Dr. Ian Garner Profile picture
Mar 8, 2022 6 tweets 3 min read Read on X
Quick thread: The big Russian Z campaign is still flopping. These poor local government employees have been voluntold into this photo op, one of the top hits on Insta. They don’t look elated to be there.
Here are the top #за (#za) hashtags on Instagram, which is still being widely used despite last week’s official block. None of the tags relate to the campaign.
Here are the top 30 or so #za posts. Just 2 have anything to do with the campaign, and 1 of those looks suspiciously full of bot replies.
One of the big tags being pushed, #зароссию (For Russia) has barely 80,000 posts.
Even Russians who are using the Za hashtags aren’t going in for the imagery. They’re adorning themselves with flags and national colours.
So, as I said yesterday, the Z campaign is really not taking off. And it’s not going to, no matter how much the government pushes it.

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More from @irgarner

Feb 24
“I never thought that this could happen to me. I want to shout at the whole world.”

Four years ago today, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four years of brutal, constant sexual violence.

Below is a selection of witness testimonies. Image
“He aimed his machine gun at me, ripped off my shirt and underwear and took me outside. He hit me with his weapon… I fell to my knees.”
"When he started raping her, she was 12 years old."
Read 11 tweets
Aug 5, 2025
After 3 years of violent war against Ukraine and 25 years of increasing authoritarianism, it's time to finally ask:

Is Russia fascist? ⬇️ Image
@TarasKuzio and I have spent the last 18 months on this project. We are certain that Russia embodies a new form of 21st century fascism. cup.columbia.edu/book/russia-an…
Russia’s war on Ukraine isn’t just imperial nostalgia or power politics. It’s the central point of a campaign of national rebirth and purification through violence: in a nutshell, destroy the other to "cleanse" the nation.
Read 8 tweets
Jul 22, 2025
Putin is installing spy software on every new device sold in Russia. This is a huge step toward the Kremlin’s technofascist ambitions of control and coercion. thetimes.com/world/russia-u…
The Kremlin has long struggled to actually surveil the population in a systematic way. Too incompetent, bungling, and corrupt to do it. But now they’re getting their act together.
The new surveillance regime, enabled by technology, will be far more insidious than anything in the 20th century totalitarian era. No more closed doors or kitchen table talk. No need for informants. The state really will always be listening.
Read 8 tweets
Jun 7, 2025
🧵NEW research: How is the Russian state turning young people into patriots via Telegram? Spoiler: It’s not just about war—it’s about influencers.

We analyzed hundreds of posts by two state youth leaders. What we found is disturbing.👇 Image
Image
Meet the influencers, who both head large paramilitary youth groups in Russia:
- Olympic gymnast Nikita Nagornyy
- Duma deputy Olga Zanko
In 2022, they started to post like lifestyle bloggers—but their job is to sell war, sacrifice & nationalism.

🔗doi.org/10.1525/cpcs.2…
Forget bots. These youth leaders use memes, emojis, selfies, even workout tips to normalize patriotism as fun. But beneath the surface, they only promote civic sacrifice, military values, and obedience to the state.
Read 10 tweets
Mar 4, 2025
🧵 Another bizarre piece from Simon Jenkins in the Guardian. This time, he lays into the idea that Russia is any threat at all to Western Europe then, bizarrely, implies that Putin has had no hand in choosing his aggressive path. Let’s take it apart.

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
First, Jenkins brings up “Godwin’s Law,” which is, frankly, a terrible argument. It’s a gambit used to lazily dismiss serious arguments about the nature of the past or dictatorships (see also: anyone who says fascism cannot exist today). Image
Jenkins then brings up two disastrously weak and ill-informed claims in one line, which is good going even by his standards:
Read 17 tweets
Feb 25, 2025
Here's what a Russian attack on the UK looks like:
- Cyber attacks target healthcare, banking, energy. They look like they come from criminal gangs, not the Kremlin.
- Moscow funnels money to criminals in the UK to commit arson, larceny, and violence.
- Now the nasty bit...
- ...UK is in low-level chaos. Government not sure if/how to respond.
- A series of bombs go off in UK cities, killing dozens.
- Russia buzzes UK air and naval space with planes and boats. Is this enough for the UK to act?
- London does not confront Russia.
- More bombs go off in cities.
- The country is worried & the economy is tanking. The energy grid is buckling. Banks are beginning to creak.
- A bomb on a UK commercial airplane explodes, killing every passenger on board.
Read 6 tweets

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