By Ekaterina Janashia | 2026-05-29

A new order in Russia's capital makes posting unofficial footage of drone attacks or terrorist incidents a criminal offense. Citizens who photograph damage to buildings or capture air defense systems in action now face fines or prosecution. The Kremlin says the rules protect national security. Russians say the Kremlin is hiding the war.

The Moscow government has officially banned the publication of photo or video materials that allow identification of a drone's impact site, the extent of building damage or the operation of air defense systems. The ban applies to professional journalists and ordinary social media users alike.

Violations carry fines under Article 15.5 of the Moscow Code of Administrative Offenses. Individuals face penalties ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 RUB ($36–$60). Public officials face fines between 30,000 and 50,000 RUB ($360–$600), while legal entities can be fined up to 200,000 RUB ($2,400).

"Any detailed visualization of attack consequences helps the enemy correct their fire and assess the effectiveness of their strikes," the Moscow Operational Headquarters said in a statement.

Law enforcement agencies now have authority to block online resources and fine users for distributing information that reveals the deployment of air defense forces or the results of weapons strikes. Authorities say the only reliable sources of information are official reports from the Ministry of Defense and the Moscow mayor's press office.

Russians push back

The rules have sparked sharp debate in Russia's internet community. Social media users are skeptical the government can actually control information in the digital age.

VK user Aleksanders Rigas said the move was self-defeating.

"Another stupidity. How can you make such a fool of yourself! The number of losses was 'classified' back in 2022. So what? Does anyone rely on the Ministry of Defense's fairy tales??? Not even grandmas are left who believe them. Elementally, GOOGLE answers any questions. And videos with the 'consequences of ANY attacks' are published within half an hour," he wrote.

Others drew a direct line between the ban and fear of public reckoning. VK user Nikolay Igorevich wrote that the real concern was not disinformation, but the creeping realization that Russia may be losing.

"This isn't because of 'fakes,'" he said, "but so that the people don't get the seditious thought -- 'aren't we losing the war in its fifth year' — and so it won't be like in Afghanistan, when they fought and fought for 10 years with the whole country, and then just up and left."

Tatyana Chub questioned whether a total blackout was even achievable.

"If something happens, every TV channel in the world broadcasts it. Moscow is too great a city for the whole world," she wrote on VK. "I found out that the Victory Parade was without equipment from British and German news before I watched the Russian ones. You can't hide a needle in a modern haystack."

Soviet echoes

Critics compare the policy to Soviet-era censorship and North Korean information controls. A VK user writing under the pseudonym Vosyom Vinovat Bayden [sic] said it followed a predictable authoritarian script: "They will classify literally everything that points to an inability to manage the country, the economy, etc., so that the serfs cannot draw conclusions or analyze what is happening in the country!"

The publication Moskvich Mag described the measures as aimed at creating a "sterile information space" inside Russia. For journalists, the rules amount to a de facto ban on live reporting from incident scenes. Lawyers warn that even reposting someone else's video could serve as grounds for prosecution.

The limits of the blackout

Moscow has also seen a rise in GPS navigation failures, linked to expanded electronic warfare measures. The combination of signal jamming and the information ban has some residents predicting a revival of Cold War-era workarounds.

"Soon Russians will buy up shortwave receivers and listen to 'the voices' [foreign broadcasts]. And the security forces have already placed jammer towers in every block under the guise of 5G signal masts," Vladimir Kovalev wrote.

Cybersecurity experts note that satellite imagery and foreign intelligence data will continue to reach the public through international platforms, creating a growing gap between what Russian domestic audiences see and what the rest of the world knows. The State Duma and regional authorities have already prepared amendments to further tighten control over the information landscape. Moscow authorities, for their part, promise to "promptly inform citizens through verified channels" and urge residents "not to succumb to the provocations of enemy resources."