Putin Ally Links 'Almost-Naked' Party to Attack on Russian Warship

Vladimir Solovyov, a prominent Kremlin propagandist and staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fumed over the Ukrainian attack on a Russian warship and linked the incident to a recent celebrity-filled party in Moscow.

During the early hours of Tuesday, Mykola Oleschuk, who heads Ukraine's air force, shared a video on Telegram that reportedly showed the Novocherkassk warship exploding while it sat at a base in Crimea. The Kremlin later confirmed the vessel was attacked, though it downplayed the incident, saying it was only damaged while Kyiv and other sources reported the ship was destroyed.

Solovyov began his Tuesday radio program by expressing his anger over the strike on the Novocherkassk in the Feodosia port of Crimea, which he called "expected" because the "enemy" has not recently conducted such a strike. The propagandist very soon shifted part of the blame for the attack on those who participated in a controversial "almost-naked" party.

Last week, well-known blogger and TV presenter Nastya Ivleeva organized a party at a Moscow club that featured a dress code of "almost naked." Photographs and videos posted online of the celebrity-filled event triggered outrage in Russia, and officials requested investigations into reports of debauchery and supposed infractions of the country's LGBTQ+ "propaganda" law that reportedly took place at the club.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday night via email for comment.

Many of the famous party guests have since released public apologies for attending, including Ksenia Sobchak, a television personality who is not only rumored to be the goddaughter of Putin but also mounted an unsuccessful presidential campaign against him in 2018.

Julia Davis, founder of Russian Media Monitor, shared a translated clip of Solovyov's Tuesday broadcast to her YouTube channel.

"What has this attack uncovered? Among other things, it uncovered the presence of those waiting [for the Ukrainians] on the home front and our inability to work with them," Solovyov said, according to Davis' translation. "This attack uncovered the presence of an absolute enemy, Sobchak, and the absolute unwillingness to work with her channel."

He continued: "Understand, these things are totally connected! Look, a naked party takes place. What was that all about? None of the babbling people said one word about the war."

Solovyov angrily added that none of the party guests were arrested, as well as criticized female attendees for wearing revealing attire.

"And nearby are the frontlines, our guys are perishing. They see everything differently," he said, per Davis. "They see it all as signals to the West. 'Look, we're here! We, the Fifth Column, have triumphed! We're in the heart of Moscow!'"

Solovyov then suggested the entertainers would soon be featured on New Year's Eve television programming rather than be punished.

"The government is helpless! What can we legally do? Nothing!" he said.

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