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The Petrogradsky District Court in St Petersburg has sentenced drummer Andrei Panin to five and a half years in a general regime penal colony in a case over so-called military “fakes” (paragraph “d” of part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). RusNews reports. The musician has also been banned from administering internet resources for three years.
The case was opened over a post on VKontakte dated 19 August 2023. Panin wrote about a Russian missile strike on the drama theatre in Chernihiv, Ukraine, which killed civilians, including children.
Panin first partially, then fully, pleaded guilty. In his final statement, he asked not to be sent to a colony, explaining that his young daughter and elderly mother depend on him.
“There are no victims or damages in my case, and my life and my views have changed drastically”:said the musician. He finished his speech with the poem “The White Snows Are Falling” by Yevgeny Yevtushenko.
Panin was detained on 20 July 2026. Before his arrest, he taught drumming, collaborated with the TYuZ (Young Spectator’s Theatre) and the Grand Variety and Symphony Orchestra, and also worked as a tour guide.
In October 2025, the musician was fined 2,000 rubles (about US$22) for three Telegram comments with the phrase “Glory to Ukraine!.” The court deemed these to be the display of “extremist” symbols.