In today's #vatniksoup, I'll continue introducing the international pro-Kremlin network called DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics). They're best-known for spreading Russian propaganda and disinformation, and for collecting money to outlets like Rybar and Killnet.
1/19
In this second part of the series, we'll introduce the original poster of the doctored Pentagon leaks, French far-right activist, and of course some genocidal Russian fifth columnists who criticize the West while living and/or studying there.
2/19
As of today, DDG has almost 125 000 followers on X/Twitter, and even with artificial inflation it's one of the largest English-speaking, pro-Kremlin social media networks online.
In case you missed the first part of this series, you can find it here:
3/19
DDG is part of the larger "vatniksphere" who often collaborate on various projects, and they've been connected to other prominent pro-Kremlin propagandists like @jacksonhinklle and @geromanAT.
This investigation was done by The Unintelligence Agency.
4/19
DDG's chat is highly anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western, and most (if not all) of the admins have been actively participating in these conversations, probably from the comfort of their homes in the West, yet they fail to see the irony of that.
5/19
All people introduced here have/had administrator privileges on the DDG Telegram channel. Many of them are originally from Russia, others hail from the UK, France and Slovenia.
Without further ado, let's see who they are!
6/19
Luke H AKA Lucas Tiger/No U - Luke is a UK citizen who first shared the doctored Pentagon leaks to DDG's Telegram. Few months after the WSJ story, Luke was caught speeding without a license, after which he claimed that "Jesus was behind the wheel" and that...
7/19
..."Jeremy Clarkson would be proud" of his driving.
Regarding the photoshopped leaks, many key statistics of the conflict were modified in them, making it seem that Ukraine had lost much more troops and vehicles than Russia.
8/19
These fake leaks were spread and promoted extensively throughout the vatniksphere (for example by Douglas Macgregor) and were used a "proof" that Russia is winning the war in Ukraine.
As of today, the leaks are still available in the DDG chat.
9/19
Maria K AKA Masyanya (@venividivici_80) - Born to Russian parents in Latvia, Maria currently lives in the US. Even by DDG's standards, Maria is a real nasty piece of work. She's called for the destruction of Ukraine and killing of Ukrainians on many occasions, and even...
10/19
...cheered on deaths of Ukrainian children. Incidentally, she reports the accounts that disagree with her genocidal views for "hateful conduct". And all this from the safety and comfort of her home in Nevada, US.
11/19
Katarina A AKA Kata - A Russian import manager living in Chile. According to @squatsons, Kata may be flexing some US sanction laws through a PO box in the US. Even though she has permanent residency in Chile, she hasn't forgotten her Russian roots.
12/19
She has no trouble demeaning Ukrainians, calling for Ukraine to be "burned to the ground" and wearing a Wagner shirt. As of Aug 2023, Kata's also an admin on @squatson's TG.
13/19
Alex O AKA Alex - Alex is one of the many Russian students enjoying the hospitability of Europe while blaming these countries for absolutely everything. He's studied to become a surgeon in the UK, a NATO country.
What stopped you from studying in Russia, Alex?
14/19
Lydia O AKA Lydia - Lydia is a makeup and clothes saleswoman from Novosibirsk by day, and Kremlin propagandist by night. She's denied Russia's children abductions in Ukraine and the massacre in Bucha. She featured on DDG's 1st podcast, right after Bils was ousted as a fake.
15/19
Paul Le Meur (@plm203) - Le Meur is another administrator who goes by his real name and doesn't hide his face. He's in direct contact with a french propagandist Christelle Néant who has lived in Donbas since 2016.
16/19
Néant is also the founder of the French propaganda outlet called "Donbas insider". Paul claims to be a member of the extreme far-right "Reconquête" party, which is ironic since he's always complaining about the Ukrainian "neo-Nazis" - maybe they're the wrong kind of Nazis?
17/19
Kirill A AKA Fabushka (@fabushka_) - Mysterious Russian businessman who gave (sold?) Bils the @DD_Geopolitics account. Also, Kirill very much cheered over the doxxing of the wrong Pekka Kallioniemi and other NAFO figures.
