"Because we were unable to verify the deal from both ends, we have to inform our readers that TorrentReactor is known to carry out pranks and ludicrous actions."
Does the town still has to abide by russian copyright laws or not... if they still apply, then it won't be a safe haven for torrentors (;))
Even then russia is kind of a joke when it comes to copyright.
They're well aware of this. Read the article, it says it's either for PR or as a humanitarian move, rather than anything political.
It would be interesting if somebody buy a town,fly in all the tech junks, get a bunch of hackers and then tell them to invent stuff out of the junks. It would be an interesting and educational reality TV show.
I cannot really think of a more insane move that would be currently possible.