Post

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
Click again on or Share Via icon
Click on Copy Link to Tweet
Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
More info at Twitter Help

Pekka Kallioniemi

@P_Kallioniemi

Oct 10, 2022 • 11 tweets • 5 min read • Read on X

Scrolly

@ReaverTeknoGods

In today's Finnish #vatnik's, I'll introduce you to a podcast called LEVELI. The main hosts of the show are two gentlemen: Nico Giansanti (.@ReaverTeknoGods) and Milad Dehghan.

Embrace yourselves, 'tis is a rather long one. 🧵1/11

@mikko

LEVELI podcast was started on April in 2020. At the beginning, the show was hosting guests that ranged from minor celebrities to actual well-known celebs (e.g. Mikko Hyppönen (.@mikko) and even the Finland's biggest OSINT star, .@emilkastehelmi) in the Finnish media sphere. 2/11

From the beginning, LEVELI was very anti-establishment and countercultural with conspiracies, mysticism and numerology thrown in the mix. They also covered more lighthearted topics such as social media drama and e-celebs. 3/11

In 2021,both Nico and Milad decided to run in the 🇫🇮 municipal elections. They chose their party, True Finns, based on an online poll conducted during one of their podcasts. Milad was elected to Vantaa city council and Nico earned the seat of deputy city council in Helsinki. 4/11

@ArtoLuukkanen

They were eventually sacked from True Finns for criticising the party leadership. Party secretary Arto Luukkanen (.@ArtoLuukkanen) commented that "Anyone can look at their podcast and figure out the reason for this [the sacking]". 5/11

@TurtiainenAno

After this, the duo joined Ano Turtiainen's (.@TurtiainenAno) VKK party ("Power to the people"). This group is by far the most Russian leaning party in Finland, and their sole MP Ano has constantly stated the sanctions against Russia should be lifted. 6/11

LEVELI is divided into different segments. In one of them, they go through and discuss different news and counterculture news. Another key segment is the part where they ridicule people who they disagree with, for example politicians and journalists. 7/11

@niinisto

In one show they fried Finnish president Sauli Niinistö (.@niinisto) in an electric chair. In another one Milad praises 🇷🇺's mobilization celebrations.After 🇷🇺 attacked Ukraine in Feb 2021,their podcast has dedicated large segments to spreading Russian disinfo and propaganda.8/11

Generally their reporting and discussion is extremely biased,and they often make assumptions based on conspiracies, numerology and other pseudoscientific bs. Topics vary from COVID-19 conspiracies, alleged corruption in Finland/West, WEF/Great Reset, anti-NATO narratives,etc.9/11

LEVELI has been looking for various monetization channels throughout the years. Probably most of their income comes from individual benefactors on their stream, but they also have a subscription model with private channels, etc. 10/11

They also sell some merch through their website (including #jauhojengi shirts). Both Milad and Nico are also doing music and trying to start several sub-projects such as MMA and travel shows. 11/11

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

More from @P_Kallioniemi

Pekka Kallioniemi

@P_Kallioniemi

Jul 6

In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’m going to talk about… Vatnik Soup! As some of you know, we also have a website where you can find every soup ever published. The site also has other useful resources, making it the most comprehensive resource on Russian disinformation & vatniks.

1/15

Unfortunately, Elon has flagged the website as malware, as he might not be very happy about the soups I wrote about him - so far, they have garnered over 60 million views on X/Twitter.

The “freedom of speech” spokesperson doesn’t seem too keen on free speech, after all.

2/15

The heart & soul of the website is of course the soups page. There you can find all 360+ soups, which can be sorted chronologically, by popularity, etc. You can also search for soups by title or even in the soup text:

3/15

vatniksoup.com/en/soups/

Read 15 tweets

Pekka Kallioniemi

@P_Kallioniemi

Jul 1

In today’s Wumao Soup, I’ll introduce how and where the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) online propaganda and influence operations work. Due to China’s massive population and advances in AI, CCP-aligned online content has become increasingly visible.

1/20

Like Russia’s troll farms, China has its own troll army: the “50 Cent Party” or “Wumao” refers to state-linked online commentators who are reportedly paid ¥0.50 per post to steer discussions away from criticism and amplify CCP narratives on social media.

2/20

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1654061488040992774

Back in 2017, a research paper estimated that the Wumao produced almost 500 million fabricated comments annually to distract readers and shift topics. In that sense, Wumao operates very similarly to the Russian “Firehose of Falsehood” model:

3/20

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1654061488040992774

Read 21 tweets

Pekka Kallioniemi

@P_Kallioniemi

Jun 26

In today’s Vatnik Soup and the “Degenerate Russia” series, I’ll show you the brutal reality of Russian war crimes, in particular the horrific tortures and sexual abuses of children, women and men.

Buckle up, this one is not for the faint-hearted.

1/24

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1901967581038186716

For over a decade now and as part of their “firehose of falsehood” propaganda strategy, Russia has been spreading false narratives targeted at right-wing/conservative audiences, portraying russia as a bastion of Christian, traditional,family values.

2/24

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1901967581038186716

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1902351629258547584

In the previous “degenerate Russia” series we discussed Russia’s insanely high divorce rates, rampant domestic violence, high murder rates, thriving neo-Nazi culture, corruption of the Orthodox Church, and their massive demographic problem:

3/24

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1902351629258547584

Read 26 tweets

Pekka Kallioniemi

@P_Kallioniemi

Jun 24

In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll explore how Russia is working with Iran, and how the recent Israel–US strikes on Iran could affect the war in Ukraine. Iran has been one of Russia’s key allies in their genocidal war, but in reality the partnership is deeply one-sided.

1/21

Historically, Russia/USSR has been involved in numerous wars in the Middle East, invading Afghanistan for nearly a decade and desperately trying to keep Syria’s authoritarian leader, al-Assad, in power before his eventual downfall.

2/21

While initially supportive of Israel, the Soviet Union quickly pivoted to backing its enemies, fueling antisemitism, terrorism, and chaos in an already tense region. At times, this meant near-open war, like when Soviet Air Force MiG-21s were shot down by Israel over Egypt.

3/21

Read 22 tweets

Pekka Kallioniemi

@P_Kallioniemi

Jun 20

In today’s Vatnik Soup REBREW, I’ll re-introduce a Latvian politician and former MEP, Tatjana Ždanoka. She’s best-known for her history in the Communist Party of Latvia, for her pro-Russian politics in the country, and her connections to Russian intelligence.

1/22

Based on Ždanoka’s speeches and social media posts, she has a deep hatred towards the people of Latvia. The reason for this can only be speculated, but part of it could be due to her paternal family being killed by the Latvian Auxiliary Police,…

2/22

…a paramilitary force supported by the Nazis, during the early 1940s. Ždanoka became politically active in the late 80s. She was one of the leaders of Interfront, a political party that supported Latvia remaining part of the USSR.

3/22

Read 23 tweets

Pekka Kallioniemi

@P_Kallioniemi

Jun 16

In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce the main themes of Russian disinformation on TikTok. Each day, there are thousands of new videos promoting pro-Kremlin narratives and propaganda.

It’s worth noting that Russians can only access European TikTok via VPN.

1/10

There is currently a massive TikTok campaign aimed at promoting a positive image of Russia. The videos typically feature relatively attractive young women and focus on themes of nationalism and cultural heritage.

2/10

Ironically, many of these videos from Moscow or St. Petersburg are deceptively edited to portray Ukraine in a false light — claiming there is no war and that international aid is being funneled to corrupt elites.

3/10