Two people have reportedly been detained for helping a Ukrainian extreme climber "desecrate" a Stalinist building in Moscow by filming his activist stunt.
News site Russkaya Planeta on Wednesday identified the two suspects as Vladimir Podrezov from St. Petersburg and Konstantin Ishutin, nicknamed Vselensky, from Moscow, and said the two men would appear in court on Thursday.
Though Interfax news agency confirmed on Thursday two men had been detained —without mentioning their names— both reports cited unnamed police sources and no officials had commented on the alleged arrest at the time of this article's publication.
A Kiev-based athlete known as Mustang Wanted incited the wrath of Russian patriots last week by planting a Ukrainian flag atop of a downtown high-rise in Moscow.
The "roofer," known as Grigory, also painted the Soviet star on top of the building in Ukraine's blue-and-yellow national colors.
Mustang Wanted said Tuesday on his Facebook page he had sold footage of the climb to pro-Kremlin Russian tabloid Lifenews.ru for $5,000, and had then — in a cynical move — donated the money to the Ukrainian army, which is fighting a pro-Russian insurgency in Ukraine's east.
Lifenews.ru's owner Aram Gabrelyanov confirmed the sale, but said the video, which has not been made publicly available, was of subpar quality.
Four more Russian "roofers" have been placed under house arrest in connection with the incident and face hooliganism charges, punishable with up to seven years in prison.
Though they confessed to having been at the scene during Mustang Wanted's climb, they maintain they had come there for a separate stunt — a basejump — and had nothing to do with the star's repainting.
The self-professed culprit behind the controversial stunt has returned to his native Ukraine, Interfax cited unidentified police sources as saying Wednesday.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
