Russian Official Resigns Over Son’s Viral Bali Vacation Video

A high-ranking official in Russia’s Ural Mountains region of Perm was forced to resign after a video filmed by his son at a resort in Bali sparked public backlash.

Alexei Dyomkin, the Perm region government's deputy chairman, announced his resignation on Thursday, just days after his son Ilya posted a video in which he boasted about his worry-free life on the tropical Indonesian island.

“Some ask me, ‘Ilya, will you ever come back to Perm?’” Ilya Dyomkin said in the since-deleted Instagram Reel.

“Guys, this is what my Saturday morning looks like. Why the hell would I want to be in Perm?” he added as he switched the camera around to show Bali’s lush green landscapes.

“I admit to being responsible for my son’s statement. That’s why I consider it correct to resign on my own will,” the Kommersant business daily cited Alexei Dyomkin as saying.

“I thank my colleagues from the government for the valuable experience of working together,” the official added.

Last month, local investigative news outlet Perm 36.6 reported that Ilya Dyomkin was vacationing in Peru, where he posted photos from Machu Picchu.

Children and close relatives of top Russian officials have frequently been spotted vacationing abroad, including in NATO and EU member states, during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine despite the introduction of targeted Western sanctions.

Several regional officials and their family members have also found themselves in hot water over sharing snapshots from their trips on public social media pages since the start of the war.