The Russian parliament, the Duma, unanimously passed the toughening of a strict anti-gay law in a first reading on Thursday, its official website stated.

Moscow has been pressing a conservative drive domestically while its troops continue to fight in Ukraine following the invasion on February 24.

Lawmakers "unanimously adopted in the first reading amendments to the legislation regarding the prohibition of propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations," the statement read.

DW correspondent Juri Rescheto said that the law didn't "change anything fundamentally" but it made "an already difficult situation worse".

While Russia's LGBTQ community had gotten used to "state-sponsored homophobia for the past 25 years", they had to be "concerned about their safety."

Rescheto saw this a reason for Russians not protesting the law, as they had "completely different problems at the moment", above all partial mobilization.

According to him, Russians were "restricted, imitated" and "disoriented" since the partial mobilization had begun.

What is Russia's anti-LGBTQ law?

On Monday, the Duma had held a consultation sessions on the amendments to the 2013 law whichbans exposing minors to "gay propaganda."

The new bill toughens this up by banning the "denial of family values" and the "promotion of non-traditional sexual orientations" of all ages.

Lawmakers saw Russia's increased confrontation with the West and its armed forces battling in Ukraine as a motivation to stricten the law.

Alexander Khinstein, one of the lawmakers and head of the Duma's information committee, said the Ukraine offensive had given the proposed law "new relevance."

"The special operation takes place not only on the battlefield, but also in the minds and souls of people," Khinstein said.

The banker and conservative media owner Konstantin Malofeyev told the Duma on Monday that passing the law was integral to Russia's war effort.

"The war is not only on the battlefield. It is also in the smartphones of our children, in cartoons and films," Malofeyev said.

"Our enemy really holds the propaganda of sodomy as the core of its influence," he said.

On top of this, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian schools to conduct patriotic education programmes, as well as introducing new subjects meant to instill patriotism.