Russian TikTokers forced to issue grovelling apology by Putin after filming video at oil depot blown up by Ukraine

The Sun

3 days ago

TWO Russian TikTokers were forced to issue a grovelling apology after filming in front of a flaming Russian plant following a Ukrainian strike.
Social media influencers Dasha Vladimirovna 21, and Karina Evgenyevna, 19, were filmed rapping in front of the Rosneft-Kubannefteprodukt oil depot in Sochi.
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The energy plant was on fire after being hit by a massive Ukrainian drone attack, which is understood to have infuriated Moscow.
But the TikTok stars were seen glorying in the Ukrainian strike, which the Russian air defences failed to prevent.
The video was posted to a track called Crimson Dawn by singer Endshpil, a Russian rapper.
Both influencers were immediately arrested.
New footage has since emerged showing the two TikTokers being paraded in a Russian court.
Then they were forced to record an apology saying: 'We sincerely apologise for filming the video against the backdrop of a fire and posting it on a social network.
'We did not post the video with the intention of insulting or offending anyone.
'We pledge not to make such mistakes again. We are ready to be punished under Russian law.'
A police "wanted" notice was issued after the initial TikTok video made rounds on the internet.
It said: "During Internet monitoring, a publication was found showing two girls filming a video against the backdrop of a fire in Sochi.
Oil depot EXPLODES as Ukraine launches major strike on Russian city of Sochi
"The police have initiated an investigation, measures are being taken to identify the girls, and their actions will be legally assessed."
Later it was confirmed that the duo had been detained, and there were calls from pro-war outlets for them to issue a public apology over the stunt close to Sochi airport.
Both of them were fined £280 for filming near the burning site.
Moscow takes an increasingly aggressive, extreme stance against social media stunts seen as highlighting Ukraine's successes in the war.
A Ukrainian outlet Pravda Gerashchenko mocked: 'Russian zoomers are happy about the burning oil depot in [Sochi] - a new location for selfies.
'Ukrainian defence forces will definitely try to create as many such locations as possible.'
Ukraine's general staff on Monday confirmed it had carried out a drone attack on a fuel depot of Sochi airport in southern Russia on Sunday.
Kyiv has regularly hit Russian oil and gas infrastructure in response to attacks on its own territory since Russia began its offensive in February 2022.
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"Sochi suffered a drone attack by the Kyiv regime last night," the governor of Russia's Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, said on Telegram.
He said drone wreckage hit an "oil tank, which caused a fire" during the nighttime attack.
Sochi's mayor, Andrei Proshunin, said there were no victims and that the fire was put out several hours later.
He confirmed that the fire had been caused by a nighttime drone strike, with debris hitting an oil tanker.
Local officials said 90 firefighters were involved in bringing the blaze under control.
The drone attack came as Russian forces bombed a key bridge used to transport military logistics in the Ukrainian frontline city of Kherson.
Footage shows a Russian airstrike destroying the key road crossing on the Dnipro River after dropping two guided bombs over the weekend.
Putin ready to meet Zelensky, Kremlin says
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
VLADIMIR Putin is ready to meet Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kremlin said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his boss will meet the Ukrainian leader "after preparatory work is done at the expert level".
He added that such work has not yet been done.
Putin has previously rejected a slew of proposals from Zelensky to meet for negotiations.
He said last week that peace talks had made some positive progress, but that Russia had the momentum in the war.
But Donald Trump has put pressure on Russia to urgently agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.
Trump's deadline for a Ukraine peace is set to expire in just days after the MAGA prez cut the 50-day waiting period to just "10-12 days".
This would mean the Russians will have till August 8 to strike a peace deal with Ukraine or else face criplling sanctions which could further stifle Moscow.
Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbour.
Trump has expressed frustration with Putin, questioning whether the Russian leader really wants peace with Ukraine.
He reiterated that he was "very unhappy" with Putin since their last phone call made no progress on the Ukraine peace deal - something the US president has pushed for since returning to power.
Putin has snubbed peace and is instead steadily increasing his overnight bombing raids - which could soon hit 1,000 drones and missiles a day.
Meanewhile, Trump confirmed his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week.
Moscow today said that Witkoff's visit would be important and helpful.
Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow before Trump's efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.
The US special envoy has held long conversations with Putin but failed to persuade him to agree to a ceasefire.
Back in May, Zelensky had challenged the Russian dictator to meet him face-to-face to turn the screw and make a deal.
Putin instead dodged peace and said he would only meet him when there was a done deal.
Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.
Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join Nato.