YouTuber arrested after delivering Diet Coke to 'world's most isolated tribe' releases shocking unseen footage

The bizarre story of Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov is back in the news, with some only just learning about his illegal trip to North Sentinel Island.

There are numerous places around the globe that we'll never be allowed to visit, extending from the likes of the Ilha da Queimada Grande (Snake Island) and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to the Church of St. Mary of Zion.

One of the most infamous outlawed locales is North Sentinel Island, with the uncontactable Sentinelese people remaining a secretive population who have a pretty violent history of coming into contact with the outside world.

Despite the dangers to himself and the Sentinelese, Polyakov decided to illegally journey to North Sentinel Island in March 2025.

Although he was quickly arrested by Indian authorities in Port Blair when local fishermen spotted him returning.

Landing on March 29, it's believed that Polyakov failed to make contact with the Sentinelese, although he left a can of Diet Coke, took samples of sand, and filmed the experience on his GoPro

Posting footage on his Neo-Orientalist YouTube channel, Polyakov was condemned globally and faced a hefty prison sentence.

Over on Twitter, it seems some people are only just learning about his story, let alone that you can follow his expedition over on YouTube.

In the end, Polyakov pleaded guilty during a December 2025 trial and was issued a sentence of 25 days of imprisonment alongside a fine of ₹15,000.

That works out at just $157.

Because Polyakov had already spent 24 days in custody following his arrest, the court counted it as time served. He remained incarcerated for one more day, paid the fine, and was deported back to the USA.

Before his electronics were returned, he had to destroy the recordings, although his exploration of the island remains online. There's a three-part video exploring his adventure, with the third part largely outlining his subsequent arrest and the charges brought against him, but was it worth it?

Having only amassed 10,000 followers on his Neo-Orientalist channel, the combined totals on Polyakov's three videos are only 156,000, meaning he's not exactly at MrBeast levels of fame here.

More than the videos failing to give Polyakov the viral fame we assume he was seeking, there's also been a notable backlash against him.

There's apparently a North Sentinel Island subreddit, with people on there often slamming him.

Replying to his 'Part 3' video on YouTube, one critic complained: "Well that was a waste of time. You served jail time just to go to an empty beach and litter a diet coke lol."

Another chimed in saying: "And the award for ‘most self-centered man ever’ goes to... The level of negligence is unfathomable. Disturbing people who have lived that way for thousands of years, putting them at risk of illness and death for nothing more than your own benefit, is reprehensible. He should have been locked up for a very long time."

Others were more divided, as another added: "As unethical as this is, you can't deny its value."

There was even support, as a fourth concluded: "Thank you for giving us a slightly better understanding of the situation! You did something extremely extremely hard to plan and achieve. A lot of us appreciate it."

Although Polyakov having a history of visiting unusual and sometimes dangerous places, we hope he's learned this lesson from this ordeal.