In today’s #vatniksoup, I’ll introduce an Estonian politician and propagandist, Aivo Peterson. He’s best-known for travelling to Donbas and Mariupol to produce pro-Kremlin propaganda, and for trying to create a pro-Russia separatist movement in Estonia.
1/16
Peterson is what I call a “decoy vatnik” - someone who’s so overtly pro-Kremlin that their activities draw a lot of attention (think Johan Bäckman in Finland), and the Putin bootlickers who work through business and politics can operate in peace.
2/16
Aivo hails from Ida-Viru, a region populated mostly by Russians. His father was Russian — his birthname was Krylov, but he later took his mother’s surname Peterson. Before becoming a full-time Kremlin propagandist, he worked as a border guard, masseur & real estate agent.
3/16
Peterson was dismissed from his job as a border guard due to health reasons in 2004 & he had already joined politics in 2002.
Aivo had no real success in politics for around 20 years, but his popularity rose quickly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
4/16
A few months after Russia’s attack, Aivo joined forces with a crypto-businessman, Oleg Ivanov, and together they launched a “peace movement” called Koos (Вместе, “Together”). The launch was accompanied with typical Kremlin bullshit, like calling the Bucha…
5/16
…massacre a “staged provocation”, blaming the West and the US for starting a “proxy war” and “using Ukraine, the Baltics and Poland as vassal states” to wage war against Russia. All this was mostly promoted to Estonia’s Russian-speaking population, and most Estonians…
6/16
…weren’t even aware of this active campaigning, probably administrated by the more tech-savvy Mr. Ivanov. Peterson also organized several dramatic demonstrations, like taking down pro-Ukraine memorabilia that were brought as a protest to the Russian embassy in Tallinn.
7/16
It’s worth noting that when people like Peterson talk about “peace”, they only call for stopping the military aid to Ukraine (and basically a capitulation), and neatly forget the aggressor and the fact that Putin has shown very little interest in any kind of peace talks.
8/16
In Feb 2023, Peterson also traveled to Donbas in Eastern Ukraine, also visiting Mariupol. According to the Estonian prosecutor, the trip was organized by the Russian intelligence agencies. He also appeared on Solovyov’s propaganda show.
9/16
As Koos failed to register their candidates before the deadline for the 2023 parliament elections, they joined forces with Vasakliit, a direct descendant party of the soviet-occupation communist party. The union earned a record high 2.4% votes, qualifying for state funding.
10/16
Peterson was arrested in Mar 2023, on suspicion of creating a pro-Kremlin “civilian defense unit” in Estonia, allegedly recruiting people with gun permits and “anti-Estonian attitudes”. He was arrested before he had the chance to launch the organization.
11/16
Peterson is accused of treason for “knowingly and systematically assisting Russia based on directives from the Russian Federation,” for which he could face a prison sentence ranging from 6 to 20 years or even life imprisonment.
12/16
Despite imprisonment, Peterson ran for the European Parliament in 2024 as the sole Koos party candidate. He released a campaign video from prison, urging voters to support his cause and demand his release. For the elections, he received a total of 11 507 votes.
13/16
Since his arrest, Aivo has changed some of his statements — for example, he stated that “Russia is the aggressor” and that he “only wants peace”.
The cynical among us could think that Peterson knows he’s done as a Russian asset and now fights for a shorter sentence.
14/16
I think we can safely say that Aivo’s and other pro-Kremlin candidates’ success in Estonian elections indicate that Estonia has a very strong “fifth column” that has no problem in supporting Russia’s brutal war and whitewashing their war crimes.
This may come as a surprise to many, as Estonia as a country has been one of the biggest donors (% of total GDP) to Ukraine. But it also shows us how Russian propaganda can brainwash a Russian-speaking fifth column outside of Russia, too.
16/16
You can now pre-order the 2nd edition of "Vatnik Soup - The Ultimate Guide to Russian Disinformation"! This updated version, featuring pre-order extras, will be released at the end of February 2025.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a Serbian academic, Ratko Ristić. He’s best known for engaging in pro-Kremlin, ultranationalist politics and propaganda while undermining business ties between Serbia and the EU.
