Police arrest 18-year-old street musician who led chants of ‘Old man in the bunker’ as fuel shortages grip Russia following Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure
Hundreds of young Russians staged a rare public display of dissent against Vladimir Putin on Tuesday night, gathering in central St Petersburg to sing a banned song calling for the dictator’s overthrow whilst his war machine faces crippling fuel shortages from Ukrainian drone strikes.
The massive crowd joined street musicians at Kazanskaya Square and along Nevsky Prospect to perform “Co-operative Swan Lake” by exiled pro-Ukrainian rapper Noize MC, chanting lyrics including “When the czar dies, we’ll dance again” and “Old man in the bunker, still thinks it’s nineteen eighty-five.”
Police arrested Diana Loginova, the 18-year-old street musician who led the chants, with authorities threatening administrative charges of “discrediting” the Russian military and organising an unauthorised public gathering that could result in 15 days’ detention.
Banned Anthem Becomes Rallying Cry
The crowd enthusiastically jumped and sang along to the prohibited song, which a St Petersburg court declared “extremist” in May, ruling it constituted “propaganda for a violent government overthrow” and posed a threat to the “moral and ethical development” of minors.
Videos of the protest, which went viral on social media platforms, showed hundreds of young people singing lyrics that directly challenge Putin’s regime: “Where have you been for eight years, you f***ing monsters?” – a reference to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. The song also calls for removing pro-Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov from television screens, singing “let the swans dance” instead.
The Swan Lake reference carries deep political symbolism in Russia. The ballet was broadcast on loop during the deaths of Soviet leaders Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko in the 1980s, and played continuously for three days during the August 1991 coup attempt that precipitated the Soviet Union’s collapse.
Noize MC, whose real name is Ivan Alekseev, fled to Lithuania shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The 40-year-old musician, originally from Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, was designated a “foreign agent” by the Kremlin in November 2022.
Mother Defends Arrested Singer
Loginova, who performs under the stage name Naoko with the band Stoptime, has previously won national and international student music competitions. Her mother, Irina, insisted her daughter was apolitical and only performed the song due to its popularity.
“Diana lives with me, she’s constantly under my supervision,” Irina told local media. We are very close, and I know for sure that she has no political stance! Moreover, she’s a patriot of our country, she loves Russia very much and has no plans to leave!”
She added: “The songs Diana chooses are those of her favourite artists. Her audience likes these compositions – that’s the only reason she sings them. The audience asks, and Diana performs. There is no subtext, no malicious intent.”
According to the independent news outlet Fontanka, Loginova could face two administrative charges. The band’s drummer and guitarist were also questioned but subsequently released. Stoptime cancelled their performances and urged followers not to share videos of their shows online.
Pro-Kremlin Media Fury
The protest sparked outrage amongst ultra-nationalist Russians and pro-Kremlin media. Marina Akhmedova, editor-in-chief of the pro-government news agency Regnum, condemned the performance on Telegram, calling Alekseev “a man who betrayed his native Belgorod and supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In a vitriolic post on the Pravda website, another commentator wrote: “If they were in the Kursk region during the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they would shit themselves out of fear. If they were in Belgorod, where hundreds of UAVs are flying, they would understand how pathetic they are.”
The Kremlin-aligned outlet described the young protesters as “pathetic” and accused them of not understanding the situation in border regions where Ukrainian forces have made incursions.
Fuel Crisis Grips Russia
The protest comes as Putin’s war machine faces severe pressure from Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure. This week, Ukrainian forces set ablaze the Marine Oil Terminal in Feodosia, occupied Crimea – the peninsula’s largest oil storage and transshipment hub with a capacity of 250,000 tons.
The facility has been burning for days following strikes on 6 and 13 October, with at least five fuel tanks destroyed and toxic smoke visible from 25 kilometres away. The attacks forced authorities to evacuate 250 residents from nearby areas.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed last week that his forces had reduced Russia’s oil-processing capabilities by 21 per cent through systematic strikes. At least 21 of Russia’s 38 key refineries have been hit in 2025, with some facilities struck multiple times, causing weeks-long operational pauses.
The campaign has created widespread fuel shortages across Russia, with gasoline production falling by up to 27 per cent in September alone, according to analysis by Re: Russia, a project by exiled Russian analysts. Prices have hit record highs, with Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service considering emergency price caps at petrol stations.
In Crimea, the situation is particularly dire. Approximately 50 per cent of petrol stations have halted gasoline sales, with remaining stations limiting purchases to 20 litres per vehicle. “There are long lines and fistfights at gas stations,” Ayder, a Simferopol resident, told Al Jazeera. “Every day I see cars that ran out of fuel and were left on the kerb.”
War’s Economic Toll
The fuel crisis represents just one aspect of the economic pressure mounting on Russia as the war approaches its fourth year. Over one million mainly young Russian men have been killed or wounded fighting in Ukraine, whilst thousands more have deserted or fled the country to avoid conscription.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the fuel deficit amounts to “up to 20 per cent of their needs,” describing it as one way “to force Russia to start peaceful negotiations.” Ukraine has developed increasingly sophisticated domestically-produced drones capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory, with some reaching beyond the Ural Mountains.
The economic disruption extends beyond fuel supplies. A recent drone strike on a man outside St Petersburg prompted one Russian to film himself shouting: “Where the hell is air defence, are you going to down the drones with a slingshot?”
Youth Disillusionment Grows
The St Petersburg protest reflects growing disillusionment amongst Russia’s youth with Putin’s regime and the ongoing war. The song “Co-operative Swan Lake” has become an unofficial anthem for young, liberal Russians who oppose the invasion, despite facing severe restrictions on freedom of expression.
Since the full-scale invasion began, Russia has implemented a sweeping crackdown on dissent, with public opposition to the war effectively banned. Previous demonstrations have been brutally suppressed by authorities, making Tuesday’s gathering particularly significant as a rare moment of public defiance.
The protesters sang: “Let my grandfather tremble in fear for his ‘Ozero'” – a disparaging reference to Putin and his inner circle known as the “Ozero collective” from their St Petersburg origins. The lyrics mock Putin as an “old man still clinging to his throne, afraid to let go.”
International Arms Race
As domestic opposition simmers, Ukraine continues pressing Western allies for advanced weaponry to strike deeper into Russian territory. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior Ukrainian adviser, posted on X that Ukraine seeks cruise missiles, air defence systems and joint drone production agreements from the United States.
Ukrainian officials are particularly keen to obtain Tomahawk cruise missiles, which could allow precision strikes on targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow, with large warheads. US defence manufacturer Raytheon recently revealed a new Tomahawk launcher configuration that would suit Ukraine’s needs, though Washington has hesitated over concerns about escalation.
The protest in St Petersburg and the ongoing fuel crisis illustrate the mounting pressures on Putin’s regime as the war grinds on with no end in sight. Whilst authorities can arrest individual protesters like Loginova, the broader economic and social strains from the conflict continue to build across Russian society.
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