18/19
Borut M AKA Area 52 (@Area5Z) - Slovenian (failed?) artist who accepted Hargreaves' classified documents, while the provider clearly labels them as "LEAKED".
Mr. Borat was also involved in the original Donbass Devushka group's merch sales and design.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll explain the Alaska Fiasco and how it marks the peak of Trump’s two-year betrayal of Ukraine. What was sold as “peace talks” turned into a spectacle of weakness, humiliation, empty promises, and photo-ops that handed Putin exactly what he wanted.
1/24
Let’s start with the obvious: Trump desperately wants the gold medal of the Nobel Peace Prize, mainly because Obama got one. That’s why he’s now LARPing as a “peace maker” in every conflict: Israel-Gaza, Azerbaijan-Armenia, India-Pakistan, and of course Ukraine-Russia.
2/24
Another theory is that Putin holds kompromat — compromising material such as videos or documents — that would put Trump in an extremely bad light. Some have suggested it could be tied to the Epstein files or Russia’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about engagement farming: a cynical social media tactic to rack up likes, shares, and comments. From rage farming to AI-powered outrage factories, engagement farming is reshaping online discourse and turning division into profit.
1/23
Engagement farming is a social media tactic aimed at getting maximum likes, shares, and comments, with truth being optional. It thrives on provocative texts, images, or videos designed to spark strong reactions, boost reach, and turn online outrage into clicks and cash.
2/23
One subset of engagement farming is rage farming: a tactic built to provoke strong negative emotions through outrageous or inflammatory claims. By triggering anger or moral outrage, these posts often generate 100s or even 1,000s of heated comments, amplifying their reach.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll cover the autocratic concept of “Good Tsar, Bad Boyars”: the idea that the leader is wise and just, but constantly sabotaged by corrupt advisors. This narrative shields the ruler from blame, and it’s used by both Putin and Trump today.
1/20
The phrase “Good Tsar, Bad Boyars” (Царь хороший, бояре плохие), also known as Naïve Monarchism, refers to a long-standing idea in Russian political culture: the ruler is good and benevolent, but his advisors are corrupt, incompetent and responsible for all failures.
2/20
From this perception, any positive action taken by the government is viewed as being an accomplishment of the benevolent leader, whereas any negative one is viewed as being caused by lower-level bureaucrats or “boyars”, without the approval of the leader.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a Russian politician and First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia, Sergey Kiriyenko. He’s best known for running both domestic and foreign disinformation and propaganda operations for the Kremlin.
1/20
On paper, and in photos, Kiriyenko is just as boring as most of the Kremlin’s “political technologists”: between 2005-2016 he headed the Rosatom nuclear energy company, but later played a leading role in the governance of Russia-occupied territories in Ukraine.
2/20
What is a political technologist? In Russia, they’re spin doctors & propaganda architects who shape opinion, control narratives, and manage elections — often by faking opposition, staging events, and spreading disinfo to maintain Putin’s power and the illusion of democracy.
Let me show you how a Pakistani (or Indian, they're usually the same) AI slop farm/scam operates. The account @designbonsay is a prime example: a relatively attractive, AI-generated profile picture and a ChatGPT-style profile description are the first red flags.
1/5
The profile's posts are just generic engagement farming, usually using AI-generated photos of celebrities or relatively attractive women.
These posts are often emotionally loaded and ask the user to interact with them ("like and share if you agree!").
2/5
Then there's the monetization part. This particular account sells "pencil art", which again are just AI-generated slop.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce an American lawyer and politician, Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee). He’s best-known for opposing the aid to Ukraine, undermining NATO by calling the US to withdraw from the alliance, and for fighting with a bunch of braindead dogs online.
1/21
Like many of the most vile vatniks out there, “Based Mike” is a lawyer by profession. He hails from the holy land of Mormons, Utah, where he faces little political competition, allowing him to make the most outrageous claims online without risking his Senate seat.
2/21
Before becoming a senator, Mike fought to let a nuclear waste company dump Italian radioactive waste in Utah, arguing it was fine if they just diluted it. The state said no, the public revolted, and the courts told poor Mikey to sit down.