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

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

Feb 9, 2023 • 17 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X

Scrolly

In today's #vatnik soup I'll introduce a Ukrainian-born, Russian Mafia boss Semion Mogilevich. He's been described by the FBI as "the most dangerous mobster in the world" & he's been accused of weapons trafficking,contract murders, extortion, drug trafficking & prostitution.
1/16

Some reports state that Mogilevich made a significant amount of money as a middle man selling jewelry and artwork belonging to Jews who emigrated from Kyiv during the 1980s. For this, he was convicted to prison twice: his first stint lasted 3 years and the 2nd 4 years.

2/16

In 1995, head of the Solntsevskaya Bratva, Sergei Mikhailov allegedly tried to execute Mogilevich in Prague over a disputed payment of 5 million USD. They were supposed to attend a birthday party at the Mogilevich-owned restaurant "U Holubů", but Mogilevich never arrived ...
3/16

... and the place was raided by the Czech police. It's believed that Mogilevich had been warned about the attempt by a senior figure working for both the Czech police and for Russian mafia.

4/16

Between 1997-1998 Canadian journalists exposed a Russian Mafia operation trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The operation was eventually raided by the FBI and the company's shares worth 1 billion USD became worthless overnight.

5/16

He was also suspected in taking part in a scheme where untaxed heating oil was sold as highly taxed car fuel. This operation resulted in massive tax losses for several Central European countries, and for example in Czech Republic the scheme is estimated to have cost ...

6/16

... around 5 billion USD, all paid by the Czech taxpayers. A journalist uncovering the scandal also became a target of an assassination attempt.

Since 1998, Mogilevich's Inkombank participated in a money laundering scheme through the Bank of New York - this operation ...

7/16

... laundered approximately 10 billion USD. In 2003, he was placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Their previous efforts on catching him for arms trafficking and prostitution had faltered, so they charged him with large-scale fraud.

8/16

In Jan, 2008, Mogilevich was arrested for suspected tax evasion in Moscow. His bail was posted and he was released in Jul, 2009. Russian interior ministry stated that he was let go on bail because the charges "are not of a particularly grave nature".

9/16

This warrant was updated on Apr, 2022, and they now offer 5 million USD for information "leading to the arrest and/or conviction" of Semion Mogilevich.

He's closely associated with Solntsevskaya Bratva, an organized crime group.

10/16

According to the FBI, Mogilevich was their key money-laundering contact during the 80s. Cable leaks published by WikiLeaks in 2010 suggested that the gang continues racketeering operations under the protection of the FSB.

11/16

The same leaks also revealed that Mogilevich is in control of the Swiss-registed natural gas company RosUkrEnergy and that he is a partner of Raiffeisen Bank. Officially, the former is 50% owned by Gazprom and the other 50% belongs to Dmytro Firtash and Ivan Fursin.

12/16

Based on Taras Kuzio, a non-resident fellow at Johns Hopkins-SAIS’ Center for Transatlantic Relations, "Fursin was a senior figure in the Mogilevich criminal organization".

13/16

Shortly before his death, the former FSB agent and defector Alexander Litvinenko suggested that Mogilevich and Putin had "good relationship" during the 90s. He was also well connected to the former mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzhkov,...

14/16

... former head of Ukrainian Security Service SBU, Leonid Derkach (as photographed here with Putin), and Ukrainian oligarch-in-exile Dmytro Firtash. Firtash has stated that he had to "ask for Mogilevich's permission" to do business in Russia during the 80s and 90s.

15/16

Semion currently lives freely in Moscow, and will remain a free man as Russia probably has no intentions of extraditing him to the US.

More information: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm…

16/16

https://twitter.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1623234276371185666

Support my work (and get some AI art!): buymeacoffee.com/PKallioniemi

Past soups: vatniksoup.com
Related soups:
Dmytro Firtash:

https://twitter.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1623234276371185666

• • •

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

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

Jun 6

In today’s Vatnik Soup, we introduce Vincent Bolloré, a French billionaire and media tycoon. He’s best known for building a powerful media empire and for reshaping editorial lines across French media and publishing, pushing them toward far-right and pro-Kremlin positions.

