Piotr Ivanov, a journalist who works for the independent media outlet SOTA was physically attacked by two unidentified men near his apartment in the north-western part of St. Petersburg. He required medical treatment for a broken nose and multiple facial contusions. The two men had been waiting by the entrance to Ivanov’s apartment building to ambush him when he came home. They beat with their fists and kicked him on the ground. Prior to fleeing the scene, the two aggressors reportedly took a photo of Ivanov and asked him if he will “cause more trouble.” According to neighbours of the journalist, for two days prior to the attack three individuals dressed in camouflage and balaclava masks were observed at the entrance of his apartment block between 6pm to 10pm. The attack was believed to have been linked to his journalistic activities. On May 31, the police opened a criminal case under part 2 of Article 115 of the criminal code for intentional harm to health induced by hooliganism.
UPDATE: On 26 May 2023, Russian authorities suspended the investigation into the beating of Pyotr Ivanov without formulating any accusations, reported Russian independent media SOTA based on a letter sent to Ivanov by a district police precinct in St. Petersburg. In the letter, police representatives claimed they were “unable to determine the individual” accused of beating Ivanov, despite an earlier SOTA investigation which identified a pro-government group as possible organizers of the attack.