But Masha and her father, Alexei Moskalev, who is missing after escaping house arrest just hours before being sentenced to two years in prison for his anti-war social media posts, have suffered a harsher fate than most.
A formal criminal investigation turned up Moskalev’s social media posting in support of Ukraine and lampooning Russian President Vladimir Putin, resulting in charges of discrediting the country’s armed forces and a fine of 32,000 Rubles . On Dec. 30, as Russians prepared to mark New Year’s Eve, Moskalev’s apartment was raided by a platoon made up of police, firefighters and FSB investigators armed with a saw — to breach the door —and a search warrant.
He was arrested in early January, reportedly after fleeing his home for a different town about 100 kilometres away. Then again in March, when he was formally charged with repeatedly discrediting the Russian Armed Forces — a more serious charge that comes with a jail term.