IC3PEAK on the war

On April 22, 2022, they announced a new album titled "Kiss Of Death", stating:

As long as the war goes on, we will donate a portion of streaming proceeds to aid Ukraine.

In July 2022, IC3PEAK was placed on an unofficial blacklist of artists banned in Russia, and the Prosecutor General's Office blocked their community page on «VKontakte». To which the musicians responded:

Our VK is blocked in Russia, and our concerts are banned following our anti-war statements. We dedicate this video (Kiss of Death) to the Russian police state, which is vainly trying to silence us all while the war in Ukraine continues and the Ukrainian people continue to suffer.

What Anastasia Kreslina Says About the War: Quotes

I feel horrible about what the Russian state is doing. I hate it for that — and I speak about it openly. I feel guilt for not having done enough. Just me, as an individual unit.

There was never any question about whether to speak out or not. It was obvious to me that we would speak about it... It was immediately clear to me that I would leave Russia. Having all our prior experience, being immersed in the agenda, knowing what was happening, and observing my close circle of people, I understood the repercussions.

The fall of the regime is a good option. The death of Vladimir Putin too. Although the death of one person is unlikely to change anything fundamentally. After all, one way or another [power in Russia] is an entire system.

What Nikolay Kostylev Says About the War: Quotes

(How did you learn about the war?) «I remember that my hands were simply trembling all day. I remember walking to the grocery store for food and how my hands were shaking. Afterwards there were many different stages of acceptance and denial. There was even a sort of resentment: 'I didn't do anything, I'm good.' Then a completely useless, painful sense of guilt appeared, which has now turned into a sense of responsibility: I want to help and I help however I can.

It seems to me that you cannot cancel an entire culture and nation, so the word 'canceling' doesn't fit here. As I see it, this is an economic blow against Putin's regime and simultaneously an unequivocal signal to other Putins of the world. Whether it works or not, we will find out in time.

Until Nastya left Russia, we didn't speak out either. Because it was dangerous. It's completely realistic to get slapped with criminal charges and not make it out in time. That's terrifying. And even outside Russia that repressive horror haunts you — it remains a huge part of your life anyway. I still think about what to post, even though I am no longer in Russia. It seems to me that this will never end. Therefore, I cannot condemn those who do not speak about the war openly. I support even the slightest hints. It just so happened that I can speak freely about it, while they cannot. But there is humor, there is art, there are ambiguous remarks, poetry, street art. There are so many diverse avenues for expression.