[note 1] Golunov's arrest has attracted much attention from the Russian internet and social media community and has spurred criticism of abuse of power by the police.

[17] Other investigations included 'A roughly painted, cheap fake', about a controversial multi-billion rouble restoration of the Stone Flower Fountain, and 'Musicians remain silent and afraid', concerning the exchange of state assets and links to presidential agencies.

[22] Those publicly speaking in defense of Golunov included Alexey Navalny,[23] Vladimir Posner,[24] Yuri Shevchuk,[25] Zemfira,[26] Alexey Venediktov,[27] Victor Matizen,[28] Victor Shenderovich,[29] Anna Narinskaya,[29] Ksenia Sobchak,[30] Boris Grebenshchikov,[31] Dmitry Muratov,[27] Andrey Zvyagintsev,[32] Leonid Parfyonov,[33] Grigory Yavlinsky,[34] Oxxxymiron,[35] and a number of other journalists, artists, and public figures.

[note 2][38] In a press release about the arrest of Golunov and a search of his apartment, the police published a series of photos, eight of which showed a drug lab.

[41] On 11 June 2019, the non-profit Anti-Corruption Foundation published an investigation that linked alleged masterminds behind Golunov's persecution to officials in the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), including its Moscow office chief.

Hundreds of people were detained, including political activist Alexei Navalny and a member of staff from the German magazine Der Spiegel, as well as many Russian journalists.

Meduza outlet where Golunov is working expressed skepticism over the officer's sentence: it believes that justice didn't reach those who have originally masterminded the crime.

[50] In July 2023, Golunov said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had paid him 1.5 million rubles in damages following a ruling by the Moscow City Court in December 2022.