in Soviet criminal law, the infliction of injury by one person to the health of another by violation of the anatomical integrity or physiological functions of the organs or tissues of the body.

Grave, less grave, and light bodily injuries may be distinguished. Bodily injuries are considered grave when they are dangerous to life at the moment of infliction, regardless of the consequences, or result in loss of sight, of hearing, or of any organ, in the loss by an organ of its functions, in mental illness or any other impairment of health, joined with persistent loss of at least one-third of the capacity to work, or in termination of pregnancy or permanent disfigurement of the face. Less grave bodily injuries are injuries not dangerous to life and not causing the aforementioned consequences but that provoke a lengthy impairment of health (more than four weeks) or a significant persistent loss of less than one-third of the capacity to work. Light bodily injuries are injuries that result in an impairment of health of short duration—seven days to four weeks—or an insignificant persistent loss of the capacity to work (such as injuries resulting from beatings) or that have no consequences. The degree of punishment for the infliction of bodily injuries depends on whether the infliction was intentional or accidental and on the gravity of the injuries, as determined by forensic medical experts.

The law defines circumstances that aggravate liability for bodily injuries, namely, circumstances such as death resulting from intentional infliction of grave bodily injuries, the commission of an action by an especially dangerous recidivist, and the infliction of torture or torment. Liability is mitigated if grave or less grave bodily injuries are inflicted as a result of necessary self-defense or in a state of sudden strong mental agitation provoked by force or grave insult on the part of the victim, or provoked by any other unlawful actions of the victim, if such actions result or could result in grave consequences for the guilty person or his near ones.

Infecting with venereal disease is a special kind of bodily injury.