April 30, 2026

Twitch Says No to Russian Drones


Twitch Says No to Russian Drones
Twitch sign.
Daniel Benavides from Austin, TX. Wikimedia Commons.

On April 25, the streaming platform Twitch prohibited the retransmission of an event that recruited viewers into making drones for Russia's war in Ukraine: a Counter-Strike 2 tournament, hosted by Alabuga Polytechnic University, to encourage students to build unmanned aerial vehicles.

Blogger JesusAVGN (Alexander Gubanov) broke the news that Twitch had temporarily banned 15 accounts belonging to Russian streamers for broadcasting Alabuga Polytech's gaming championship. Some of Russia's biggest names in the streaming world have had their accounts suspended, including Poka (Kirill Starovoytov), Pch3lk1n (Alexey Pchelkin), and fandercs (Ilya Bagreev). Each of these streamers has over 500,000 subscribers.

According to the sports publication Chempionat, Twitch placed a thirty-day ban on the accounts due to complaints from users, who pointed out that Alabuga Polytechnic is under European Union and United States sanctions. Per the U.S. company's policy, it cannot host transmissions from banned entities. 

The university, in Tatarstan, is notorious for employing underage students to build Iranian Shahed drones. The institution has also been accused of exploitation, with students saying they went days "without sleeping and practically without eating." 

Chempionat reported that Twitch's moderation system initially did not respond to complaints. However, Alabuga Polytechnic's channel was suspended after a few hours. By 1 a.m. Moscow time, the streaming platform issued temporary bans to the streamers who retransmitted the event. Twitch is also considering a permanent ban on the Russian channels.

You Might Also Like

Black Rain of War
  • April 29, 2026

Black Rain of War

An environmental catastrophe hits Tuapse following an attack by Ukrainian drones on a local oil refinery.
Testing Victory
  • April 26, 2026

Testing Victory

More than 70,000 Muscovites participated in this year's "Victory Dictation," testing their knowledge of WW2.
From Poisoning to Firewalls
  • April 24, 2026

From Poisoning to Firewalls

The same FSB unit tied to Navalny's poisoning is now leading Russia's push to restrict Telegram, WhatsApp, and VPNs, according to industry sources.
I Won't Grow Up!
  • April 14, 2026

I Won't Grow Up!

A review of A Hundred Years of Childhood: An Anthology of Russian Writing for Children, 1917-2017,  by Olga Bukhina & Kelly Herold & Andrea Lanoux
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955