Original Russian-language document. Code of Administrative Offences (КоАП РФ), Ch. 20, Art. 20.3.3 (“Публичные действия, направленные на дискредитацию использования Вооружённых Сил РФ”). Introduced by Federal Law No. 31-FZ of 4 March 2022; current redaction. Retrieved 19 July 2026; verify wording against the official publication at pravo.gov.ru. Part of the TOT Insights collection of Russian federal security-law provisions used to police collaboration, information-sharing and dissent in the occupied territories.
Article 20.3.3, introduced by Federal Law No. 31-FZ (4 March 2022), is the workhorse administrative charge for policing dissent. It penalises public actions aimed at “discrediting” the use of the Russian Armed Forces (or the exercise of state powers abroad, or assistance by volunteer formations), including public calls to obstruct that use. For citizens it carries fines of 30,000–50,000 roubles, rising to 50,000–100,000 for aggravated forms. In the occupied territories it captures any public criticism of the war, expressions of support for Ukraine, or objection to mobilisation. A first offence is administrative under this article; a repeat within a year escalates to the criminal charge under Criminal Code Article 280.3. It is frequently combined with the banned-symbols charge (CoAP 20.3) to stack penalties, and court practice already runs in occupied Crimea (e.g. the Armyansk city court), making it a good source for a quantified picture of expression-policing across the occupied south.
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Article 20.3.3 — Discrediting the Use of the Armed Forces
1. Public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to protect Russian interests and citizens and to maintain international peace and security — including public calls to obstruct that use — or at discrediting the exercise by Russian state bodies of their powers abroad for those purposes, or at discrediting assistance by volunteer formations, organisations or persons to the Armed Forces or the National Guard, where the actions do not contain the elements of a criminally punishable act, shall entail an administrative fine on citizens of 30,000 to 50,000 roubles; on officials, 100,000 to 200,000 roubles; on legal persons, 300,000 to 500,000 roubles.
2. The same actions, accompanied by calls to hold unauthorised public assemblies, or creating a threat of harm to life, health or property or of mass breach of public order, entail a fine on citizens of 50,000 to 100,000 roubles; on officials, 200,000 to 300,000 roubles; on legal persons, 500,000 to 1,000,000 roubles.
Relevance to coercion in the occupied territories
The workhorse administrative charge for policing dissent. A first offence of “discrediting” the armed forces is administrative under this article; a repeat within a year escalates to the criminal charge under Criminal Code Article 280.3. In the occupied territories it captures any public criticism of the war, expressions of support for Ukraine, or objection to mobilisation. It is frequently combined with the banned-symbols charge (CoAP 20.3) to stack penalties. Court practice under it already runs in occupied Crimea, for example the Armyansk city court in the Republic of Crimea, which makes it a good source for building a quantified picture of expression-policing across the occupied south.