explainers
Russian journalist and YouTuber Yury Dud is now on the state’s ‘terrorist and extremist’ registry. What does that mean legally for his audience?
6 cards
1
Yury Dud was added to what?
Yury Dud has been added to the Federal Financial Monitoring Service’s list, with an asterisk next to his name. The asterisk usually means authorities have opened a criminal investigation under a “terrorism” statute. The details of any such investigation remain unknown, but Dud is effectively barred from operating in Russia, and others could face prosecution for engaging with his content.
Wasn’t Dud already banned in Russia?
In April 2022, the Justice Ministry designated Yury Dud a “foreign agent.” Unlike the “terrorist” designation, that status does not ban someone from operating in Russia, though it substantially restricts what they can do. In the summer of 2025, authorities opened a criminal investigation into Dud’s alleged evasion of his “foreign agent” obligations. In November, he was sentenced in absentia to one year and 10 months in a penal colony in that case.
2
So are Russians breaking the law if they watch his videos?
No.
Russians can still watch Dud’s content and stay subscribed to his YouTube channel or keep following his social media accounts. So far, there are no known cases of anyone being targeted simply for subscribing.
But Natalia Sekretareva, head of the legal department at the Memorial Human Rights Defense Center, said, “Before crossing the Russian border, it’s best to unsubscribe and clear your viewing history: border guards can check devices and, among other things, look for subscriptions to ‘opposition’ content.”
At this link, you’ll find our detailed guide to what else officials may look for on your devices and how to prepare.
3
What if Russians repost something?
That probably carries a risk. It depends on:
- What content they repost
- Why Dud was added to Rosfinmonitoring’s list
If Dud was added to the list because of an investigation into “justifying terrorism,” the authorities may object to a particular video. Reposting that video could also be treated as a violation of Article 205.2 of Russia’s Criminal Code, and offenders could face up to seven years in prison. Under that scenario, a person could repost Dud’s other videos without the same risk. But Sekretareva told Meduza it was too early to draw firm conclusions:
Since we don’t yet know what he’s accused of, it’s best to be careful.
4
Does that apply to old reposts, too?
Yes. In Russia, anything posted online could be treated as a “continuing offense” as long as it remains up.
5
What if Russians post a clip from one of his videos without a link?
It depends on the kind of content they post. If the video is deemed to “justify terrorism,” posting a clip from it could, in theory, be risky even without a link.
6
But donating is definitely a bad idea for Russians, right?
That’s right. At least if you’re in Russia or still visit from time to time.
Under the law on “financing extremist activity,” you could face up to eight years in prison (or up to 10 years if you used your official position). Under the law on “aiding terrorist activity,” you could face 15 years in prison.
Sekretareva stressed to Meduza that donations to Yury Dud’s personal accounts aren’t the only concern:
You shouldn’t send money to legal entities connected to him, either. In practice, law enforcement officers are unlikely to distinguish between supporting Dud the “terrorist” and funding legitimate journalism through a legal entity connected to him. There have been cases of people facing legal action even for sending their own children money for everyday expenses.
At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.
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