Those “ordinary Russians” living in Finland: joining to Armed Forces of Russia

This text is based on my Finnish-language blog “Those ‘ordinary Russians’ fighting in the Armed Forces of Russia” (Fin. Ne ”tavalliset venäläiset” sotimassa Venäjän riveissä), which I published on July 8, 2023. For readers’ information, I have added more individual pictures to the blog. You should also note that some of the Russians living in Finland I mentioned in the blog have lived in our country for years or even decades. So, their enlistment as mercenaries or their support of Russian warfare cannot therefore be explained by the fact that they had only lived in Finland for a short time. Due to the Finnish Criminal Code, I have covered the faces of some of the pictures. Persons whose faces are covered live permanently in Finland.

 

Those “ordinary Russians” living in Finland: joining to Armed Forces of Russia

Over the years, I have made observations and written them down in the form of blogs about Finns fighting in Russia’s proxy forces or Russian subordinate forces in Eastern Ukraine; equally, I have observed the participation of Finns and Russians living in Finland in anti-Ukraine campaigning and information warfare in Finland and other countries. Part of this kind of campaigning can be considered a hybrid influence aimed at Finland – in practice a hybrid war, because for Russia it’s all about warfare, not hybrid influence. We Finns just scorn the name hybrid war, perhaps because in our mind’s warfare has a more concrete purpose meaning “blood and guts.”

In this blog, my attention is focused especially on Russians living in Finland who enlist in the Russian forces in Ukraine or support Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, some have been doing this since 2014, when the war in Donbas began.

Photo collage of Finns and Russians living in Finland working for Russia.

On June 27, 2023, Helsingin Sanomat published a background article “On Russia’s side” (Venäjän puolella), in which the journalists examined the hidden network of foreign fighters who fought in the Armed Forces of Russia in Eastern Ukraine. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the German Parliament’s defense committee, said the following about the network in question:

“Such people with real war experience - who possibly killed others without remorse - are dangerous to our society.” (1)

With the article, I decided to write a blog about my own observations about Russians living in Finland (or people who speak Russian and living in Finland) who have participated in the war with the Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine in one way or another. This group also includes Russians who lived in Finland and have returned to Russia after February 24, 2022, to participate in Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine.

However, at the beginning of my writing, a brief review of the involvement of Russians or pro-Russians living in Finland in activities supporting Russia and influence in Finland, after Russia’s occupation of the Crimean Peninsula (February-March 2014) and the war started in Eastern Ukraine in April 2014. Their activity has been so long-term, and it has involved so much various levels of activism that this review only includes some key points and noteworthy events (with sources and background text links).

One of the most significant branches of this activity, influence and activism that includes targeted harassment is the result of an article written by Yleisradio journalist Jessikka Aro about the Russian troll factory. (2) Mainly Finns participated in the widespread harassment (it was practically psychological violence), but in which e.g., Johan Bäckman use of his contacts in Russia building it up. He also used various Russian media for a smear campaign against journalist Aro. I recommend everyone to read the non-fiction book ‘Putinin trollit – Tositarinoita Venäjän infosodan rintamilta’ of Russia’s information war written by Jessikka Aro and translated into several languages.

For years, attention in Finland was paid only to information influencing and propagandistic communication carried out by Russia and the Russians living in our country. Involvement in other activism and possible hybrid warfare operations emerged more broadly in connection with investigations related to special real estate deals and construction projects. But even then, Finland was careful not to talk about Russia’s possible hybrid operations or preparations for some Gray area activity. In her book ‘Putinin pihapiirissä,’ Tuula Malin brings up vague business acquaintances along with numerous shady real estate transactions. Despite this, e.g., in the case of Airisto’s pearl (Airiston Helmi), the official communications in Finland spoke of financial crime, while in Latvia, on the other hand, in the case of the same oligarch – Pavel Melnikov – there was essentially a more direct reference to possible security threats that the person’s holdings in the country create. (3)

The support of the Russian administration’s politics and imperialist wars of conquest was best seen in Finland precisely in the field of information influence and propaganda war. After Russia occupied the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in February-March 2014, activities supporting Russia began to be organized more widely in Finland, by Finns who support the Russian regime and Russians living in Finland. In the beginning, their public activities were oriented towards events that received media coverage. At that time, the attitude of the Finnish media to the events was childishly naive, some journalists even seemed to believe the propaganda stories about “separatism” in Donbas and “persecuting the Russians.” The later events were clearly more propagandistic, which the Finnish media could take a more critical view of.

