Don’t Film Me Completely: Russian Regions Fine for Photos of Drone Strike Aftermath

In Russia, the battle continues not only against drones, but also against those who dare to record the aftermath of their arrivals. Now, citizens and journalists in several regions (though far from everywhere) have learned firsthand that photography isn’t just about cute cats and sunsets—it’s also about fines.

The Kaluga region, for instance, has decided that people should witness the strikes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces only with their inner eye. By early June, local authorities had proudly drawn up 42 administrative reports: five against especially curious residents, two against media outlets (apparently for professional deformation), and the rest against VKontakte fans and group admins. How much are the fines? From 3,000 to 4,000 rubles for ordinary citizens. Repeat offenders get more. For legal entities, the rates are higher: up to 100,000 (apparently, so all photos fit only in a private album).

In the Tula region, things aren’t as large-scale yet: only one resident has fallen under the administrative cloud for a video of a drone attack on the city of Aleksin. But as they say, the first fine is like the first drone: once they’ve arrived, more “guests” aren’t far behind.

Interestingly, the ban on publishing footage of attack aftermaths already applies in 12 regions across the country. In some places, it’s clearly written in law, elsewhere it’s just “talk,” and in some, like the Kursk region, publications are considered a “delicate” matter: locals supposedly know what and where they can post so as not to be “too informative” for outside eyes and ears.

At the federal level, fortunately (or unfortunately for fine enthusiasts), there hasn’t yet been a sweeping ban—“balancing protection and freedom of information” has turned out to be a delicate matter. And in some regions, officials even admit: laws have been passed, fines set, but in practice—nothing. Maybe there are no violators, or maybe drones are too shy to fly there.

Still, in an age when information travels faster than drones, attempts to ban people from filming and posting online what happens literally outside their window seem not only hopeless, but also a bit humorous. As the saying goes, if you can’t see the aftermath, everything must be fine. Right?