woman 90,000 rubles (approx. $980) for "discrediting" the armed forces by holding a sign with a phrase that contained a double meaning critical of the war in Ukraine.
Vera Otreshko was fined by the Vakhitovsky District Court in Kazan after she held a lone picket on February 24, 2025, the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Her sign read, "ПУTИ HET HAДO CBOPAЧИBATЬ." The phrase can be translated as "There is no path, we must turn back," but with certain letters highlighted in red—"ПУTИ H" and "CBO"—it also reads as a combination of "PUTIN" and "SVO," the Russian acronym for the Special Military Operation in Ukraine.
The court's ruling stated the poster contained "linguistic and psychological signs of discrediting the goals of the special military operation" and incited "opposition to the functioning of the army." Photographs of her protest were published on the Telegram channels "Respublikasy" and "Activatica," which the court said encouraged protest actions.
This marks a repeat offense for Otreshko. The court noted as an aggravating circumstance that she had previously been sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest for leaving flowers and a portrait of slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov at a monument for victims of political repression. The presence of her minor child was considered a mitigating factor.
Laws effectively criminalizing any public expression about the war that deviates from the official Kremlin line were enacted shortly after the 2022 invasion. According to the publication "Verstka," Russian courts heard over 2,200 cases on "discrediting" the army in 2024, resulting in fines totaling 56.6 million rubles. Many cases are reportedly initiated based on tips from "vigilant citizens," and discussions critical of the war, even with family or colleagues, can lead to prosecution.