In addition to the organization of various events and occasions, association activities played a more visible role, in which Finns and persons of Russian background living in Finland – or persons who declared themselves Russian in the armed forces – actively participated. Among the prominent associations, the DNR-edustamiskeskus ry ( appeared as the official representative of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” in Finland. Naturally, it didn’t really have that role, even though the people behind the operation claimed so. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland had to correct the disinformation spread by the association. (4)

DNR-edustamiskeskus ry and Donetskin kansantasavallan ystävät Suomessa organized a few Christmas parties, which were attended not only by Finns but also by Russians living in Finland. At least once among the guests was also Natalia Nikonorova from the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine. At that time, Nikonorova appeared at the event in the role of “Foreign Minister,” which role she had in the puppet administration appointed by the Kremlin. In the first years of its activity, DNR-edustamiskeskus ry was highly active as a spreader of propaganda and disinformation. Propaganda material from Russia and the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine was also brought to Finland through it. In the last years of visible activism, among the collaborators of DNR-edustamiskeskus ry was also RUFI – suomalais-venäläinen yhdistys ry, which supported the imperialist policy of the Russian government, and was headed by Daria Skippari-Smirnov at the time.

Under Skippari-Smirnov’s leadership, the first Immortal Regiment March was organized in Finland in May 2017. (5) After this, Skippari-Smirnov has organized two more Immortal Regiment marches in the name of RUFI and, after the corona pandemic, in May 2022, a car march that ended in Helsinki. During the active years, a lot of disinformation and pro-Russia propaganda was shared on the association’s social media platforms and website. Under the leadership of Skippari-Smirnov, the association also played a prominent role in the journey to the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula in the spring of 2018.

Johan Bäckman’s recruitment of fighters to the Russian proxy forces in Eastern Ukraine (especially in 2015 and 2016), and the delivery of various materials to the war zone in Eastern Ukraine through Russia, played its part in the activities in Finland. People of Russian background living in Finland and the companies they own also have part of this activity. (6)

I have previously written several blogs on the subject, the most recent one in December 2021. In recent years, the Finnish media have also more actively examined such activities and direct participation in hostilities in the Armed Forces of Russia – this was also the case in the extensive article published in Helsingin Sanomat and the articles published in Yleisradio in autumn and winter 2021. (7 and 8) In my blogs, I have focused mainly on the recruitment of fighters of Finnish background. But this time I am focusing on the participation of people of Russian background living in Finland in the war in Eastern Ukraine and specifically in the Armed Forces of Russia. Helsingin Sanomat’s article on ‘Venäjän puolella’ offers an excellent basis from which to proceed.

 

Onko tšuhna nenästä vedettävä – Are we Finns idiots, in Russian tšuhna is a derogatory term used for Finns

After the introduction, we can then move on to the matter itself, i.e., to examine the participation of persons of Russian background living in Finland in the Russian Army in the war in Ukraine. In my writing, however, I ignore the examination of the mercenary army connected to Gennadi Timchenko, which has recently caused a lot of buzz in Finland as well. (9) The reason for sidelining the topic is simple. A closer look at the mercenary army, or Redut, connected to Timchenko would make this article far too long. But the fact that before this year no attention was paid in Finland to Timchenko’s ownership of Redut, speaks volumes about the secrecy that has prevailed around Gennadi Timchenko on a wider scale. Note Timchenko also has Finnish citizenship!

In Finland, the idea that Vladimir Putin’s political opponents in Russia would automatically oppose the war (or the so-called special operation) has been pampered for a very long time. However, such a belief is completely wrong! In May 2023, Sergei Porohovoi, an activist of The Other Russia of E. V. Limonov party who lived in Finland for more than a decade, returned to Russia of his own free will, announcing that he was ready to join the forces of the Interbrigady movement operating in the Russian-occupied Donbas region as a volunteer. Interbrigady movement have been fighting against Ukraine as part of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine since 2014. The forces in question are suspected of having committed war crimes in the war zone of eastern Ukraine. According to an activist source known to Porohovoi, Porohovoi decided to return to Russia, after life in Finland became mentally impossible due to Ukraine frenzy and Russophobia. (10)

In The Other Russia of E. V. Limonov party, founded by Eduard Limonov, extreme leftism and fascism were combined into a national Bolshevik ideology. National Bolshevism is a political movement that combines nationalism and Bolshevism. The ideological anti-Americanism is also significant for the movement. The original goal of The Other Russia of E. V. Limonov party has been, among other things, referendums in Russian-majority areas in Russia’s border neighbours on joining Russia. Today, Russia has become radicalized to such an extent that National Bolshevism is not much different from the “ideology” in power in Russia, where Putinism and fascism have combined to form Russism. Now we must ask ourselves whether we have been a little too naive when it comes to Putin’s political opponents and our attitude towards them.

Porohovoi was one of Putin’s ideological opponents, but he has returned to Russia and is ready to participate in Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, but how many ‘porohovoi’s’ have we raised on our knees?