1/25

Born in 1952 in Boulogne-Billancourt to a family of industrialists, Vincent studied law at Paris Nanterre University. He took over the family business and turned it into a sprawling conglomerate spanning logistics, port infrastructure in Africa, advertising, and media.

2/25

Bolloré’s African logistics empire also became the subject of a long-running corruption investigation in France. Legal proceedings against Vincent Bolloré personally are still ongoing, with a trial planned in December, after a judge refused to approve a plea deal.

3/25

Read 25 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

Jun 4

In today’s Vatnik Soup, we’ll introduce an American conspiracy theorist, podcaster & antisemite, Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO). She’s best known for spreading conspiracy theories, attacking Ukraine, promoting pro-Kremlin BS, and becoming a favorite of Russian state media.

1/21

Candace started her career as an intern at Vogue magazine but later moved into political commentary. Her early career focused on criticizing Republicans, calling their antics “bat-shit crazy.” In 2016, her blog even published an article about Trump’s penis size.

2/21

That same year, she launched a doxxing website called SocialAutopsy. In response, people began posting Owens’s personal information online. During the controversy, she gained support from figures such as @Nero and @Cernovich. And just like that, she became a conservative.

3/21

Read 23 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

May 27

In today’s Wumao Soup, we’ll talk about Taiwan, the sovereign country the Chinese Communist Party insists is not a country, but constantly threatens to invade just like a country, while the “antiwar” crowd is eagerly encouraging them to start that war, endangering millions.

1/20

Taiwan is a country, a state. It has its own territory, government, army, police, courts, taxes, passports and elections, just like any other country.

The only difference? Its neighbor, imperialist China, wants to invade it, and other countries try to please the big bully.

2/20

Taiwan’s official name is the Republic of China, or ROC. The ROC was founded in 1912, after the fall of the Qing dynasty. The People’s Republic of China, or PRC, was founded by democidal dictator Mao Zedong and his communist party, in 1949, after fighting against the ROC.

3/20

Read 20 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

May 25

In today’s Vatnik Soup, we’ll introduce Russian propaganda operations around military targets like Starobilsk. For over a decade, the Kremlin has used similar strategies, combining crisis actors, “independent journalists” and fabricated evidence.

1/13

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1611980244252258304

First, let’s go back to 2014. Russia funded separatist groups and sent its mercenaries to Donbas, which led to the creation of two puppet states, Donetsk and Luhansk, governed by Russian propagandists and soldiers like Igor Girkin.

2/13

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1611980244252258304

The fake genocide was touted as one of the main reasons for Russia’s war during the early stages of the full-scale invasion, and the claim was made even by Putin himself. Before his mutiny, late Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said that all this was fabricated bullshit.

3/13

Read 14 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

May 11

In this 9th Debunk of the Day, we’ll discuss “legitimate military targets”. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, with no declaration of war, hiding behind a “special military operation”. Yet vatniks & useful idiots pretend Russia has any legitimate or lawful targets in Ukraine.

1/8

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1938237244537479275

Russia started the war in 2014 by seizing Crimea with unmarked soldiers, “little green men”. Russians have been waging an undeclared, illegal war with endless war crimes ever since, whether it’s kidnapping of Ukrainian children with genocidal intent…

2/8

https://x.com/P_Kallioniemi/status/1938237244537479275

… the concentration camps for Ukrainians under occupation, conscripting Ukrainians from occupied territories, or the terrorist, deliberate bombing of civilians, including their infamous “double tap” strikes.

So no, Russia does not have any “legitimate targets” in Ukraine.

3/8

Read 8 tweets

Vatnik Soup

@P_Kallioniemi

May 1

In today’s Vatnik Soup, we introduce Hasan Piker, a Turkish-American streamer and millionaire. He’s best known for his champagne socialism, rabid criticism of the US and Israel, support for the Soviet Union and for Chinese and Russian invasions, and for mistreating his dog.

1/20

Born in 1991, Piker grew up in a privileged and well-connected environment. His father held senior roles at big corporations and his uncle, Cenk Uygur, is the founder of The Young Turks media network. He graduated cum laude from Rutgers, a top-tier university in New Jersey.

2/20

His main activity and primary source of income consists of hours-long livestreams on Twitch where he comments on news and yells at videos. He also keeps his dog in place the whole time with a shock collar.

3/20