Russia-Ukraine War: 10 days into invasion, Putin avers troops not bombing Ukraine's cities

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied Russian troops were bombing Ukrainian cities. Putin in a phone call with German Chancellor Scholz insisted that Russian soldiers were not bombing Ukrainian cities and further called the reports "fake," Mirror reported. The phone call between Scholz and Putin came after the tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate on the ground. 

In a telephonic conversation with the German Chancellor, Putin denied all reports of Moscow-led attacks on apartment buildings, schools and hospitals as "fake". In a statement released after the phone call between Putin and Scholz, the Kremlin insisted that "alleged ongoing airstrikes of Kyiv and other large cities are gross propaganda fakes". The statement of the Kremlin came as reports suggested that 100 people could be buried in rubble after a block of an apartment was struck near Kyiv, Mirror reported. Meanwhile, Ukraine's state emergency has said that at least 33 people have died and 18 people have been injured in the Russian strike in a residential area in Chernihiv, according to AP. Furthermore, the agency stated that there were forced to halt the search for more casualties in the rubble due to shelling. 

15-year jail term for spreading 'fake news'

President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for fake news reports, according to AP. The bill approved by both houses of the parliament and signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin imposes a sentence of up to 15 years for those spreading information against the Russian government's information on military action. According to law, a sentence of up to three years or fines will be imposed for spreading false news about the Russian military. Furthermore, the maximum punishment that will be imposed as per law will be up to 15 years. Russian authorities have repeatedly termed the reports of Russian military setbacks or civilian deaths in Ukraine as “fake” reports. State-owned media outlets term Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation” and do not call it a “war” or “invasion.” The Russian state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, on Friday, blocked Facebook and five foreign media organizations which publish news in Russian to have control over the information about Russia's attack on Ukraine. 

Inputs from AP

Image: AP