In Helsingin Sanomat’s article on ”Venäjän puolella,” comments are asked from a Russian living in Finland, Pavel i.e., Pavel N, about his participation in the war with Russia against Ukraine. Pavel, like many others, acknowledges that he was on a humanitarian mission and did not participate in the fighting. The same was claimed by British citizen Benjamin Stimson, who years ago in Great Britain was sentenced to several years in prison for participating in the war in Russian proxy forces against the Ukrainian government. (11) Stimson, like Pavel, has appeared in pictures with an assault rifle in a war zone, which was enough for Stimson to be sentenced.

In the Helsingin Sanomat article, a picture of Pavel holding a weapon that looks like an assault rifle has been picked up. According to Pavel, it is a weapon used in airsoft. A couple of active reservists gave me a reasoned dissenting opinion, so it may or may not be an airsoft gun. On the social media of Pavel’s friends, you can find more interesting pictures in which Pavel N. also appears – in some of the pictures, armed.

Some of the pictures in which Pavel N. and his friends appear were probably taken in connection with airsoft, but the activity and training seen in some of the pictures reminds me of something other than airsoft. Based on the dilapidated buildings visible in the photos, they were taken somewhere other than Finland. Based on the names of the people in the photos, I would conclude that they were taken either around St. Petersburg in Russia or possibly in the eastern parts of Estonia.*

Pavel N., partial image of the original image.

“Airsoft” training “out there somewhere.”

A picture of the area where Russians living in Finland also go to practice “airsoft.” Location likely near St. Petersburg, Russia. 

The pictures inevitably remind me of the pictures from years ago that were published from the Partizan camps organized by the Russian Imperial Movement or from the camps of the Evraziyskiy Soyuz molodezhi i.e. ESM, which were attended by teens and a young adult from the eastern parts of Ukraine years before the war started by Russia in 2014. (12 and 13) ESM’s ideological “youth camps” were events where Eurasianism (or neo-Eurasianism) was spread to Russia's neighbouring countries through the networks created. Along with Evraziyskiy Soyuz molodezhi, similar activities were also carried out through Mezhdunarodnoe Evraziyskoe Dvizhenie, both based on the ideas of Aleksandr Dugin.

When browsing the social media network of Pavel N and his friends, there are also other persons of Russian background who declare their place of residence in Finland, who have delivered material aid at least since 2014 to the war zone of eastern Ukraine, more precisely, to the areas occupied by Russia. This means that, with a very high probability, they have driven to the area via Russia (at the very least guilty of the Ukrainian state border crime, at the most a lot more). “Cure Morozov,” who claims to be based in Turku, has published a picture on social media which are taken in frontline conditions, along with aid pictures.

Despite the international verdict and Russia's extensive war crimes, February 24, 2022, has not formed a limit to Russian support for Russia by Russians living in Finland or pro-Russian Finns. As can be seen from the Helsingin Sanomat article, Pavel N has been sharing PMC Wagner’s recruitment ads on social media since February 24, 2022, but has gone even further. I know of at least one case where a man of Russian background who moved to Finland a few years ago (before the corona pandemic) – Yevgeni K – has returned to Russia to participate in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Yevgeni K’s background is so interesting that you would think it would also arouse our authorities. According to reliable information, before moving to Finland, he worked in Russia in special forces under the Ministry of the Interior in St. Petersburg and/or the Leningrad region, rising to the rank of officer. He moved to Finland after his service contract ended. Those who know him suspect (justifiably) that Yevgeni K hid his true work history and background when he arrived in Finland.

It can at least be stated that, so far, the actions of our authorities regarding the investigation of the actions of those who fought in the Russian forces have been quite lax. Coincidentally, just today Ilta-Sanomat published an extensive article that talked about the long-running investigation by the Häme police and The National Bureau of Investigation, the target of which is a Russian man living in Finland, who, according to Ukrainian sources, has fought in the PMC Wagner owned by Yevgeni Prigozhin. (14) It is noteworthy that the man was treated as a possible witness in the chain of events related to the shot down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

Image from the Ilta-Sanomat article, July 8, 2023.

It is interesting that Suojelupoliisi – Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) has not publicly paid attention to the Finnish foreign fighters who fought in the forces of Russia in Eastern Ukraine. Instead, in his national terrorism threat assessment published this spring, Supo warns about individual extremists who have traveled to fight on the other side, i.e., with the Ukrainian forces. A journalist from Helsingin Sanomat asked Supo what they think about those Finns who have participated in the war in Donbas on the Russian side – “Does Supo consider them a security threat? What kind of security risk can they cause when they return to Finland?” (15) Supo’s answer was that they have nothing to comment on. Instead, according to researcher Kacper Rekawek, who specializes in foreign fighters who fought in Ukraine, foreign fighters who have returned to their home countries and fought in the ranks of Russia are especially now a security threat – “In practice, they are Russian agents.” (16)

The same evasion on the part of our authorities was already noticeable years ago, when I made a request for an investigation into the activities of Johan Bäckman and Janus Putkonen. I covered the case in more detail in my blog on December 4, 2021. For those who can’t read the blog, I state that the National Prosecution Authority decided that there is no reason for a preliminary investigation. I was hoping that tšuhna has caught on since then, but I’m afraid I’m wrong. The Russians are still laughing at the naive tšuhna!

