Russian Blogger Detained Within Hours After Posting Ballot Video With Crude Putin Insult

A Russian blogger was detained for 14 days after writing 'Putin is a d*ckhead' on an election ballot and filming it on his channel.

A court in Penza, a city in Russia's Volga region, sentenced Stanislav Morozov to 14 days of administrative arrest for 'petty hooliganism', according to independent outlet 7x7.

Blogger Hopes the Pro-Putin Party 'Goes Straight to Hell'

Morozov posted a video on Saturday showing himself filling out the ballot for Russia's parliamentary elections in the open street. In the clip, he appears to cross out the United Russia candidate on the first ballot, ticks all of the boxes for the other candidates and then adds a message saying that the ruling, pro-Putin party 'goes straight to hell'.

He moved on to a second ballot paper, which shows him writing 'Putin khuylo', an insult meaning 'Putin is a d*ckhead'. Morozov was reportedly tracked down hours after uploading the footage.

The blogger was approached by police and detained before being taken to a detention centre. He was later sentenced to 14 days of administrative arrest for petty hooliganism.

The case comes amid wider pressure on activists and independent voices in Russia, particularly in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Morozov had prior run-ins with the law in the region, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe.

Rights and legal groups such as OVD-Info have documented the use of administrative-hooliganism charges against people in Russia, including cases resulting in detention.

Morozov Was Flagged by Russian Government for 'Inciting Extremist Activity'

Morozov has voiced his dissatisfaction with the Russian government at several points throughout 2026. He posted about local security forces rounding up men and aggressively pressuring, or allegedly forcing, them to sign military service contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry.

He reported the alleged forced enlistments despite warnings from the regional Interior Ministry, which threatened prosecution over such reporting.

The blogger was also the subject of a criminal case opened by the Federal Security Service for 'inciting extremist activity' in July.

The case came after a video in which he criticised military enlistment staff over alleged assaults on local men and urged residents to unite against the government. He was briefly detained and released under restrictions, including a travel ban.

Human rights monitoring groups have warned that activists and bloggers who insult President Vladimir Putin or interfere with mobilisation efforts may face administrative or criminal penalties after detention.

Morozov was sentenced as authorities continued to enforce laws against dissent, with critics and activists facing a mix of administrative and criminal measures.

Russian Elections Show Putin's Party Winning Despite Unpopularity

The party that Morozov was criticising in his video, United Russia, won a clear majority in Russia's 2026 parliamentary election, securing 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma, according to official results reported by Reuters.

United Russia won 57.83% of the vote, up from 49.8% in 2021, according to Reuters.

Yabloko, the only officially registered party opposing Russia's war in Ukraine, was barred from the parliamentary election after Russia's Supreme Court annulled its registration in August. The case was brought by the pro-Kremlin Rodina party.

The election took place from 18 to 20 September, with the Central Electoral Commission reporting a turnout of 59.3% among 111 million eligible voters.

Critics and opposition activists have challenged the fairness and transparency of the election. Reuters reported that exiled opposition activists alleged widespread fraud, while Russian officials described the vote as legitimate.