A Russian man in the Krasnodar region has been charged with petty hooliganism after his friend sang a Ukrainian song at his birthday party.
The man was subsequently made to issue two public apologies – one to his fellow villagers, laced with profanities and delivered while holding a religious icon, and another to law enforcement.
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According to Russian media platform Astra, the party took place on Aug. 8 in the village of Baranikovsky in the Slavyansky District of Russia’s Krasnodar region.
The accused, 39-year-old Anton Petrenko, was filmed drunkenly dancing with a female acquaintance in the attic of a house, beer bottles scattered at their feet, while she did most of the singing.
The song sung is called “My Narod Neskorenyy” in Ukrainian, meaning “We are an unconquered people.”
According to Astra, after the video went viral, the man was detained by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and charged with petty hooliganism.
Following his arrest, Petrenko has made two apologies on camera – once to his fellow villagers, where he was seen holding a religious icon and swearing profusely with derogatory terms against Ukrainians while swearing his allegiance to Russia.
“On Aug. 8, 2025, I sang songs about Ukraine. I am for the Russian people who defend our country and to all who go against Russia – death to all these fag**ts. Russia is strong,” Petrenko said, where he identified himself by full name.
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In another video apology published by Russian law enforcement in which Petrenko’s face was blurred, he said the song came up on a playlist during a karaoke session, and he had no intention of offending anyone.
Petrenko did not use profanity in his apologies in the law enforcement video, nor did he hold a religious icon.
Astra reported that authorities are weighing whether to charge Petrenko with discrediting the Russian Armed Forces – a criminal offense introduced in 2022 after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, frequently used to silence dissent and enforce the Kremlin’s grip on public rhetoric. The charge has at times been brought against pro-war military bloggers critical of Russia’s military leadership.
Moscow has kept an iron grip on public discourse, harshly punishing anything it deems pro-Ukrainian.
In 2024, US-Russian ballerina Ksenia Karelina was charged with treason for donating around $50 to a Ukrainian charity and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. She was subsequently released during a high-profile prisoner swap between the US and Russia.
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