 

Marko

 

Sources:

1. https://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000009511795.html  (Behind paywall). 

2. https://kioski.yle.fi/omat/kioski-pietarin-trollitehtaalla 

3. https://ir.lv/2018/11/30/russias-hand/ 

4. https://vartiopaikalla.blogspot.com/2017/12/kaiken-takana-on-backman.html 

5. https://www.verkkouutiset.fi/a/venalaisten-yhdistys-tuomassa-voitonpaivan-kuolemattoman-rykmentin-marssia-suomeen-64692/#194c9420 

6. https://vartiopaikalla.blogspot.com/2019/03/kalastelua-johan-backmanin-verkoilla.html 

7. https://yle.fi/a/3-12153718 

8. https://yle.fi/a/3-12210484 

9. https://www.iltalehti.fi/ulkomaat/a/ccc85850-6026-4ef4-9b2a-2e673a603fef 

10. https://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000009578041.html 

11. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/british-man-prorussian-forces-ukraine-jailed-terrorism-benjamin-stimson-a7842521.html 

12. https://m.vk.com/partizan_kurs 

13. http://anton-shekhovtsov.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-alexander-dugins-neo-eurasianists.html 

14. https://www.is.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000009701271.html 

15. https://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000009511795.html 

16. https://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000009511795.html 

*: When analyzing the networks of people of Russian background living in Finland, it is also revealed that at least some of them have connections with the Russian imperialist Russian Imperial Movement, or RIM, headquartered in St. Petersburg. As well as to members of RIM who have fought in the Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

RIM organizes military training for various groups in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. The courses organized by it have also been attended by members of the Nordic Resistance Movement. I would not consider it impossible that Russians living in Finland would go to RIM’s camps to train. Yes, maybe at these camps they practice that “airsoft”!

Note – In the near future, I will translate the continuation of this blog into English, where I will be more specific about the connections of Russians living in Finland to Russian extremists, such as the Russian Imperial Movement.

#StandWithUkraine 

The wish of an “ordinary” Russian living in Finland: The media in the West should also talk about the war in Ukraine from Russia’s perspective

 

This text is based on my Finnish-language blog “The wish of an ‘ordinary Russian’: The media in the West should also talk about the war in Ukraine from Russia’s point of view” (Fin. ”Tavallisen venäläisen” toive: Median pitäisi lännessä kertoa Ukrainan sodasta myös Venäjän näkökulma), which I published on April 30, 2023. For the information of the reader, I have expanded the article with regards to the observations about Finland. The reader must note that the Russians living in Finland used as examples have lived in our country for years or even decades, so their actions supporting Russia and sacrificing Russia cannot be explained by the fact that they have only lived in Finland for a short time. In fact, some of them have previously been highlighted in the media as Russians well integrated into Finland.

The reader must note that the Russians I used as examples in text, have lived in Finland for years or even decades, so their actions supporting Russia and sacrificing Russia cannot be explained by the fact that they have only lived in Finland for a short time. In fact, some of them have previously been highlighted in the media as Russians well integrated into Finland.

 

The wish of an ‘ordinary Russian’: The media in the West should also talk about the war in Ukraine from Russia’s point of view.

From the moment when Russia expanded its war in Ukraine in February 2022, we in Finland have been repeatedly reminded that this is Vladimir Putin’s war, the Russian regime’s war against Ukraine. As Russians flee under the threat of mobilization to their neighbouring countries and through them even further to safety from the mobilization carried out by the state apparatus, it was repeatedly claimed to us in the Finnish media that opponents of Vladimir Putin and opponents of the war are fleeing Russia because of the fear of being sent to the front. At most, the argument was true that these people – mainly younger men – were running away from being sent to the front. What went unnoticed was that these “deserters” were not necessarily opponents of Vladimir Putin’s regime or even the war.

In reality, most of those who escaped from Russia were not ready to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of a failed “special operation”. I suspect, however, that an unusually large number of this large group would have gladly enjoyed the benefits provided by the Russian administration – perhaps even enriched themselves to some extent. They were perhaps drunk on the national euphoria created by the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula and felt proud that Russia was no longer humiliated!

