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“Belgorod People’s Republic” Ukrainian internet meme declared a terrorist organization by Russia
A fictitious “movement” known as the “Belgorod People’s Republic” (“BPR,” or “Belgorodskaya Narodnaya Respublika” / “BNR”) has been classified as a terrorist organization, according to a report by the Telegram channel Fonar.
The BPR was added to Russia’s list of terrorist organizations as a structural unit of the “Forum of Free States of Post-Russia.” Fonar (lit. “Flashlight”) added that Russia’s Supreme Court issued this decision back in November 2024, and that it came into effect in late December.
The Belgorod People’s Republic originated as a Ukrainian internet meme, and social media users jokingly suggested the annexation of Russia's Belgorod Region by Ukraine. The name was coined as a reference to the Russian-annexed “Luhansk People’s Republic” (LPR) and “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR). The non-existent BPR even has its own page on the Ukrainian version of Wikipedia — as well as a fictional flag. Details about the non-existent BPR's organizational structure and foreign policy remain unknown.
The “BPR” (“BNR”) abbreviation has been used both by Ukrainian military personnel and anti-war activists within Russia. In the summer of 2024, Ukrainian forces began using drones to distribute propaganda leaflets in border areas. The leaflets encouraged locals to paint “BNR” on their rooftops to protect their homes from drone strikes. A group of activists calling themselves the “Partisans of the Belgorod People’s Republic” also distributed flyers in the region, providing information about the number of Russian soldiers killed in the war.