Russian woman fined for calling Zelensky handsome

A Russian woman has been charged for “discrediting” the Russian military by describing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “handsome.”

70-year-old Olga Slegina was fined 40,000-rubles (£393) for comments she made last December while visiting a health center in Nalchik, in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, according to the Memorial human rights centre which has been outlawed by the Kremlin.

Slegina had responded to another woman’s remark that Zelensky was “ugly” by complimenting the Ukrainian leader.

“Zelensky is a handsome young man with a good sense of humour, everyone laughed at his jokes earlier,” Slegina reportedly said.

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Memorial said that Slegina, who has eyesight problems, was tricked into signing a statement confessing to having shouted: “Glory to Ukraine.” She denied the allegation.

Police accused her of expressing support for Ukraine because of her comments. The police officer who detained Slegina over the remarks told her, “You have no right to praise him because he is our enemy,” according to Memorial.

More than 20,000 people have been arrested in Russia for protesting against the war against Ukraine since it began in February 2022.

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