They ignored the fact that thousands of Russians had already died in the war that Russia had been waging in eastern Ukraine since the spring of 2014. They also didn’t care that their country had drifted into totalitarianism – it was enough for them that money came in, they could go abroad and find foreign luxury products in Moscow or St. Petersburg. What about the fact that the majority of Russians could only dream of such things, that millions of Russians did not even have an indoor toilet and running water. So, were they just innocent bystander victims that a brutal regime tried to send to the slaughter like sheep, or were they cogs in the machinery that allowed Putin’s regime to continue and evolve in an even more totalitarian direction? Let’s not forget the German theologian Martin Niemöller’s poem “First they came ...” (German: Zuerst Kamen sie ...) when we think about questions of responsibility.  

What if we here in the West were a little naive when we let them out of Russia, at the same time we painted a picture of them that even the blind saw was a false lie?

 

In my writing, I do not directly answer the questions I posed above, but I believe that my text shows what I think about the innocence or guilt of the Russians (citizens), as well as what I think about the reactions and actions of our decision-makers here in the West.

Naturally, a nation of more than 140 million inhabitants can accommodate many different opinions, there are people who oppose the war – for one reason or another, as there are also those who support the war. From the point of view of this writing, it is not significant what the reason is for opposing the war, for example. In my opinion, based on whether a person supports or opposes the war in Russia, it cannot be directly concluded whether he supports Vladimir Putin’s regime or not; nor how he sees the future of Russia – as a totalitarian state or something else.

In Russia, there are plenty of different groups that support imperialism and resort to violence, which view the Russian regime with disdain – even negatively. On the other hand, Vladimir Putin’s administration has tolerated numerous extremist groups, such as the Russian Imperial Movement, because the administration has been able to use them to promote its own policies in Russia and outside the country’s borders. These groups have also been tolerated in Russia, as long as their activities do not threaten Putin’s regime. It is a kind of social contract, but nothing guarantees that the Russian administration will follow such (silent) social contracts. With the extensive war of aggression against Ukraine, the Kremlin broke one such so-called agreement with the Russian middle class.

In the West, we also have a somewhat idealistic image of some Russian opposition politicians, due in part to the fact that these politicians and their support groups, such as Alexei Navalny and his supporters, have fallen into the teeth of the regime. The lives of these politicians have been threatened – they have even been trying to assassinate, and their supporters have been persecuted. So, it’s no wonder that we see these politicians and their supporters standing in the same crowd as us. At this point, we are perhaps a little too naive in imagining that there can be no contradictions between us and them. Regardless of my statement, I definitely consider the popular politics that Vladimir Putin's regime was not opposed strongly enough in the West to be wrong, because “even if Putin is authoritarian, his successor can be even worse”.

Still, millions of Russians, whatever they think of Vladimir Putin, see, and feel that Russia is much bigger than its current geographical borders. They also support the imperialist policies of their country! This kind of thinking also manifests itself in Russians abroad, which erupts on the surface as grumpy behaviour or endless victimization, where Russians see themselves as victims who are treated badly by the West. Many of them lack the ability and desire to critically evaluate not only their own actions, but also the actions of their country! Which can also be seen in the fact that they do not take responsibility for their own actions, in fact many Russians are not even able to understand the consequences of their actions! Retreating from responsibility, stating “I’m not a political person” is no longer enough. Silence is also an act, a choice, which is preceded by the decision to be silent! Not taking a stand is therefore a choice, commitment!

Former hockey star Aleksandr Barkov senior will not be able to skate from responsibility with his statement, which he uttered in an interview with Ilta-Sanomat on January 1, 2023.

“What do you think about Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine?

– I don’t want to go terribly deep, but I’m against all the wars that happen in the world, he says and stops.

- - -

Barkov doesn’t feel that he has the expertise to evaluate world politics, but he clearly is in his sorrows.

– Yes, it's [war] a bad thing. I want the best for the world. It is up to the politicians to resolve these issues.” (1)

Barkov was not asked to take a position on world politics, but to give his opinion on the criminal war of aggression, in which Russia is bombing civilian targets, and in which its soldiers are torturing and murdering Ukrainians. He couldn’t do that; he chose to be silent!

While Aleksandr Barkov prefers to remain silent rather than take a stand, the Russian-born municipal politician from Lappeenranta, Ekaterina ‘Katja’ Marova (Left Alliance; Vasemmistoliitto) is not content to just remain silent, but she repeats the Russian narrative in her statements, hoping for news from the media that would also report Russia’s views on the background of the war, such as the fear of NATO expansion. (2) Underlying such a wish must be, at least on some level, the belief that Russia’s irrational fear of a NATO attack on Russia is correct.

At the point when Ekaterina Marova gives a hundred thumbs up to a social media post that questions the guilt of the Russians for the Bucha massacre last year, then we have already stepped over the border of conventionality. Bucha was de-occupied in March-April 2022, at a time when Marova commented with a thumbs-up that the evidence of Russia’s guilt was crushing. It was no longer about individual civilian casualties – deaths caused by warfare – but mass executions, murders of prisoners, suspected war crimes, etc. Marova confirms the narrative spread by Russian propaganda about Bucha’s staging, instead Sofia Kazakov, who was also a parliamentary candidate of Valta kuuluu kansalle-party, and has a Russian background, openly spreads Russian propaganda and disinformation as well as anti-Semitism.

