A criminal case has been opened against a Moscow resident over a joke about how people in besieged Leningrad lived without bubble tea.

A criminal case has been opened against a Moscow resident born in 2005 for insulting the honour of a veteran of the Great Patriotic War (Part 4, Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code) over a joke about bubble tea. This was reported by the press service of the Moscow Investigative Committee and RIA Novosti.

The case was opened because of a short video in which the young man wrote: “Just think… residents of besieged Leningrad lived for three years without bubble tea…” (original spelling preserved).

The young man has fully admitted guilt.

In early August, Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the “League for a Safe Internet,” wrote on her Telegram channel that, according to her information, a student from the Russian State Social University had been detained in Moscow over a number of statements. In addition to the comment about bubble tea, the young man had published videos on TikTok featuring an antisemitic statement, a joke about “Farewell of Slavianka,” and a comment that “burgers and jeans are more valuable than the motherland.”

26 August According to the SOVA Centre, the case concerns TikTok blogger Ilya Kostyakov. On 25 August, the Butyrsky District Court of Moscow issued restrictions on certain actions for the young man.

Before charges were brought in the criminal case, Kostyakov was arrested for 15 days under a protocol for petty hooliganism (Part 1, Article 20.1 of the Administrative Offences Code). The decision was issued by the Butyrsky District Court of Moscow on 11 August.