Pussy Riot Protests Ubiquiti, Alleging Tech Aids Russian Military in Ukraine
The feminist collective Pussy Riot staged a protest at Ubiquiti's Manhattan HQ, accusing the tech company of 'powering Russian war crimes' through its equipment's alleged use by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Pussy Riot, the renowned Russian feminist art collective, has taken their activism to the streets of Manhattan, staging a protest outside the headquarters of tech company Ubiquiti. The group accuses Ubiquiti of indirectly supporting Russian military actions in Ukraine through the use of its Wi-Fi bridge technology by Russian soldiers.
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.
Tolokonnikova stated, “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.”
The protest follows earlier reports of SpaceX limiting Starlink access in Ukraine, except for whitelisted users approved by Kyiv's Defence Ministry. Ubiquiti's Wi-Fi bridges, while not a direct substitute for satellite internet like Starlink, can extend internet connectivity to frontline positions but are more susceptible 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
Tolokonnikova highlighted the widespread use of Ubiquiti's hardware by Russian forces, stating, “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.”
A recent investigation by Hunterbrook has noted Ubiquiti's claim of having “not have any visibility” over its distribution network.
Tolokonnikova also reported that Square, a partner company of Ubiquiti, deactivated Pussy Riot's account used for selling merchandise after the protest.
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💦 (@pussyrrriot) March 28, 2026
This protest follows a history of activism for Pussy Riot, who gained international attention for their 2012 protest piece, ‘A Punk Prayer.’
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”.
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