A Moscow court on Wednesday sentenced a former state TV journalist 8 1/2 years in prison in absentia for protesting Russia's war in Ukraine, the latest in a crackdown on dissent that has intensified since the invasion began nearly 20 months ago. Marina Ovsyannikova was charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, a criminal offense under a law adopted shortly after President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine. She staged a protest near the Kremlin in July 2022, holding a sign that said, “Putin is a killer.