Several new laws, decrees, and regulations are set to take effect in Russia in August 2025, impacting various aspects of life for Russian citizens. These changes span areas such as pension recalculations, IT deferments, banking for teenagers, penalties for desecrating memorials, nicotine product regulations, spam control, antitrust measures, product marking, and updated standards for children’s toys.
Working pensioners will see their insurance pensions recalculated starting August 1, 2025. The Social Fund will conduct this recalculation without requiring an application, based on individual pension coefficients (IPC) accumulated during 2024. The maximum increase a pensioner can receive is capped at 437.07 rubles, reflecting a maximum of three pension points earned in a year.
August will also bring increased payments to specific groups. Pensioners turning 80 in July and those receiving disability group I will receive an additional 8907 rubles. Allowances for caring for individuals in the first two disability groups will also increase, reaching 1314 rubles for insurance pensions and 1377 rubles for state pensions.
The acceptance of applications for army deferment for IT specialists concludes on August 6. Eligible men aged 18 to 30 with Russian citizenship, a relevant higher education, and employment in an accredited IT company for at least 11 months of the past year can apply via the “Gosuslugi” portal.
Organizations will verify employee data until August 11, and the information will be transferred to the Ministry of Defense by September 1. Conscription commissions will then make decisions on granting deferrals between October 1 and December 31.
Restrictions on opening bank accounts for minors aged 14 to 18 will be introduced, requiring parental consent unless the minor has full legal capacity due to marriage or emancipation. This measure aims to protect children from fraudulent schemes involving bank cards.
Penalties for desecrating military memorials will be extended from August 3. The sanctions, previously applied only to destruction or physical damage, will now encompass any actions that worsen the condition or appearance of memorials, even those located abroad.
Liability for the circulation of unmarked nicotine-containing products will be tightened. Production without proper labeling or information will be punishable by fines up to 500,000 rubles, forced labor for up to three years, or imprisonment for the same term with a fine of up to 120,000 rubles.
Russians gain the right to opt out of SMS mailings and spam starting August 1, 2025. Subscribers can exercise this option through their telecom operator’s website or mobile app. Future plans include a service on the Gosuslugi portal for submitting spam complaints.
The FAS (Federal Antimonopoly Service) will launch the “Anticartel” information system on August 1, 2025. Based on artificial intelligence, the system aims to identify collusion between companies and antitrust violations in tenders.
A new experiment to mark sausages and other products containing meat, offal, or animal blood begins on August 1. The experiment will be conducted in two stages, and products in consumer packaging will be marked at first, then followed by semi-finished and frozen products.
Updated state standards for children’s toys will take effect in August. These standards will classify toys by age, material, and activity type and introduce safety requirements related to injuries, hygiene, chemical exposure, and fire hazards. The new standards also include recommendations for school backpacks, including weight limits and requirements for non-combustible materials and reflective elements.