The Russian parliament has voted in favour of a legal amendment that will pave the way for heavy fines and up to 15 years’ imprisonment for the spread of false information about the country’s armed forces. The news comes amid a sweeping crackdown on media freedoms in Russia as the Kremlin seeks to ensure that its version of the war in Ukraine is the one to reach the Russian public. Two of Russia’s most important remaining independent media outlets – popular radio station Ekho Moskvy and online news channel Dozhd – closed on Thursday as a result of the crackdown. In order for the amendment appr…