A group of former Russian paratroopers have armed themselves with musical instruments and a catchy tune to vent their anger at Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Brawny, tatted and boasting medals on their skin-tight, striped muscle-tees, they look like the kind of guys you wouldn’t want to stumble across in a dark alley. But with more than half a million hits on their homemade music video, they’ve become YouTube’s latest sensation.

To a non-Russian speaker, the song resembles a standard pop-rock ballad accompanied by the periodic riffs and wails of an electric guitar. Yet the song’s success lies more in its lyrics than its musical merit. With searing lines such as “President for eight years, once again candidate, look straight into our eyes and give up your mandate!” and “Tyrant, leave”, the song plays like a protest anthem at a time when Putin's approval ratings have plummeted as he seeks a third term as president in the country’s March 4 elections.