Court Fines Voronezh Resident for Verka Serduchka Song

The Novovoronezh City Court found a 24-year-old local resident guilty of publicly discrediting the Russian Armed Forces and fined him 50,000 rubles ($556 at current rates) under Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. This is the maximum penalty for individuals under that article. According to the court, the basis was the citizen«s music preferences. In late January, in the evening, near house No. 43 on Kosmonavtov Street in Novovoronezh, he played at full volume in his car the song »Shche ne vmerla Ukraina« performed by Andriy Danilko, who performs in the character of Verka Serduchka.

Themis (the justice system) interpreted the disco as a public action — quote — «aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintaining international peace and security within the framework of the »demilitarization« and »denazification« of Ukraine.» In simpler terms, by playing the song about the «not yet perished» at full blast, the unpatriotic music lover deliberately damaged the authority and image of the Russian Army.

This is not the first such case in Voronezh Region. In November 2025, the Borisoglebsk City Court fined a resident of Ternovsky District the same 50,000 rubles under the same article. He also loudly listened in his car to a song «in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces» that was damaging to the army«s image. The court did not specify which one.