{
  "id": 18554991,
  "title": "Investigation finds Russia’s billboards featuring troops fighting in Ukraine include men with criminal convictions and soldiers accused of war crimes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/investigation-finds-russias-billboards-featuring-troops-fighting-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T19:01:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/11/06/investigation-finds-russia-s-billboards-featuring-troops-fighting-in-ukraine-include-men-with-criminal-convictions-and-soldiers-accused-of-war-crimes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russian billboards depicting soldiers fighting in Ukraine's war display men with criminal convictions and those accused of war crimes, reveals a recent investigation. According to Bumaga, an investigative news outlet, 24 soldiers from St. Petersburg are featured on billboards in Russian cities. These soldiers include those killed in combat, former prisoners granted the title of Hero of Russia, and individuals suspected of war crimes committed in Ukraine. The Defense Ministry, which publishes the biographies of these soldiers on its \"Real Heroes\" website, has listed over 700 soldiers in total. Despite the billboards prominently displaying the website's address, the biographical details often omit crucial information such as birthplaces, ages, and patronymics, making it difficult for journalists to identify some of the soldiers. One such case involves Pavel Zamokin, a 40-year-old Moscow resident who was called up for military service. Once featured on billboards in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Zamokin's situation illustrates the complex and often troubling backgrounds of these soldiers. His separation from his family, financial difficulties, and subsequent military service have all contributed to his inclusion on the billboards.",
  "summary": "Billboards featuring portraits of soldiers fighting in Russia’s war in Ukraine are a common sight in Russian cities. Their stories appear on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website — but the official biographies leave out some facts. The news outlet Bumaga identified 24 soldiers featured on billboards in St. Petersburg. They include soldiers killed at the front, former prisoners awarded the title…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "Death toll from Russian attack in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region climbs to 53",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/death-toll-from-russian-attack-in-ukraines-zaporizhzhia-region-climbs",
        "published": "2026-11-06T12:25:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "NATO chief Mark Rutte says neither Ukraine nor Russia is likely to achieve outright victory in the war",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/nato-chief-mark-rutte-says-neither-ukraine-nor-russia-is-likely-to",
        "published": "2026-11-06T14:32:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Transparency and expertise are needed to defrost Russia's billions for Ukraine",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/transparency-and-expertise-are-needed-to-defrost-russias-billions-for",
        "published": "2026-11-06T15:32:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euromaidan Press",
        "title": "Ukraine just sent 28 armed robots at Russian lines with zero soldiers. Russia answered with robots of its own",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/ukraine-just-sent-28-armed-robots-at-russian-lines-with-zero-soldiers",
        "published": "2026-11-06T16:01:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Interfax-Ukraine",
        "title": "Sybiha: Ukraine takes meeting in Abu Dhabi seriously, expects corresponding stance from Russia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/sybiha-ukraine-takes-meeting-in-abu-dhabi-seriously-expects",
        "published": "2026-11-06T17:34:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}