MOSCOW, April 6 (UPI) -- Russian lawmakers submitted legislation Wednesday that prohibits the nation's new national guard troops from opening fire on certain types of people, including pregnant women and children.
The newly formed regiment will seek to fight terrorist militants and other forms of crime in Russia. Lawmakers, though, have passed legislation to specifically detail what the troops are legally permitted to do -- particularly when it involves discharging their weapons.
"It shall be prohibited to use firearms against women with the visible signs of pregnancy, people with the apparent signs of disability and underage persons, except for the cases when such persons put up armed resistance, make an assault involving a group of attackers or commit another attack threatening the life and health of citizens or a National Guard serviceman, and it shall also be prohibited to use firearms at largely crowded places, if their use may casually hurt people," the bill reads.
The legislation was sent to President Vladimir Putin, who formed the national guard on Tuesday.
The bill also gives troops the authority to seal off crime areas and even commandeer citizens' vehicles to chase suspects or travel to the scene of a crime -- all to protect the "life, health and property" of the Russian people.
