To the Question of Responsibility for Public Actions Aimed to Discredit the Use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the Purposes of Protecting the Interests of the Russian Federation and its Citizens, Maintaining International Peace and Security

Public actions have a significant impact on the formation of public perception of many state-significant processes, in connection with which Russian legislation regulates in great detail the features of organizing and holding various public events. However, members of the public quite often ignore the relevant requirements, and moreover, very subjectively assessing various political situations, they actively engage in illegal public activities. In the context of the aggravated geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the ongoing special military operation in the Donbass, the spread of unlawful behavior aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has become an actual trend in Russian society. The purpose of writing a research paper is to analyze the responsibility provided for by the current criminal legislation for public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in order to protect the interests of the Russian state and its citizens, as well as to maintain international peace and security. The author comes to the conclusion that the disposition of Art. 280.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation currently provides for a very broad content, but it seems fair that the institution of responsibility for the analyzed unlawful behavior is oriented towards administrative and legal mechanisms, and in the event of their inefficiency or a significant amount of negative consequences for individuals and society, the criminal law norm is used. The timeliness of the addition of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to Art. 280.3, which needs further detailed interpretation by law enforcement and judicial authorities.

public actions of a criminal nature, discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens of the Russian Federation, criminal liability, Russian criminal law