And as my readers may have noticed, the “ordinary Russian” in the title of my blog is a person of Russian background living in Finland, who has lived in a world saturated with Western media messages, but still wishes to hear the Kremlin’s narrative through. Perhaps it is also appropriate to ask what has been done wrong here in Finland? And have the Finnish media offered enough up-to-date information to Russians who think like Marova and challenged them to examine events critically?

A Russian living in Finland who thinks like Marova does not come as a surprise to me. Apparently, they have integrated into Finland, but their spiritual home is not in Finland! They don’t necessarily seek information from the Finnish (Western) media, as many turn a blind eye to the actions of their administration, because it makes life easier here in Finland in their society. And when enough people do this, it silences even more gravel voices (opponents of the regime). In the end, a significant part chooses to remain silent and be an apolitical person, in which case it is easier for a small, loud, and aggressive group to control positions, opinions supporting the Russian regime, etc.

Russians living in Finland have also been guilty of harassing Ukrainians and spreading deliberate lies, e.g., a year ago in spring a woman of Russian background who worked as an entrepreneur in the healthcare sector spread lies about the bad behaviour of Ukrainian refugees. (3) The woman in question, who works as an entrepreneur in Helsinki, did not actually work at the refugee centre in Juuka, where she claimed to have worked and met Ukrainian refugees.

A year ago, a car parade was organized in Finland by the Suomalais-venäläinen RuFi association in honour of Victory Day. (4) In the past, the RuFi association has organized marches of the Immortal Regiment in Finland, for the first time on May 9, 2017. In an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, the president of the association, Daria Skippari-Smirnov, defended the civilian casualties caused by the Russian war of aggression, while in the same interview spreading Kremlin propaganda about the bombings carried out by Ukraine –

“Of course, when there's a war, the bomb might hit somewhere else. It cannot be avoided…”. (5)

Before the car parade a year ago, a WhatsApp group of Finno-Russians discussed bringing weapons to the car parade, the same group also incited hatred against Ukrainians. (6) According to my information, there will be no march of the Immortal Regiment in Finland this year, just like no motorcade. On the other hand, this follows the line defined by the Kremlin, as the marches of the Immortal Regiment are banned in Russia as well.

For Finno-Russians or Russians living in Finland, participation in Russia’s war in Ukraine has its own chapter. Some of them have enlisted in the volunteer forces provided by Russia since 2014, but I also know of individual Russians who have returned to Russia after February 24, 2022, with the sole purpose of enlisting in the Russian armed forces or the forces of other security organizations in Russia. I will return to this theme and observations later this year.

In my writing, I have discussed the theme of the collective responsibility of Russians for the war in Ukraine, through examples created by Russians abroad. Similar examples can also be found in other European countries, such as Germany. (7)

What about those who live in Russia? At this point, it would be extremely easy for me to use opinion polls as evidence, which prove that Vladimir Putin still has solid support in Russia, from which it can be concluded that the war (in Russian terms, a special operation) still has solid support in the country. This despite the fact that since February 24, 2022, Russia has killed tens of thousands of its soldiers in Ukraine – with the total number of fallen and dead and missing already well over a hundred thousand soldiers. In this case, I see opinion polls as secondary evidence, even though they prove that the majority of Russians stand behind the actions of their government. Just like they’re behind the atrocities and crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.

On the other hand, the spiritual atmosphere in Russia, as well as among many Russians abroad, shows that introspection has not been practiced, as well as no self-criticism – which is also supported by the examples from Finland.

Social media platforms reveal in their own harsh way how “ordinary Russians” relate to the atrocities of their compatriots in Ukraine. In this case, it must be considered that commentators from different groups form a one-dimensional sample of the entire nation. Millions of Russians do not have the opportunity to access the Internet regularly, on the other hand, this group is mainly dependent on the programs of Russian state television channels, so it is more than likely that they sympathize with the war as well as with the brutal murder of Ukrainians. So, I believe that the photo collage below with explanations describes the attitude of Russians towards their countrymen in Ukraine crimes committed quite well.

You can find quite a lot of messages from Russians like the examples in the photo collage on Telegram, YouTube, and many other social media channels. The messages convey an image of a country and people that are morally degenerate and corrupt!

The arrogance and contemptuous behaviour of the Russians and those who support them no longer even amazes me. A little over a year ago, I imagined that this kind of behaviour would slowly fade away, but still this group of Russians behaving like jerks is the one who controls the space while other Russians stay out (or are content to be silent). The Russians also seem to get energy for their actions from their ability to “play victims” and see the reason for the bad treatment of Russia and Russians only in other countries and peoples. The fact that the state is totalitarian and the punishments for opponents of the regime are long is also not a defense for the Russians. Nor is it that, being apolitical individuals, they protect their loved ones (or even want to maintain their relationship with them).

