Russia's parliament has adopted a draft bill allowing the money, valuables, and other property to be confiscated from people who spread "deliberately false information" about the war in Ukraine.
To take effect, the draft law must now be adopted in the second and the third reading, before passing to the parliament's lower house, the Federation Council, and then signed by the Russian president.
The existing law against "discrediting" the Russian military has regularly been used to silence critics of Vladimir Putin.
Multiple activists, bloggers and ordinary Russians have received long jail terms.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, said the new bill is aimed at "ensuring security of the country."
