Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Prankster Destroys Car With Sledgehammer, Faces 5 Years in Prison

Vkontakte

A Russian man who smashed up his badly parked car with a sledgehammer for a social media prank may now face up to five years in prison, the Interior Ministry in northern Russia’s Yamal-Nenets autonomous district said in a press release Tuesday.

A video posted online shows the man getting a sledgehammer from the trunk of his car as another car seems to block his exit. The man proceeds to smash the hood, roof and windows of the car that is in the way.

As it turns out, the prankster, who is a resident of the town of Novy Urengoy, had staged the sledgehammer smash-up.

The car that was destroyed was his own and filming the incident had been planned in advance, as was discovered during the culprit’s questioning by police, according to the press release.

All of the man’s efforts to make the perfect prank video are arguably in vain; he faces up to five years in prison under charges of hooliganism with dangerous weapons, to which he has pleaded guilty, the police said.

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