Russian Court Sentences Two Students for Shouting Ukrainian Greeting in St. Petersburg

Two second-year students from St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications were sentenced to five days of administrative arrest for publicly shouting a Ukrainian “greeting” [possibly Slava Ukraini ] according to Russian media outlet MR7.

Both young men were taken to the police station, where an administrative protocol was drawn up under Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation for publicly demonstrating extremist organization symbols, which carries a fine of 1,000 ($10.90) to 2,000 ($21.76) rubles.

The Nevsky Russian District Court ruled that their actions violated the law, which prohibits propaganda or the public display of Nazi symbols, and the issue of initiating a criminal case is being considered.

The students were detained by police on February 13 following a report from the university. Judge Svetlana Petiy sentenced the two students to five days of administrative arrest, the maximum possible penalty being 15 days.

During court proceedings, it was established that on February 12, they had shouted the greeting twice, an act classified as extremist under Russian law.

The individuals stated in court that their actions were intended as a joke and were done on a dare.

On February 14, Russian preschools begun 2025, the “Year of the Defender of the Fatherland,” declared by Vladimir Putin, with mass military-patriotic drills for young children.