Russia’s punk protest group Pussy Riot were whipped by militia after trying to perform in Sochi.

Footage shows five women and one man – wearing signature ski masks and brightly-coloured clothing – being attacked by a group of Cossacks – effectively an auxiliary police force – and other security officials.

One militiaman appeared to use peppery spray, another whipped the singers, while others ripped off their masks and threw a guitar in the bin.

No arrests were made following the incident (Picture: AP)

During the three-minute incident, which took place under a sign advertising the Winter Olympics, group member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was struck with a whip as she lay on the ground.




Police later arrived on the scene but no arrests were made.

Pussy Riot, a performance-art collective involving a loose membership of feminists who edit their actions into music videos, have become an international flash-point for those who contend Vladimir Putin’s government has exceeded its authority, particularly restricting human and gay rights.

Six members of the group attempted to stage the protest (Picture: AP)

The group gained international attention in 2012 after barging into Moscow’s main cathedral and performing a ‘punk prayer’ in which they entreated the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Mr Putin, who was on the verge of returning to the Russian presidency for a third term.

Two members of the group, Ms Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, were sentenced to two years in prison, but were released in December under an amnesty bill seen as a Kremlin effort to assuage critics before the Olympics.

On Tuesday, two members of the group were briefly detained in Sochi, but not arrested.