Russian platform VK Video pulls the plug on antiwar party Yabloko’s fundraising livestream mid-broadcast

Russian social media platform VK Video abruptly halted the live fundraising stream of the antiwar party Yabloko during its broadcast. The stream, hosted by Yabloko's chairman Nikolai Rybakov, was suspended after one hour and 51 minutes. The reason for the interruption is currently unknown. Yabloko promptly resumed streaming on YouTube, with the stream's description emphasizing the primary goal of raising funds for the party's election campaign.

During the original broadcast, Rybakov fielded viewer questions and discussed the campaign's progress and Yabloko's ongoing efforts to participate in the elections. At the time the stream was cut, a donation counter indicated that Yabloko had raised approximately 542,000 rubles, slightly below their target of 2 million rubles. However, party officials claimed the actual total surpassed 600,000 rubles.

Following the interruption, Yabloko's candidate lists were barred from ballots in four regions due to lawsuits from other parties. Additionally, election commissions in two more regions, including St. Petersburg, declined to register the party's federal list. This development came after Russia's Supreme Court invalidated the party's federal list on August 10, following a lawsuit by the Rodina party claiming copyright infringement in campaign materials and alleging unauthorized donations from individuals who had previously received transfers from abroad.

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