Russian survivor of Leningrad Siege fined for protesting Ukraine war

Lyudmila Vasilyeva is fined for "discrediting" the Russian army after calling for an end to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

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During her sentencing hearing in St Petersburg on Friday, Ms Vasilyeva was ordered to pay 10,000 rubles ($126; £93) for "discrediting" the Russian army.

The charges related to a handwritten poster she held up earlier this year which read: "People, let's stop the war. We are responsible for peace on the planet Earth. With love, Lyudmila Vasilyeva, child of the Leningrad blockade."

Russia has cracked down on criticism of its military action in Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

In an interview with AFP ahead of her hearing at Kuibyshevsky District Court on Friday, she said she felt "bitterness" and "hurt" over the fate of her country.