Russian upper house approves stricter wartime punishments

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – The upper chamber of the Russian parliament on Wednesday approved amendments that call for stricter punishments for soldiers for wartime acts, including desertion and surrender.

The Council of Federation approved amendments that were endorsed by the lower chamber State Duma on Tuesday, and they now have to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin to come into effect.

Under the amendments, there will be a 10-year prison sentence for desertion, failure to report for military service, and surrender.

Looting will be punishable by 15 years in prison, while destruction of weapons carries a maximum sentence of five years.

The amendments also introduce the concepts of mobilization, martial law, wartime, and armed conflict that were previously not mentioned in the Russian Criminal Code.

According to the bill, mobilization, martial law, wartime, and armed conflict will be considered aggravating circumstances, and entail more severe punishments.

Earlier, President Putin declared a partial mobilization that will likely affect at least 300,000 people.

Russia's total mobilization potential amounts to up to 2.5 million people as citizens between 18 and 50 age fall under military mobilization, and they will be paid as much as the military personnel serving under contract.