1/18
Serbia, along with Belarus, remains Russia’s staunchest European ally amid its aggression against Ukraine. Not only have they refused to impose sanctions, but Serbia has also become a regional disinformation hub, destabilizing the wider region.
2/18
Beyond foreign malign influence, Serbia’s nationalist-revisionist regime – rooted in the 1990s – has aligned with Russia’s aggressive, anti-liberal nationalist bloc. Serbian far-right groups are also well-known supporters of Russian imperialism.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Oleg Bessedin, a videoblogger and Russia’s favorite mouthpiece in Estonia. Through social media, online groups, and media networks, Bessedin has played an active role in pushing pro-Kremlin narratives to divide Estonian society.
1/13
Oleg is a content creator and businessman with strong ties to pro-Kremlin networks. He runs multiple Facebook groups and media platforms that regularly share Russian state propaganda. Estonia’s Internal Security Service (KAPO) has flagged his platforms as disinfo hubs.
2/13
Bessedin presents himself as an independent journalist, but his content is heavily biased in favor of Russian narratives. He portrays Estonia and the West as corrupt, aggressive, and anti-Russian while defending Russia’s actions on the world stage.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll discuss the Russian shadow fleet: a network of ships that operate in secret, dodge sanctions, smuggle oil, and undermine the security of Europe’s seas while keeping Putin’s war machine running.
1/15
To understand the shadow fleet, let’s rewind to 2022. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the West responded with economic shockwaves. Sanctions were imposed, Russian oil was banned, and a price cap was introduced. For Russia, this was a disaster.
2/15
But Putin is well-familiar with economic warfare. Russia quickly created a “shadow fleet” – an armada of rusting oil tankers with false identities and forged paperwork,and illegal trade routes designed to dodge Western sanctions and keep the rubles flowing.
In today’s Vatnik Soup REBREW, I’ll re-introduce the American-British social media personalities, Tristan and Andrew Tate (@tatethetalisman and @cobratate).
They’re best-known for their social media grifts and allegations of human trafficking and rape.
1/22
The history of the Tate brothers was introduced thoroughly in my original Vatnik Soup thread, but since then so much has happened that this pathetic duo needs another review. The soup will go through a lot of the evidence and videos in which the Tates incriminate themselves.
2/22
The Tates became (relatively) rich through their webcam (pimping?) businesses and self-help courses targeted at young, desperate (incel?) men. At some point, they had up to 75 women working for them, and the brothers later admitted that the business was a “total scam”.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russia’s main narratives and explain how they are being spread online by Russian operatives and MAGA Republicans. After three years of war, Russia still relies on old narratives, now amplified by the Trump administration.
1/25
Throughout the years – or even decades – Russia’s narratives against the West have remained largely the same. Many of them date back to the Cold War era, when the KGB and CIA were bitter enemies. But since then, the media landscape has drastically changed.
2/25
Russian propaganda and disinformation revolves around four main themes:
1) Russia is the victim, 2) Historical revisionism, 3) The “decadent West” is collapsing, 4) The CIA and/or “evil Anglo-Saxons” are behind every revolution & anti-Kremlin activity.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a former Ukrainian politician and president, Viktor Yanukovych. He’s best known for selling his country to Russia, trying to turn it into an authoritarian state, and eventually fleeing to Moscow once his plan failed.
1/22
Now that Russia and the US are planning to replace president Zelenskyy with someone who’s more willing to sell the country to them (most probably Viktor Medvedchuk or one of his cronies), it’s a good time to remind people how Yanukovych and Putin almost took over Ukraine.
2/22
Yanukovych’s first attempt at power came in 2004, when he “won” the Ukrainian presidential election through massive fraud. The rigged vote sparked the Orange Revolution, a wave of protests that forced the election to be re-run. His opponent, pro-Western candidate…