Russian actor Artur Smolyaninov faces criminal charges over 'anti-Russian' interview

Russian actor Artur Smolyaninov, who starred in the 2005 film "The 9th Company" about the Soviet Union's ill-fated military campaign in Afghanistan, said in an interview last week that he would fight for Ukraine, not Russia, if he had to take part in the conflict. The Investigative Committee said on Monday it had launched a criminal case against Smolyaninov after he took part in an interview with a "Western publication", but did not provide further details.