These do not serve as a defense, because we have seen Russians go to resistance individually or in groups, the bravest have taken up arms and gone to war against their countrymen. There are also critics of the Russian regime in Finland, some of the Russians living in Finland are very active on social media, fighting against the lies of the Kremlin, so the explanation “I am an apolitical person” is nothing more than an excuse to remain silent.

If Russia intends to one day return to the ranks of civilized nations, the Russians collectively have a considerable period of introspection and review of their own actions - and not only their own, but the entire country’s past actions ahead of them is a critical review and reconciliation! Without this, Russia should be kept isolated until there is a will to critically examine the past and to atone for its actions.

 

Marko

 

Sources: 

1. https://www.is.fi/jaakiekko/art-2000009293343.html 

2. https://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/art-2000009239132.html 

3. https://yle.fi/a/3-12450742 

4. https://yle.fi/a/3-12436052 

5. https://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/art-2000008779634.html 

6. https://putinintrollit.fi/2022/05/05/suomenvenalaisten-whatsapp-ryhmassa-keskustellaan-aseiden-tuomisesta-venaja-mieliseen-kulkueeseen-ja-lietsotaan-vihaa-ukrainalaisia-vastaan/ 

7. https://www.rferl.org/a/germany-pro-russia-rallies-discrimination/31795983.html 

Original blog in Finnish: ”Tavallisen venäläisen” toive: Median pitäisi lännessä kertoa Ukrainan sodasta myös Venäjän näkökulma.

RuFi ry – part of Russian propaganda and influence in Finland. 

#StandWithUkraine 

RuFi ry – part of Russian propaganda and influence in Finland

 

Finland is called a promised country for associations because their establishment threshold is low, and associations have a long history in our country. Thus, the associations also operate as a channel of influence and recruitment channel for state organizations, which is also known in Russia.

Russia seeks to influence Finns in numerous ways, one such route being registered associations and groups founded by civic activists. I will briefly review the RuFi ry, i.e., Suomalais-venäläinen RuFi ry (the Finnish-Russian RuFi ry) and its activities in recent years. (Note: ry = rekisteröity yhdistys, registered association).

RuFi ry rose to the headlines for the first time in the spring of 2017 when organizing the first “Immortal Regiment-March” in Finland. (1) More than a hundred Finns and Russians living in Finland took part in the march. The photographs also showed the presence of individual activists from the Suomi Ensin movement, which belongs to the right wing. Marco de Wit, the founder and those time leader of the Suomi Ensin movement, visited the occupied Eastern Ukraine in July 2016 with a Finnish propaganda group.

Prior to this spring’s “car parade” RuFi organized a total of three immortal regiment marches, in 2017 and 2018, and in 2019. During the coronavirus pandemic, RuFi did not organize an immortal regiment march, anyway, between the beginning of 2020 and the end of 2021, the organization lived a quiet life until in December 2021, the group became again active on social media. After Russia attacked Ukraine on several fronts on February 24, 2022, RuFi’s activity on social media increased. So, the car parade held on May 8 was a natural continuation of this activation. According to a Facebook article published by the organizers of the “car parade,” the procession supports Russia “in its difficult struggle against Nazism and fascism and Russophobia”. (2) In practice, the car parade was a demonstration of support for Russian imperialism and the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

There is a very wide right of demonstration in Finland, due to which it was not possible for the authorities to ban the car parade in advance, because the organizer was an association that is not banned or whose activities have not been restricted in any way. Demonstration in Finland does not require a permit, it is enough for the organizer to report the protest to the police.

Photo from the Immortal Regiment march (car parade) of Helsinki from May 2022, photographer unknown.

RuFi’s previous actions

As I wrote, RuFi ry has organized the March of the Immortal Regiment three times, in 2017 and 2018 and 2019. More than a hundred Russians living in Finland and their supporters took part in the first march of the immortal regiment, and the third march on May 9, 2019, was attended by more than 150 Russians living in Finland as well as their supporters. Pirkko Turpeinen-Saari, a well-known SKDL (Suomen Kansan Demokraattinen Liitto, English Finnish People's Democratic League) politician and former Member of Parliament, also took part in the third march. Turpeinen-Saari has also become known as a contender for the massacre of Srebrenica by the Serbs and an inventor of various conspiracy theories. (3) In her view, Srebrenica is a United States propaganda operation. Daria Skippari-Smirnov, the then chairman of the association, was responsible for organizing the third march, as well as previous marches. According to Skippari-Smirnov, the chairman of RuFi ry is currently a man named Heorhi Mirashnichenka, who according to the register of associations is the vice-chairman. (4)

The Immortal Regiment march in may 2019, Skippari-Smirnov in a brown coat and garrison cap in her head.*

In addition to the marches of the immortal regiment, RuFi and its prominent actors, such as Daria Skippari-Smirnov and Marina Muhonen, have also participated in other events in support of Russia and its imperialist policies. Such as the opening ceremony of the “Representation” of the Donetsk “People’s Republic” established in Helsinki together with the members of Suomi-Novorossija-Seura (Eng. Finland-Novorossiya Society) from the end of 2017. Prior to that, there was the “Embassy of Novorossiya” in Finland, which was replaced by that embassy.

