In June, an unusual group of people gathered in the Kremlin.
They were Russia’s pro-war social media influencers,
and President Vladimir Putin wanted to see them.
They were allowed to ask questions
How is that the enemy drones reach the Kremlin?
But Putin also had a favour to ask.
The information space is a crucial battlefield
And I really count on your help
Who are these people and why did Putin ask for help?
“Putin’s Influencers: Selling Russia’s War”
War influencers have been part of Russia’s propaganda ecosystem for some time.
But after the invasion of Ukraine, their popularity skyrocketed
With some of their follower counts growing several times in a matter of weeks.
While Putin relied heavily on television to spread propaganda to an older generation.
Influencers carved their way through Telegram
The most popular social media platform for young people in Russia.
And one of the few platforms to survive a ban in the country since the start of the war.
Now we will learn to shoot
We reviewed hundreds of the influencers’ videos and posts
To understand how they became so powerful.
And encouraged young Russians to support the war
that killed thousands and turned millions into refugees…
Why are they so popular?
Fire!
A world away from the traditional propaganda in TV shows
They are bold, brash and funny… and use hate speech to gain followers.
We will defeat them all
We will kill them all
We will rob everyone we need to
All will be as we like it
They make the war relatable and binge-worthy
Posting constant updates from the front line.
In Russia, they’re called ‘Z Bloggers’.
Z is the symbol adopted by those who support the war.
Hey everybody, this is War Gonzo project....
One of the most popular Z Bloggers is Semyon Pegov, known as War Gonzo
With more than a million followers.
Anna Dolgareva is another - she writes poetry about the war.
One of her most popular efforts is called ‘All Wagner Fighters Go to Heaven.’
Old lady blessed the helicopters Making sign of cross in the air
They embed with the Russian army and have exclusive access to the frontline.
They tell the truth that the military wants to hide
Which makes them a unique source of information from the Russian trenches.
Even the Western media quote them.
In Russia, military bloggers were furious
They accuse the army of failing to hide its troops.
Russian war bloggers with hundreds of thousands of followers on a social media
Have been publishing reports from Ukraine
But the Z bloggers also spread disinformation to millions of Russians.
They shared this dash cam video with their followers on Telegram.
It’s dated 24th of March 2023.
The war influencers said it was a perfect example of how Ukraine treats civilians.
It apparently shows a civilian vehicle being cut off by a Ukrainian military SUV on a country road.
Two gunmen in Ukrainian uniform get out of the car.
One of them appears to question a woman, who is in the car with a small child.
They call her ‘a pig’ for speaking Russian and fire the gun next to the car.
But look at these trees — we can see them on a satellite image.
And these electricity towers…
And this intersection…
This footage can be geolocated to the Hirnyk district of Makiivka, a suburb of Donetsk.
It’s in the Donbas region — an area of Ukraine occupied by Russia since 2014.
It is impossible for the uniformed Ukrainian soldiers to operate openly in this occupied region.
Also, the use of dash cams is illegal in Ukraine.
It was banned after the Russian invasion — to keep the troop movements secret.
The cross on the vehicle is different from the one used by Ukraine’s armed forces.
Together, all these elements indicate that the video was staged.
It is one of many fakes spread by Z bloggers.
Among those who shared this false video was Alexander Kots.
With more than 600,000 followers on his Telegram channel
He is one of the most popular war influencers.
I can only go to Kyiv on a tank
In a rare interview with the Western media
Kots told the BBC how he makes the war seem closer to home to his followers:
I show the war through people’s eyes
So that it feels close, not distant, foreign or meaningless
It is impossible to convey the atmosphere of war
But we can try to do so through ordinary people
Like those in Ryazan, Moscow, Vladivostok or Novosibirsk
But for his talk of ordinary people, he also has friends in high places…
Ministry of Defence often listens to us
We have a direct channel to communicate information to them, and I use it
It’s all behind the scenes, and I do that.
Our relations aren’t exactly friendly and fraternal
But we have a mutually beneficial cooperation with the Ministry of Defence
And they listen to what we have to say
Z bloggers are often invited to clubs, colleges, museums
Libraries and bookshops across Russia.
Young people from Moscow to Vladivostok show up to see them.
We’ve found evidence of dozens of these talks given since the war started.
Some fans buy T-shirts with logos of the channels.
Others even say they’ve enlisted in the army because of the bloggers’ posts.
The victory will be ours, victory is near
This man says he did so after he watched a lot of reports by Semyon Pegov aka War Gonzo.
I saw the video of him being injured on a landmine
I follow all the military news and analysis on Telegram
Despite international condemnation of Russian aggression
Pegov and others like him believe the government is not being violent enough.
Criticism of government tactics is punished very swiftly in Russia
But the Z Bloggers seem to get away with it…
They say the generals are corrupt and incompetent
And their strategy is timid and outdated.
They also publish complaints from the mobilised who feel betrayed by the officers.
Our battalion was partly destroyed on New Year's Eve
We ask for response to our appeal
Hundreds of people have been prosecuted for discrediting the army in Russia
But for war influencers, the rules are different.
Ekaterina Schulmann, a leading Russian political scientist
Told the BBC they receive special treatment.
The only dissenting voices which are allowed or at least unpunished are the pro-war voices.
So you cannot criticise the president or the military
For waging the war or for killing people per se
But you can criticise them for not killing enough people
And not waging the war in an effective manner.
To pay for their more brutal war, bloggers ask for funds from their fans in Telegram posts.
They say it is to deliver better equipment to the army
And they appear to be succeeding.
Alexander Kots claimed he raised more than £250,000 for an artillery unit.
But it’s not all totally altruistic; they also make a tidy profit for themselves.
Bloggers sell ads for anything from cryptocurrency to fashion to their large audiences.
To find out how much they earn, we posed as hotel owners
Interested in posting ads on major war influencer Telegram channels.
We were told it would cost us from £443 to over £1,500 for a single post
Top Z bloggers post at least one ad per day, making their possible income much higher
Than the country’s average monthly wage of £550.
Some of them are in the pay of the Ministry of Defence.
Some were and I suppose continue to be in the pay of the Wagner group
Putin’s endorsement and the Z bloggers’ access to Russia’s youth
Means politicians are keen to appear as guests on their Telegram channels
Hoping to bolster their recognition with a younger crowd.
Look at these clips: MPs are dancing with artillery shells
And playing ping pong with the bloggers.
Their efforts and loyalty have been rewarded by Putin
Who gave them medals and official positions.
But their prominence has also made them targets.
This is Vladlen Tatarsky, one of the most vocal bloggers
He was at a meeting with fans in St. Petersburg, when he was killed by a bomb
The Kremlin blamed the killing on Kiyv, but the Ukranian government denied involvement
Two thousand years of war
War for no reason
War is for young people
It's a remedy against wrinkles
So, what happens next?
These influencers know their future is closely linked to the war.
Spreading propaganda gives them fame and money.
And while the world pushes to halt Russia's invasion, Z bloggers insist:
The war must go on…