The artist Nesterenko stated that he did not paint the "Defenders of New Russia" with Pskov and Poklonskaya. According to him, the painting depicts "real defenders of Donbas". The canvas of Vassily Nesterenko was presented as part of the exhibition "Christian Tradition. Our days" in the manga. The president also viewed the exhibition the day before. Kommersant's special correspondent, Andrei Kolesnikov, who visited the same place, noted that "the pictures of the fighters were copied, I look closely, who do you think they are from? Adviser to the Attorney General and later Ambassador Natalya Poklonskaya as a nurse, Dmitry Peskov as an infantryman. Nestorenko himself, the author of the mosaic with Putin, Shoigu and Stalin for the Temple of the Armed Forces, told the publication "Laal" that such assumptions are "a result of the viewer's imagination" and urged "not to look for scandalous details". "My painting "Defenders of Novorossia" depicts the real defenders of Donbass: militias, sisters, a priest. Against the background of the ruins of Severodonytsk. If the characters in the film remind someone of politicians or media figures, then this is a result of the viewer's imagination. We must look at the picture, at the painting, try to understand the plot, see the real details of the war, and not look for scandalous details, especially where there are none." In an interview published in October, Nesterenko said that the character of the girl in the painting was created "based on two real characters": "I saw many young women who take part in SVO. I mean, women in this war are typical. Here are two women united by me." The artist did not specify who exactly is related. The artistic council decided not to place Nestorenko's mosaic dedicated to the annexation of Crimea in 2014, which depicted Putin, Shoigu and Stalin, in the Church of the Russian Armed Forces after the president's response: "One day grateful descendants will appreciate our merits, but now it is too early to do that."

The artist Nesterenko stated that he did not paint the "Defenders of New Russia" with Pskov and Poklonskaya. According to him, the painting depicts "real defenders of Donbas". The canvas of Vassily Nesterenko was presented as part of the exhibition "Christian Tradition. Our days" in the manga. The president also viewed the exhibition the day before. Kommersant's special correspondent, Andrei Kolesnikov, who visited the same place, noted that "the pictures of the fighters were copied, I look closely, who do you think they are from? Adviser to the Attorney General and later Ambassador Natalya Poklonskaya as a nurse, Dmitry Peskov as an infantryman. Nestorenko himself, the author of the mosaic with Putin, Shoigu and Stalin for the Temple of the Armed Forces, told the publication "Laal" that such assumptions are "a result of the viewer's imagination" and urged "not to look for scandalous details". "My painting "Defenders of Novorossia" depicts the real defenders of Donbass: militias, sisters, a priest. Against the background of the ruins of Severodonytsk. If the characters in the film remind someone of politicians or media figures, then this is a result of the viewer's imagination. We must look at the picture, at the painting, try to understand the plot, see the real details of the war, and not look for scandalous details, especially where there are none." In an interview published in October, Nesterenko said that the character of the girl in the painting was created "based on two real characters": "I saw many young women who take part in SVO. I mean, women in this war are typical. Here are two women united by me." The artist did not specify who exactly is related. The artistic council decided not to place Nestorenko's mosaic dedicated to the annexation of Crimea in 2014, which depicted Putin, Shoigu and Stalin, in the Church of the Russian Armed Forces after the president's response: "One day grateful descendants will appreciate our merits, but now it is too early to do that."