Chronicles of Tightening the Screws: a map of repressive laws in recent years
Between 2022 and 2026, Russia adopted and expanded a substantial body of laws that changed the legal position of citizens, journalists, NGOs, relocated Russians, people liable for military service, and users of digital services. This article is a chronological, non-evaluative breakdown: what exactly was adopted, which article or law introduced it, and what consequences occur in practice.
The material has one purpose: to help understand the environment a user lives in today and not miss rules that may apply personally. No political labels; only dates, articles, and links to primary sources.
Parallel databases — the foreign agents register, the list of terrorists and extremists, the summons register, the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database — are the infrastructure into which specific rules are implemented. Wanted Radar helps you check yourself in one of them (the wanted database); the others are available on the websites of the relevant agencies.
In brief
- 2022 — articles on “discrediting the army” (Art. 280.3 of the Criminal Code) and “military fakes” (Art. 207.3 of the Criminal Code) were introduced.
- 2022 — the law on foreign agents was expanded (Federal Law No. 255-FZ): one category instead of four, with broader criteria.
- 2023 — the Unified Military Registration Register and the summons register were launched (electronic summonses + restrictions).
- 2024 — articles on “high treason” and “confidential cooperation” were expanded (Art. 275.1 of the Criminal Code).
- 2025 — an administrative fine was introduced for searching for extremist materials and using a VPN for this.
- 2025–2026 — mandatory preinstallation of the MAX messenger on smartphones sold in the Russian Federation; integration of MAX with Gosuslugi (Госуслуги).
Detailed timeline
2022 — articles on “discrediting” and “military fakes”
In March 2022, Art. 280.3 of the Criminal Code and Art. 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences were introduced — liability for “public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces.” At the same time, Art. 207.3 of the Criminal Code was introduced on the “public dissemination of knowingly false information” about the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (so-called “military fakes”). The penalty is up to fifteen years of imprisonment under aggravating circumstances.
2022 — updated law on foreign agents
In July 2022, Federal Law No. 255-FZ was adopted. It introduced a single category of “foreign agent” instead of the four that previously existed, and expanded the inclusion criteria (in addition to foreign funding — “being under foreign influence”). More details are in the material about foreign agents.
2022–2023 — Unified Military Registration Register
In April 2023, a law on electronic summonses and the Unified Military Registration Register was adopted. A summons sent to the register is considered served seven days after publication. Failure to appear entails restrictions: on leaving the Russian Federation, on registering as an individual entrepreneur, on real estate transactions, and on driving a car.
2023 — law on a QR code on Gosuslugi for summonses
In parallel with the summons register, identification tools through Gosuslugi were introduced. The register is integrated with the databases of the Federal Tax Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Digital Development; interagency data exchange works by default.
2024 — expansion of “high treason” and “confidential cooperation”
In 2022, Art. 275.1 of the Criminal Code was introduced — “confidential cooperation with a foreign state, international or foreign organization.” In subsequent years, practice under the article expanded; in 2024, the boundaries of what can be classified as “cooperation” became even broader (including contacts with foreign journalists, lawyers, and NGOs).
2025 — fine for searching for extremist materials
In 2025, administrative liability was introduced into the Code of Administrative Offences for “intentional search for and access to knowingly extremist materials, including with the use of software and hardware tools for access to information and telecommunications networks.” “Software and hardware tools” include, in particular, VPN services.
2025–2026 — mandatory preinstallation of MAX
In 2025, a government decision was adopted to include the national messenger MAX in the list of programs mandatory for preinstallation on smartphones and tablets sold in the Russian Federation. In 2026, MAX was integrated with Gosuslugi as a channel for delivering state services; it was announced as a platform for digital ID. More details are in the materials on the risks of registering in MAX and mandatory preinstallation.
How the rules intersect with registers
| Rule | Year | Related register / consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Art. 280.3 of the Criminal Code (discrediting the army) | 2022 | List of terrorists and extremists (when a case is opened) |
| Art. 207.3 of the Criminal Code (military fakes) | 2022 | Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database if a preventive measure is imposed in absentia |
| Federal Law No. 255-FZ (foreign agents) | 2022 | Ministry of Justice register of foreign agents |
| Federal law on electronic summonses | 2023 | Summons register and Unified Military Registration Register |
| Art. 275.1 of the Criminal Code (confidential cooperation) | 2022–2024 | List of terrorists and extremists; wanted database |
| Fine for searching for extremist materials | 2025 | Ministry of Justice list of extremist materials |
| Mandatory preinstallation of MAX | 2025–2026 | Gosuslugi, digital ID |
How to check right now
The texts of laws are available on the pravo.gov.ru portal and on the websites of reference legal systems (Garant, ConsultantPlus). Registers are on the websites of the relevant agencies (Ministry of Justice, Rosfinmonitoring). The most practical step for a specific person is to check open databases: foreign agents, terrorists/extremists, undesirable organizations, plus the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database.
Wanted Radar covers the last item — search through an export of the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database (Mediazona data). This is the only one of the listed databases for which convenient public search has historically been unavailable.
Check a full name in the Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted register
Warning signs vs false alarm
Real consequences for a person arise when a criminal or administrative case has been opened, when a commission has issued a decision to add someone to a register, or when an employer / bank refers to a specific rule. Rumors, mentions in Telegram channels, and bills at the reading stage are not grounds for action.
At the same time, monitoring new rules makes sense: during 2022–2026, the legal regime for many everyday actions changed repeatedly (a social media post, a money transfer, a trip abroad). At a minimum, review once a quarter updates to registers in which you or your organization may potentially be mentioned.
What to do next
- Check yourself in open registers once a quarter (foreign agents, terrorists, undesirable organizations, Ministry of Internal Affairs wanted database).
- Save copies of official register pages with the date and URL — this will be useful if questions arise.
- Before any publication on a “sensitive” topic, check the current wording of Art. 280.3 / 207.3 of the Criminal Code.
- If you receive a notification from the Ministry of Justice, a bank, or a military enlistment office, record the date and contact a lawyer before taking any action.
- For up-to-date texts of rules, use pravo.gov.ru, garant.ru, consultant.ru — not retellings on social media.
Disclaimer: this material is informational and is not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact a lawyer. Information in registers is updated retroactively and may differ from the current state of affairs.
Conclusion
The period from 2022 to 2026 was a period of dense legislative change. Most new rules operate through registers and automatic restrictions, not through classic criminal prosecution. Understanding specific dates, articles, and agencies is useful even for those whom the rules do not directly affect — the situation can change quickly.
Primary sources: Freedom House — Freedom on the Net: Russia 2025, OVD-Info reference materials (the resource is blocked in the Russian Federation), registers on the Ministry of Justice website.