Russian Influencers Arrested After Sochi Oil Depot Video

Two Russian TikTok influencers, Dasha Vladimirovna (21) and Karina Evgenyevna (19), were arrested after filming themselves rapping and posing in front of a burning oil depot in Sochi following a Ukrainian drone strike. The viral video, set to a popular Russian rap track, was condemned by authorities and pro-Kremlin media for allegedly glamorizing a Ukrainian military success and trivializing a national emergency. The incident led to demands for a public apology, which the women issued, expressing regret and readiness to face legal consequences. The Ukrainian attack caused significant disruption at Sochi’s airport and required a mass emergency response. Russian authorities are increasingly cracking down on social media content that portrays Ukrainian advances. The episode underscores both the symbolic impact of the strike within Russia and the state’s efforts to tightly control war-related narratives online.