Anastasia Luchkina

Some Lesser Known Facts About Anastasia Luchkina

• On 22 June 2025, she participated in the International Professional Boxing Championships under the King of the Himalayan Ring boxing event, which was organised in Shimla, India.

  

• In July 2025, Anastasia Luchkina came into the limelight when she was seen in a video giving a vape to an orangutan named Dana at a zoo in Crimea.

• She filmed and shared the video on social media herself.

• The video showed her smoking and then passing the vape to the orangutan, who copied her and inhaled the smoke.

• The video caused public anger and criticism from various animal rights groups, officials, and social media users.

• After the video went viral, Russian media reported that the incident could damage Anastasia Luchkina’s sports career.

• The Russian Boxing Federation stated in the media that it would review Anastasia’s behaviour through its ethics committee.

• Russian Boxing Federation President Umar Kremlev stated in the media that her actions were wrong and went against the values of boxing and sports.

• Soon, Anastasia Luchkina was officially removed from the Boets boxing club in Pyatigorsk. The decision was made by her coach and club director, Vladimir Akatov. He said,

  This is serious! She embarrassed herself in front of the whole country. She’s 24 and still doesn’t understand what she’s doing.”

  Vladimir Akatov added that her removal order had already been signed, and he was not aware that Anastasia smoked. He said,

  I didn’t know Anastasia smoked. She’s currently on vacation. We will definitely discuss this matter when she returns.”

• After criticism, Anastasia Luchkina posted an apology video on social media in which she said that she could not imagine life without boxing.

  

• She claimed that she was not the only one giving the orangutan a vape and said she filmed it to get attention.

• Later, she denied the video’s authenticity and gave changing statements, even blaming artificial intelligence. She then made her social media accounts private.

• Zoo vet Vasily Piskovoy said that Dana, the orangutan, was sick. She was not eating, was very weak, and lay down all day. There was a concern that Dana might swallow part of the vape, which could cause serious internal harm.

• Many tests were conducted to check for plastic in her system.

• The zoo warned that Dana might have swallowed a cartridge with 3 ml of nicotine.

• Dana is the only orangutan of her kind in Crimea and has lived at the park since 2018.

• Dana is listed as an endangered species by the IUCN Red List.

• After receiving medical care, Dana’s condition showed small signs of improvement.