Counter-Strike streamers banned on Twitch after running ads for Russia’s “Kamikaze Drone” factory

Several high-profile Russian streamers have been hit with Twitch bans after co-streaming a sponsored Counter-Strike (CS) event, which hosted banners promoting the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The trigger was a promotion of the sanctioned Russian industrial zone, Alabuga Polytech, which is tied to drone warfare used in the war against Ukraine.

Strikingly, the streams had included banner ads recruiting viewers to “work and study” at the facility. And Alabuga is notorious for roping in underage workers in exploitative conditions, on occasion working grueling 15-hour shifts.

The site builds Iranian-designed drone-bombers by the Shahed manufacturer, known as “kamikazes.”

The streamers banned for hosting these ads include Egor "flamie" Vasilyev and Mikhail "Dosia" Stolyarov, both Russian citizens, with “flamie” having spent over six years playing for the major Ukrainian Counter-Strike team NAVI from 2015 to 2021.

“Flamie’s” donning of the banner on his Twitch stream represents more than just a slap in the face, more so a traitorous move, as he harbored his support for Russian drone warfare.

A vociferous reaction

As one would anticipate, the reaction on X felt like a digital battlefield itself. The most read comment came from a Russian-based account, which claimed the ban was akin to “Russophobia,” adding “they don't ban Ukrainians collecting money for their militants and openly supporting the illegitimate Zelensky regime.”

Meanwhile, others expressed support for the ban, including Estonian gamer Eva Raud, who called out the “violation of international sanctions” on show for Twitch hosting Russian influencers.

Twitch has also banned the user lagoda1337, who has been promoting “Alabuga” over the past few months but currently has no active links or banners

I am HAPPY to see such a clear response to this violation of international sanctions, it gives me hope that the situation can change pic.twitter.com/0rGAMujGfs

undefined Eva Raud 🇪🇪 (@ImEvaRaud) April 26, 2026

And Ukrainian CS fan @Denten even included a list of those banned:

everyone who streamed this tournament got banned on twitch!

thanks to everyone who contributed with their reports https://t.co/N2RcUJvOUm pic.twitter.com/gmYiGUqXFv

undefined denten (@denten_mine) April 25, 2026

The war influencer economy

Pro-war influencers are rife across platforms such as Telegram, especially after Russia took down platforms like Facebook and Instagram since its invasion started in February 2022.

They often go by the nickname “Z-bloggers” and often mix sponsored propaganda posts with battlefield footage and disinformation.

The attention, often amassing hundreds of thousands, or even millions, creates its own economy for content creators such as Semyon Pegov, aka WarGonzo, who can bring in approximately $2,000 per post, the BBC reported.

Russia has also assembled its own “hacktivist” armies, with the goal of attacking Ukrainian (and other European) digital infrastructure.

Then there are popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which have been known to regurgitate pro-Kremlin propaganda, especially when faced with malicious queries.