November 12 2026 MANHATTAN, New York - Empire State Building climber Ivan Kuznetsov "will almost certainly be sent to fight in the war in Ukraine" if he's deported to Russia, his lawyer says. He and Angela Nikolau accepted a misdemeanor plea from the Manhattan DA. Last night the DA's office pulled it and said it will go after felony charges instead, putting them under threat of deportation. Their lawyer called it "a bait and switch" and said Nikolau may be jailed in Russia for her artistic expression. "We didn't damage any property at the Empire State Building," Kuznetsov said. Video: Jonathan Fernandes [email protected] to license