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Kremlin gives no comment on Putin's state secret decree being challenged in court

The decree on making Russian troops’ peacetime losses a state secret was challenged at Russia’s Supreme Court by a group of bloggers, journalists and public figures
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. The Kremlin sees no grounds to comment on appealing in court the decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to make losses of Russian troops in peacetime a state secret, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday.

"There is a signed decree, and people use their rights [by appealing it in court]," he added. "The court will make a decision. If such appeals are subject to consideration, then again it will be decided by the court," he noted.

"In this case, we have nothing to comment on here," Peskov said.

At the end of May, Russian President Vladimir Putin amended the list of state secrets, approved under a presidential decree of November 30, 1995. The corresponding document was published on the official portal of official legal information.

In particular, the phrase "information disclosing losses in manpower in wartime" has been complemented with the amendment reading "in peacetime during special operations."

Peskov then clarified that the decision was made to meet the necessity of improving the law and protecting national interests. The decree has nothing to do with the situation in Ukraine, he added. Peskov also denied that adopting the decree meant that the Russian president plans to give instructions to carry out "special operations." "No, he is not going to [give such instructions]," the Kremlin spokesman said then.