Russian feminist collective Pussy Riot staged a protest outside Ubiquiti’s Manhattan headquarters for “powering Russian war crimes”.
- READ MORE: Who are Pussy Riot? A guide to the Russian activist group who crashed the World Cup Final
In a series of posts shared to X on Friday (March 27), the group’s founder, Nadya Tolokonnikova, shared screenshots said to be taken from multiple Russian military Telegram channels. They appear to show Russian soldiers with Ubiquiti Wi-Fi bridges, sharing guidance on how to install them and asking for donations to acquire more of the equipment.
“We demand that (Ubiquiti) obey US sanctions laws, acknowledge [their product’s] use by the Russian army, and work with Ukraine to stop this use,” Tolokonnikova said.
In early February, Elon Musk’s SpaceX cut off Starlink access in Ukraine except for those on a “white list” approved by the Defence Ministry in Kyiv, dealing a huge blow to the Russian military.
Wi-Fi bridges, like those made by American tech company Ubiquiti, can relay internet connectivity from wherever it exists to frontline positions. That said, they aren’t an entirely viable substitute for Starlink because they don’t provide satellite access and are more vulnerable to disruption.
Pussy Riot occupies headquarters of American tech company Ubiquiti which powers Russian war crimes
Since the disabling of Starlink, Russian soldiers been panicking: “All we’ve got left now are radios, cables and pigeons.” But Ubiquiti’s hardware has emerged as the favorite… pic.twitter.com/AbJPSip1Og
— 𝖕𝖚𝖘𝖘𝖞 𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖙
(@pussyrrriot) March 27, 2026
“But Ubiquiti’s hardware has emerged as the favourite replacement,” Tolokonnikova said. “With countless units now doing fundraisers for these long range bridges – which beam communication up to 15km to the frontline. There are thousands of documented cases of war crimes by the russian army – targeting civilians, killing pows, raping women – civilians and prisoners, mass graves, the list goes on.”
As noted in a recent investigation by Hunterbrook, Ubiquiti has previously claimed it does “not have any visibility” over its distribution network.
Tolokonnikova said that hours after Pussy Riot staged their protest at the Manhattan headquarters, its partner company, Square, deactivated the account the group uses to sell merchandise at their events.
“Going after Russian feminist activists in exile, but not after Russian war criminals. Cringe,” she wrote.
The protest comes months after five members of Pussy Riot were sentenced in absentia to prison in Russia on charges relating to anti-war performances that critiqued the country’s military actions.
Pussy Riot first gained notoriety for their 2012 protest piece, ‘A Punk Prayer’, which was a response to accusations of electoral fraud and rigging in Putin’s re-election. The protest resulted in the imprisonment of members Alyokhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova, though they were released early in light of an amnesty bill passed shortly before Russia hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics.
So, @Ubiquiti responded to our action. A few hours after we showed up at their headquarters in Manhattan, @Square – Ubiquiti’s partner company – deactivated the account we use to sell T-shirts at our gigs.
Going after Russian feminist activists in exile, but not after Russian… pic.twitter.com/xldOU4VYBO
— 𝖕𝖚𝖘𝖘𝖞 𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖙
Since then, members of the collective have staged multiple protests, including a performance at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, a pitch invasion during the 2018 World Cup Finals, and at the Indiana State Capitol, in response to the US Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The same year, Tolokonnikova released the debut Pussy Riot mixtape ‘Matriarchy Now’.
In 2023, the Pussy Riot collective was awarded the Woody Guthrie Prize. Tolokonnikova has also teamed up with various artists over the last few years, including a single with Avenged Sevenfold, a collaboration with Nova Twins, and a whole mixtape executive produced by Tove Lo, which featured guest spots from Salem Ilese, Big Freedia, Hudson Mohawke and iLoveMakonnen.
A scripted television series about Pussy Riot was also announced in 2023 by Nadya Tolokonnikova, who expressed her ambition with the show to “inspire a new generation of rebels”.
The post Pussy Riot stage protest against US tech company Ubiquiti for “powering Russian war crimes” appeared first on NME.
