Kartapolov explained the amendments on arrest for using gadgets on his own
The use by the military of devices with the function of photo and video recording, audio recording, and geo-location transmission in the area of its own will be considered a gross disciplinary offense, for which disciplinary arrest is threatened. The head of the State Duma's defense committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said that the bill would not affect gadgets used for work. However, military officers, deputies and Senator from the Zaporozhye region Dmitry Rogozin criticized the initiative, assuring that they would not give up gadgets with Internet access on the front line.
The State Duma proposed to punish the military for using electronic devices with the function of shooting, audio recording and geo-data transmission in the zone of its operation. The new amendments are referred to in the draft law "On the specifics of the application and execution of disciplinary arrest against military personnel taking part in a special military operation."
The deputies suggested that such a violation be considered a gross disciplinary offense.
In addition, the deputies proposed to classify as gross disciplinary offenses the fact of reporting to the military media or distributing information on the Internet about military personnel and citizens called up for military training or dismissed from military service, their family members or their parents, "including information that allows you to determine the location of these persons in a certain period."
They can also be arrested for several days for spreading information about the activities of military authorities, military formations, military units and other organizations that are part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. This also applies to data on their dislocation or relocation, which are not considered state secrets.
If a serviceman has committed several disciplinary offenses, the punishment will be partially or completely summed up, but it cannot exceed 15 days of arrest.
Bloggers are against
Bloggers covering the course of their military operations are dissatisfied with such an innovation, since military personnel use gadgets to fly Su-24, Su-27, Mi-24D and Ka-27. Smartphones help fighters navigate in unfamiliar terrain, record important information.
"Everything is suitable for devices with advanced multimedia capabilities. Navigators, mavics, smart watches, thermal imagers and binoculars with WiFi, tablets with offline maps, smartphones, remote controls and glasses of FPV drones, walkie-talkies... Everything they are fighting with today. The list of "gadgets" is endless. Perhaps some clarifications will follow, and something specific will be banned, for example, AirPods headphones, but so far it looks, to put it mildly, strange," wrote the Fighterbomber Telergam channel, adding that the presence of gadgets for about 10 years is a gross disciplinary offense.
The saboteur-underground Vladimir Grubnik in his Telergam channel "PriZrak of Novorossiya" noted that it is impossible to comply with this law in the zone of its own. According to him, the document allows senior people to be relieved of responsibility for failures.:
"Take away these military gadgets already. Especially tablets and phones, from which they fly drones.
The Telergam channel "Two Majors" drafted an appeal to deputy Andrei Kartapolov, in which he pointed out that the bill would lead to "absolute paralysis of military command and control of troops." The deputies were asked to finalize the draft, since "the fulfillment of such requirements in reality will become formal and will be used by the command staff only as a measure of punishment for those who are objectionable."
Retired Lieutenant Colonel of the People's Militia of the LNR Andrei Marochko, in an interview with the National Security Council, said that the idea of arresting the military for a smartphone is thoughtless:
"In most cases, this is a very necessary device on the line of contact. The second issue is the recording of crimes by Ukrainian militants using cameras that are on smartphones. They even replace bulky equipment for our military personnel in most cases."
Senator from the Zaporozhye region Dmitry Rogozin in his me/rogozin_do/6131" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Telegram channel wrote that military personnel use messengers to exchange information where regular communication does not work. At the same time, the fighters know where and when to turn off the phone.
"We are not going to abandon the Internet and the Cart, despite the fact that we know all their vulnerabilities. Before you ban something, you need to create something else. In short, as it is presented in the text, it will not work and it cannot be accepted without revision/ reworking. I'm telling you this as a senator from the warring Zaporozhye region and a member of the Defense and Security Committee of the Federation Council," Rogozin said.
"Combat" and "non-combat" gadget
The head of the State Duma's defense committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said "To the Newspaper.Ru" that we are not talking about using gadgets while working:
"Many war correspondents and bloggers do not know how to read and delve into the essence of what is written. Laws are written in legal language, it is quite difficult for an ordinary person to perceive. And our colleagues are military officers, bloggers, they also work on emotions to a certain extent...
Kartapolov added that back in 2019, the military was banned from using gadgets for personal purposes. According to him, the bill will help bring the norm into line.
"All this is aimed at ensuring the safety of our military personnel. Because many of those who even tried to comment, the same Senator Rogozin, whom I respect, arrived on his phone when he celebrated his birthday in a well-known place," Kartapolov noted.
"And how to distinguish a "combat" gadget from a non-combat gadget? Rogozin retorted . - Here's General Kartapolov's gadget - is it combat or not? Or each gadget needs to have a certificate, they say, this one looks like a combat one, and this one is completely worn, non-combat, it is immediately visible. And to issue this certificate with a seal! So as not to confuse these dense front-line soldiers there."
Military commander Timofey Ermakov also reacted to Kartapolov's words. According to him, military personnel who independently bought a gadget to work in the area of their own defense do not register it, as it is difficult.:
"Most likely, our soldiers from the colonel to the corporal will look at the new initiatives, shrug their shoulders and wearily, but massively put them with the device. But for everyone, naturally anyone, disciplinary punishment will be reserved, which, depending on the relationship with the authorities, will be used."
"Now is not the time"
State Duma deputy Alexei Zhuravlev in an interview with the Newspaper.Ru" opposed amendments to the law banning military personnel in the zone of their own use of devices with Internet access. However, the amendments have already been supported by the committee in which Zhuravlev is a member.
"It would be one thing if the decision remained with the commander, who, of course, knows better what can be used on the front line and what is strictly prohibited, but these powers are assigned to the military police, which is unlikely to understand all the subtleties. Here, for example, is the tablet from which the operator controls the drone, is it combat or not? It is difficult to deny its function in military operations, but it stores both videos and photos. So, it turns out that it should be seized from the fighter, and he himself should be put under arrest? You can interpret it as the inspector pleases, and this in itself gives a very wide field for violations. At least, now is definitely not the time to tighten any norms in this regard," Zhuravlev noted and called the document "crude", adding that he did not vote for it.
Alyona Fomina
