Advances in AI technology have made fabricated images, audio clips and videos virtually indistinguishable from real human-created content
Russian officials have repeatedly said that false information has been spread by Russia's enemies such as the United States and its allies in an attempt to sow discord and divide its people.
Russian lawmakers passed the law, making the spread of 'fake' information or public calls for sanctions against Russia criminal offences.
"If the fakes lead to serious consequences then imprisonment of up to 15 years threatens," the lower house of parliament, known as the Duma in Russian, said in a statement.
The law appears to give the Russian state much stronger powers to crack down on what officials consider to be statements that discredit the armed forces.