Two weeks ago, an amendment to the current law was introduced that you cannot discredit the Russian army. Now we must not speak ill of those who fight voluntarily, such as prisoners recruited by the Wagner group.

"Now you can't say it's murderers, rapists and paedophiles because then you can get up to 15 years in prison. But we see that the crimes are happening and that the prosecutors are cautious because they are afraid to prosecute war heroes," said Olga Romanova, head of Russia behind bars.

Returned home from the war

On Thursday, a 28-year-old man fighting for the Wagner group in Ukraine was arrested on suspicion of murdering an 85-year-old woman in his home village.

The man was recruited to the war from a prison where he was serving a 14-year sentence after murdering an elderly woman in 2020.

After fighting in Ukraine for six months, he was pardoned and returned home where he kept all the inhabitants in terror. A local television channel interviewed the villagers who had convened a meeting to discuss how to deal with the man.

Hear one of the villagers talk about the returnee and watch him smash cars. The photos were taken just days before the man is arrested on suspicion of murder.