The director of the Narva Museum in Estonia has been arrested in absentia in Russia.

An investigation has been initiated against Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova under the article concerning the dissemination of so-called fakes about Russian military actions by a group of individuals for political reasons. Details regarding the nature of the accusations and the identities of others included in the "group of individuals" remain unknown. Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova has been listed in the wanted database of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs since the summer of 2024.

The Narva Museum is located in a medieval castle in the Estonian city of Narva, which borders Russia. On May 9th, 2023-2024, a banner reading "Putin is a war criminal" in English was displayed on its wall, visible from the Russian town of Ivangorod across the Narva River. Russian border guards demanded the poster's removal, but the Estonian authorities refused.

In 2023, the authorities in Ivangorod installed a screen on the city embankment facing Estonia. It broadcast a concert in honor of Victory Day featuring Shaman and other Russian patriotic songs.

• Russian courts classify reports on the war in Ukraine that do not align with the version of the Russian Ministry of Defense as fakes. They consider the use of the term "war" instead of "special military operation" in relation to the conflict in Ukraine as discrediting.