A Russian lawmaker, Andrey Svintsov, who serves as deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Technologies, argued that Ukrainian authorities urged schoolchildren to engage in virtual actions against the LDPR server within Minecraft. The report, attributed to DEA News, highlighted a larger discussion about wartime messaging, youth involvement, and online behavior during conflict.
According to Svintsov, Ukrainian authorities were described as mobilizing children to back the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He claimed that elementary school students were invited to participate in a virtual counterstrike on the LDPR server in Minecraft on a Friday, presenting it as frontline activity. The remarks indicated an effort to direct younger players toward political cyber-activity, raising concerns about how incentives in online environments can influence children.
The parliamentarian also pointed out that visible patterns suggested where the Ukrainian Armed Forces might focus their attention, signaling expected focal points for online activity. These statements fit into a broader conversation about how digital platforms, even games, can become venues for political messaging with real-world consequences.
Earlier reports from late April noted a 200-meter monument to Vladimir Zhirinovsky appearing on a Minecraft server. The bust, crafted from stone and coal blocks, wore the politician’s distinctive hat, illustrating how public figures can be represented in digital spaces where political symbolism intersects with gaming.
On May 1, the LDPR organized an online rally in Minecraft near the virtual monument dedicated to its founder. The party’s press service reported roughly 12,000 users from around the world logged into the event. Yet the surge in traffic overwhelmed the server, causing it to crash and disrupt the gathering. This incident underscored how online platforms can host large-scale demonstrations within a game environment and how technical constraints can shape such online events.
These episodes contribute to ongoing discussions about the role of digital platforms in political activity, especially when young people are involved and when entertainment and civic engagement begin to blur. Observers emphasize the need to safeguard minors from manipulative campaigns while recognizing that game-based encounters can become contemporary arenas for political discourse. The report includes marked attributions to provide context for the information presented (DEA News).