On 28 July 2026, the independent Vladimir-based media outlet Chesnok reported that regional authorities in Vladimir planned to draw up two administrative protocols against the outlet over its reporting on drone strikes on residential buildings in the city, according to Chesnok, 7×7 and SOTAvision.
According to Chesnok, the outlet had published materials about drone strikes based on official information. However, the regional authorities claimed that the newsroom had violated a ban on publishing information about UAV attacks and their consequences, introduced by Vladimir region governor Alexander Avdeev in 2025.
The state administrative and technical supervision authority sent notifications both to Chesnok-Media LLC and to the outlet’s general director Ivan Rostovtsev. The protocols were scheduled to be drawn up on 13 August.
Under the regional rules cited by Chesnok, a first violation can result in fines of 30,000–40,000 rubles for officials and 80,000–100,000 rubles for legal entities. Repeated violations can lead to fines of 40,000–50,000 rubles for officials and 100,000–200,000 rubles for legal entities.
Chesnok denied violating the regional law, saying it had not published information about drone strikes or their consequences that differed from official statements. The outlet said it intended to defend its position, including in court.
In a later update published on 27 August 2026, Chesnok reported that the case against the outlet was scheduled to be heard on 3 September by a magistrate court in Vladimir.