Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Lovers' Shootout Inspired by Video Games, Says Senator

Two lovestruck Russian teenagers who held a shootout with police before turning their guns on themselves were under the influence of violent video games, according to one Russian senator.

United Russia politician Yelena Mizulina blamed “digital violence” for pushing the children to arm themselves with guns.

The two 15-year-olds had streamed their confrontation with police live in the Russian city of Pskov on Monday evening. Speaking in the video, which was later posted to Instagram, the couple said that they had “zero options” as their parents wished to end their relationship. No police officers were harmed in the face-off.

Mizulina said that video games were likely to have had a “detrimental effect” on the children.

“Experts in the field of child psychology are seriously concerned [about video games],” Mizulina wrote on her blog. “Shooting games erase the psychological barrier between reality and the virtual world. They were originally designed to be part of U.S. military training,” she said.“The child believes that life is only a game in which they have several lives.”

The teenagers had spent three days hiding from their parents before being discovered by local police officers, Russian media reported. Authorities negotiated with the pair for several hours before the children stopped responding, the Pskov police department said in a statement.

In the video stream, one of the teenagers appeared to believe they faced death if they did not surrender to the police.

“But if we do surrender,” the 15-year-old said, “we will never see each other again.”

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more