Foreigners Entering Russia Will Have To Sign 'Loyalty Agreement': Report

Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs is drafting a bill requiring foreign entrants to sign a "loyalty agreement," preventing them from discrediting official policies, according to TASS news agency. The proposed agreement aims to safeguard Russia's "national interests," prohibiting interference with public authorities and discrediting state policies, said the agency on Wednesday citing the official document.

"A foreigner entering Russia would be prohibited from interfering with the activities of public authorities of the Russian Federation, discrediting in any form the foreign and domestic state policy of the Russian Federation, public authorities and their officials," news agency Reuters reported citing the bill text.

Also Read:  'Commend The Grit' To 'Salute The Brave Men': Praises Pour In For Heroes Of India's Largest Tunnel Rescue Operation

Russia has imposed significant restrictions on foreigners entering from unfriendly countries in its territory since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. Mostly the countries which have put sanctions on the Russian state in the wake of the Ukraine invasion have been termed as 'unfriendly countries' by the authorities.

The proposed bill restricts visitors from other countries from saying 'bad things' about important Russian values. These values include traditional marriage and family, and they cannot spread information supporting non-traditional relationships. The law also says that foreigners cannot tell false stories about the Soviet people's defence in World War Two. If someone breaks these rules, it's not clear what will happen to them. The law still needs to go through a few steps before it becomes official like being reviewed by the parliament and then signed by the President.

Also Read:  A-23a, World's Largest Iceberg —Twice The Size Of London— Begins Movement After 30 Years

Early Wednesday, Russia's defence ministry reported that a frigate from the Black Sea Fleet targeted Ukraine's military facilities with four cruise missiles. The ministry stated, "The crew of a Black Sea Fleet frigate was assigned the mission to quickly launch a strike using Kalibr cruise missiles against the enemy's military infrastructure."