In today's #vatniksoup, I'll talk about Russian attempts to "russify" and completely wipe out the Ukrainian identity in the Eastern Ukrainian territories and Crimea that Russia is temporarily occupying.
1/10
Today The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) published their findings on an extensive investigation spanning over several months, on the harsh reality of Russia's aggressive policy of assimilation in the regions they temporarily occupy in Eastern Ukraine.
2/10
Eyewitnesses and experts have revealed incidences of torture, coercion, deportation, cultural erasure, and military indoctrination in these regions. All this is a violation of the international law and in some cases even amount to possible war crimes and genocide.
3/10
Former police officer, Anton Lomakin from Kherson was detained for four months. During this time, he was given multiple electric shocks, beaten with an iron club & waterboarded. Waterboarding is illegal under the law of war with the adoption of the third Geneva Convention.
4/10
Artem Petrik is currently doing his PhD in History in Vilnius. He was caught in Kherson after the start of the full-scale invasion, and was persecuted because of his profession: Russians consider a historian a propagandist, who is part of the ideological system.
5/10
During the interview, he stated that "if you don't want to be Russian, you will die. If you support the Ukrainian identity, you will have serious problems: imprisonment, death, torture."
6/10
Larysa Borova fled the occupied territories last June. She said that if you don't have a Russian passport, you don't get pension, food or medical services. She said that many elderly require medication and attain Russian passport just to stay alive.
7/10
Leonid Remyga, a medical doctor who worked in Kherson told that they were forced to give out Russian birth certificates. They were forced to memorize the Russian anthem and if they couldn't, they were beaten and tortured.
8/10
In addition, all children have to attend Russian schools and follow the Russian curriculum. Ukrainian children are being denied access to their own culture and their own history, and are being forced to learn the revised history of Russkiy Mir instead.
9/10
Yet,people like @tuckercarlson & the Grayzone "journalists" are complaining because Ukraine is temporarily banning pro-Kremlin Orthodox churches that are basically an extension of the FSB. How corrupt and/or stupid do you have to be completely disregard an ongoing genocide?
10/10
In today’s Vatnik Soup, we’ll explain the context of the upcoming Budapest Blunder, and how it follows the infamous Alaska Fiasco from two months ago and Trump’s absurd delaying of serious aid to Ukraine and effective sanctions on Russia for the past nine months.
1/20
Two months ago, Trump embarrassed the United States by rolling out the red carpet for war criminal dictator Putin and overall acting like a pathetic servant eager to meet his master. Of course, the Alaska Fiasco didn’t bring peace any closer.
Worse, the main outcome of the humiliation was to delay serious sanctions, which the US Congress, in rare bipartisan unity against Russia, was on the verge of passing. Two weeks by two weeks, Trump Always Chickens Out, postponing any real pressure on Putin for 9 months now.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce American propagandist Alexandra Jost, aka “Sasha” (@sashameetsrus). She’s best known for being paid by the Russian state to spread pro-Kremlin propaganda — and for doing it with a big smile.
1/23
Alexandra, now 26, was born in Hong Kong. Her father is from Texas, and her mother is from Siberia. According to her, she has “dreamed of living in Russia since childhood.” Sasha's mother runs a dance studio in Moscow and her younger brother is avoiding mobilization.
2/23
Since the beginning of her creator career, Sasha has been adamant about one thing: that she’s “never had to be paid” to speak of her “love” for Russia. But, as always with Russia, this turned out to be nothing but vranyo — a Russian “tactical lie.”
In today’s Vatnik Soup REBREW, I’ll reintroduce an American political commentator and pro-Kremlin propagandist, Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson). He’s best known for his promotion of crazy conspiracy theories and for his support of authoritarian regimes around the world.
1/24
Tucker’s career spans decades, but he’s also been very active in recent years, so a lot has happened since our previous soup on him, which can be found here:
Once described as “the most powerful conservative in America”, Tucker has now fully transformed into a grifting conspiracy theorist and propagandist willing to work for whoever pays him the most. It’s unclear whether Tucker truly believes his endless conspiracy theories or…
3/24
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll cover the agenda-setting and flood of disinformation that spread on X and other platforms right after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. It’s far from the first or last time a tragedy has been weaponized for political purposes.
1/18
Every major political event, especially those involving violence, attracts massive attention. In the immediate aftermath, reliable information is scarce, making it highly vulnerable to both coordinated and improvised disinformation campaigns.
2/18
As I’ve mentioned in my previous soups and lectures, in disinformation campaigns, being first with a narrative is crucial, as people often remember the first version best — psychology studies show it sets the mental schema, and later updates rarely overwrite it.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce American social media personality David Freeman, AKA Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman). He’s best known for spreading political disinformation on X and shamelessly sucking up to Trump, Putin, and other authoritarian leaders.
1/22
David is a textbook example of someone profiting from MAGA grievance politics. He uses extreme, provocative language to farm engagement on X and never hesitates to flatter anyone who might give him more exposure — or money.
2/22
But David wasn’t always like this. At some point, in his mid-40s, he even tried a real job: he trained to become a cop. He spent three years with the Metro Transit PD, but after that he either got fired or quit, and never looked back.