Four years after the events in Bucha, the Russian authorities continue to use Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code on “knowingly false information” as the main tool for prosecuting publications and public statements about the killing of civilians in Ukraine. The provision was added to the code in early March 2022, and it has been used most often in cases linked to Bucha.
After Russian troops withdrew from the town in the Kyiv region, the bodies of local residents were found there. International investigations, including reporting by The New York Times based on satellite images, video footage, and eyewitness testimony, pointed to the involvement of Russian military personnel in the killings.
According to Memorial, 112 people recognized by the group as political prisoners are currently defendants in cases under Article 207.3, including 99 charged under Part 2, which involves aggravating circumstances such as political hatred. In some cases, investigators also add charges of “discrediting the army” or “inciting hatred.”
Criminal cases have been triggered by reposts of news reports, emotional social media posts, comments, and streams mentioning the shooting of civilians in Bucha. The defendants include journalists, teachers, medical workers, politicians, students, and activists. Punishments range from fines and suspended sentences to real prison terms.
Among recent examples, the publication cites the case of Khabarovsk journalist Sergey Mingazov, whose fine was increased on appeal from 700,000 rubles to 2.5 million rubles before the case was sent back for reconsideration. Maksim Kruglov, deputy chair of Yabloko, was arrested in St. Petersburg over two posts about Bucha and is now in pretrial detention. Lawyer Nikolai Polozov was sentenced in absentia in February to 8.5 years in prison over an interview in which he spoke about the killing of civilians.
Since April 2022, the Russian authorities have denied that the army was responsible for civilian deaths in Bucha. Sergey Lavrov and Maria Zakharova repeated that position again in March. At the same time, Ukrainian and European officials continue to call for accountability for crimes committed during the occupation. On March 31, 2026, a ministerial meeting was held in Kyiv with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and on March 16, 2026, the Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on nine people accused of war crimes in Bucha.