The Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol registered two protocols against Gleb Malkov — under articles of petty hooliganism (Part 1 of Article 20.1 of the Administrative Code) and “discrediting” the army (Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). A criminal case was also opened against him for “outrage” of the Russian state flag (Article 329 of the Criminal Code), reports the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
What exactly became the reason for each of the administrative cases is unknown. A video appeared on the Crimean SMERSH telegram channel in which Malkov says that he kicked the Russian state flag. The Baza Telegram channel wrote that this happened when a young man came to a spontaneous memorial to the victims of Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin — a Sevastopol resident touched the flag, hitting the portraits of the commanders of the Wagner PMC.
“I am Gleb Malkov, a resident city of Sevastopol, on August 25 kicked the flag of the Russian Federation because of hostility towards the North Military District. I admit my guilt, repent and want to apologize to all residents of the city of Sevastopol. That’s it,” the young man says to the camera in one of the videos.
As the Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified, at the foot of the monument to the hero of the Crimean War Vladimir Kornilov in Artillery Bay there was an “installation” in which the Russian flag was used. According to the security forces, due to his anti-war position, Malkov “decided to express his disagreement and kicked the flag canvas, as well as the objects placed on it.” In response to local residents’ outrage at the situation, the young man “publicly spoke negatively about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” the department added.
“The Russian Federation attacked my country — Ukraine,” explains his action in another video Malkov. Voices behind the scenes say that Malkov is not in Ukraine now, he replies: “I’m in Ukraine. Sevastopol is Ukraine. <…> Because in 1954 [Crimea] was handed over and recognized.” He further calls the “referendum” held in 2014 illegal.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not name the accused; he is mentioned as a 21-year-old resident of Sevastopol. At the same time, the video recording published by the department, where a young man swings his leg towards the pedestal, shows Malkov — he is wearing the same clothes as in other recordings. Also similar features include hairstyle and body type.