Police in Volgograd detained three residents for filming and sharing photos and videos of a fire at a Wildberries warehouse that was hit by Ukrainian drones. The outlet V1.ru published video recordings in which the detainees — two young women and a man — apologize.
One of the women said she sent a photo of the fire to a building-wide chat at a neighbor's request; another posted it in a city chat to find out what had happened. The man filmed the fire on video. In his words, the footage could have helped the Ukrainian side prepare further strikes.
V1.ru claims each detainee will face liability, including fines of up to 1 million rubles. Mediazona notes, however, that under the current regional ban on filming the aftermath of attacks, only legal entities can be fined that amount, while individuals face fines of up to 5,000 rubles. It is unclear whether administrative protocols have been drawn up against the detainees.
The Wildberries warehouse in Volgograd caught fire on the night of July 31. No one at the warehouse was injured. During the same attack, drones struck residential buildings and a fuel and energy enterprise: one woman was killed and eight people were wounded.
The ban on filming drone strikes and their aftermath, air defense operations, and the locations of military units, communications and energy facilities has been in effect in the Volgograd region since February. This is not the first detention for such posts: in late June, security forces detained at least four more residents of the region.
Sources differ: V1.ru reports possible fines of up to 1 million rubles for the detainees, while Mediazona points out that the maximum fine for individuals under the regional ban is 5,000 rubles.