A rapper touted his support for Russian soldiers in Ukraine. A Moscow court fined him for drug-themed lyrics anyway.
The Nikulinsky District Court in Moscow fined David Nuriyev, the rapper better known as Ptakha, 80,000 rubles (about $1,000) on an administrative charge of drug propaganda, the independent Russian outlet Mediazona reported.
According to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the case stemmed from three tracks: “Ne pozdno” (“Not Too Late”), “Ne mogu” (“I Can’t”), and “Monolog” (“Monologue”). The last was recorded by Centr, the group Ptakha used to belong to.
The songs were posted in the “Ptakha aka Zanuda” group on VK. At the hearing, Ptakha insisted he had not made the posts himself, reminding the court that he “helps children and soldiers in the zone of Russia’s ”special military operation” in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.” He did not admit guilt.
Since March 2026, Russian law has required a special label on any book, film, or piece of music that references drugs. The label is required on all works released in the country after August 1, 1990.
Ptakha is a former member of Centr, which also included Guf and Slim. In February 2016, he traveled to eastern Ukraine, where he gave several concerts and received citizenship in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic.
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