November 02, 2025

Peace Is Not an Option


Peace Is Not an Option
Discrediting Russia's army, apparently. The Russian Life files

On October 30, St. Petersburg courts fined a 78-year-old pensioner R30,000 ($375) for "discrediting the army," according to Meduza.

Mikhail Pushnitsky was fined after being arrested at a cemetery, where he was attending an event commemorating the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression. Pushnitsky was found wearing a blue and yellow badge, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, that read, "Peace to Ukraine." Authorities reportedly demanded that Pushnitsky remove the badge from his jacket, but he refused. He was then detained and taken to a police station.

At his court hearing, Pushnitsky asserted that everyone has a right to express their opinions nonviolently. Regardless, the court found him guilty of "discrediting the army" and issued the fine.

In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, any action or symbol that can be interpreted as pro-Ukrainian has become anathema. A rural homeowner who painted his roof the colors of the Ukrainian flag faced arrest and had his home vandalized, and blue and yellow paint jobs in public spaces have seen makeovers.

All of this comes as levels of dissent-quashing in Russia reach levels not seen since the Soviet era.

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