The law on writing off debts of participants in the military invasion of Ukraine hastily passed the State Duma and the Federation Council this week. It allows writing off overdue loans up to 10 million rubles for mobilized individuals, contract soldiers, and their family members. The measure applies to loans taken out before December 1, 2024, by military personnel called up or who signed a contract for service after December 1, 2024, for at least a year, and only if there is a court decision or enforcement proceedings at the time of signing the contract.
The grace period for credit holidays is also increased by 150 days. It is noted that from 2025, mobilized individuals will lose the right to new holidays and debt write-offs.
The law on the promotion of “childfree” introduces large fines: for individuals up to 200 thousand rubles, and for legal entities, it can reach 5 million rubles if the violation is related to promotion among minors. Just like the updated 2022 law on “LGBT propaganda.” Websites with “prohibited” content will be blocked extrajudicially. Amendments are made to several laws, including the Administrative Code. In it, “propaganda of refusal to procreate” is listed along with the previously banned in Russia “LGBT propaganda” and “gender change.”
Websites caught promoting refusal to procreate will be included in the unified register of prohibited information by Roskomnadzor, and films will be denied distribution certificates.
At the same time, the document states that the promotion of childfree is not considered the dissemination of information about monasticism and the monastic way of life and observing the vow of celibacy, “if the promotion of these ideas is justified by the internal rules of centralized religious organizations.”
Another law signed by Putin introduces fines for forging migrant documents. Now legal entities can be fined up to 60 million rubles for forging or selling documents confirming the right to enter, stay, or work in Russia. Fines for forging identity documents reach 200 thousand rubles for each copy. In addition, responsibility is introduced for state institutions for violations during Russian language exams and providing data to information systems.
An agreement on military-technical cooperation with South Ossetia was also ratified. It simplifies the supply of military products between countries and, according to representatives of the Russian side, strengthens Russia's position in the Caucasus.