The prosecution had sought five years and 11 months for Kuvaev. In addition to the prison term, the court barred him from publishing information on the internet for four years.
Kuvaev faced charges under two articles: failure to fulfill the duties of a "foreign agent" (Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code) and online calls for activity against Russia's security (Article 280.4).
The case under the article on calls against Russia's security became known in the fall of 2023. It was based on the 169th episode of the animated series, titled "Idoliada," in which the heroine addresses Russian soldiers with a proposal to surrender as prisoners of war. According to the press service of St. Petersburg courts, the episode was seen as containing "public calls to servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces to surrender as prisoners of war, to desert, and to disobey orders from military commanders," as well as advertising for the "I Want to Live" project.
The "foreign agent" case was opened in the spring of 2026 because Kuvaev three times failed to submit a report to the Justice Ministry. For the first two violations he was fined 30,000 rubles twice. In December 2023, the Justice Ministry declared Kuvaev a "foreign agent."
The court heard testimony from Justice Ministry expert Vladislav Ivanov and two "random internet users" — Nikita Sotnikov and Nikita Grishchenko. According to Mediazona, they watched the episode, were indignant, and decided that it "mocked" the Russian army, which could lead many viewers to "take the Ukrainian side."
Defense lawyer Vladimir Selivanovskikh argued in closing that no one had notified Kuvaev of the investigation and the court proceedings, meaning his right to a defense was violated. According to him, the prosecution presented no evidence, only the opinions of witnesses.
Oleg Kuvaev has lived in Israel since 2006. With the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he released several anti-war episodes of "Masyanya."