Сherkashchenko in court in Moscow, 25 August 2025. Photo: Moscow courts

A Moscow resident has been placed in pretrial detention for posting a number of videos online in which he wished death to Russian soldiers and Russians who support the war, human rights group OVD-Info reported on Tuesday.

Vladimir Cherkashchenko, 21, was detained on Saturday and has since been charged with inciting hatred against Russians, OVD-Info continued, citing the Moscow courts.

The charges arose after multiple videos Cherkashchenko posted online came to the attention of Yekaterina Mizulina, the head of Russia’s Safe Internet League, a body theoretically set up to protect children online, but which has in reality grown to become an integral part of Russia’s censorship apparatus.

In one video, Cherkashchenko is seen excoriating servicemen fighting in the war in Ukraine. In others, he wished death to Russian citizens and called for attacks on the security forces.

“Everyone’s supporting these special military operation veterans,” he said, referring to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. “I hope they get blown up by a mine … And these pigs won’t support trans and LGBT people. … I hope they all get slaughtered.”

In video footage posted by the Moscow Investigative Committee, Cherkashchenko is seen expressing remorse to the investigator and fully admitting his guilt.