However, readers should be aware that this “representation”, like its predecessor, does not have the status of an official embassy. Finland has never recognized the “people's republics” of Donetsk or “people's republics” Luhansk, nor has it given official status to their “embassies”, even though the people behind the “embassies” claim so. So, the nature of the “embassy” of Novorossiya in Finland as well as the “representation” of the “People’s Republic” of Donetsk has been clearly propagandistic and disinformative. The out-of-date website continues to share disinformation and direct unfair allegations against our authorities. (5)

Declaration of the Friends of the Donetsk “People’s Republic”, Daria Skippari-Smirnov and Marina Muhonen from RuFi also as signatories.

Johan Bäckman and Daria Skippari-Smirnov (RuFi ry) in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, March 2018.

During the so-called presidential elections in Russia in March 2018, the Finnish delegation traveled to the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. In addition to Johan Bäckman, the travel group also included Daria Skippari-Smirnov and a few other Finns. The trip can be described as propagandistic in content, marked by the fact that, at the same time, Russia was holding illegal presidential elections on the occupied Crimean Peninsula. Finns, Johan Bäckman participated in these so-called elections as an “election observer”, a few other members of the Finnish group visited “polling stations” at the time. (6) In addition to Daria Skippari-Smirnov, Chairman of the RuFi, at least Marjaliisa Siira, an active member of the Rauhanpuolustajat, reported on her visits to the “polling stations”. At the same time, Siira spread a lot of disinformation and propaganda.

In addition to the above, Eero Hult, who were candidates for the Finnish municipal elections, Svetlana Mustonen and Ludmila Odintsova took part in public appearances during the visit. The delegation’s most prominent proposals included the opening of a direct flight connection between Helsinki and Simferopol and the proposal to establish a Finnish-Russian business and cultural centre on the occupied Peninsula. These proposals, like the others, are mainly part of theatre and propaganda, so there is no need to give them more space in this context.

On 19 March 2019, Ukraine imposed sanctions on private individuals pursuant to a decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, at which time sanctions were also imposed on Daria Skippari-Smirnov, chairman of the RuFi ry. One reason was her actions on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. At that time, in addition to Skippari-Smirnov, sanctions were imposed on Johan Bäckman, Janus Putkonen, Jarmo Ekman and Jon Hellevig (deceased 26 May 2020, Moscow), as well as Kai Paananen and Oleg Usachov, a Russian living in Finland. (7)

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, RuFi’s representatives prominently participated in various events held in Finland, which were united by the dissemination of Russian disinformation and its attempts to influence abroad. A particularly prominent speaker on RuFi was chairman Daria Skippari-Smirnov, who, in addition to her interviews with the Russian media, gave a presentation at the Hybrid Wars and Finland discussion event in Helsinki in March 2019. The discussion was organized and moderated by Johan Bäckman. At the same time, the event was the launch of the book “Hybrid Wars” wrote by Russian professor and political scientist Igor Panarin. Since that work, Panarin has published at least one more book via Johan Bäckman Publications’. Given the current situation, we can say that Panarin does not have at least the gifts of a fortune teller.

At that discussion, Skippari-Smirnov's presentation was about the (human) rights of the Russians and the war on information – the topic is interesting in that the (human) rights of the Russians are being trampled on today, if anywhere, in Russia. This presentation, as well as the event, must be seen in its context, it was nothing more than the dissemination of disinformation combined with an attempt to destabilize our civil society, as is clear from the performers and topics. Many of the performers participate in various groups disseminating conspiracy theories, such as Jarmo Ekman, or in counter-media and social media projects that try to break social peace, such as Juha Korhonen, the topic of his presentation was “lies in the mainstream media and blackmailing the free media”. Korhonen sees traditional media as false, which tarnishes counter-media.

RuFi has strongly supported the Russian war in Ukraine even before the large-scale offensive that began on February 24, 2022. In addition to the previously signed declaration of friends of the Donetsk “People’s Republic”, this is reflected in the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation, as well as in participation in events that support the goals of the Russian regime. As an association, RuFi had time to be active on social media for years, as it also previously had a website (rufi.fi) whose domain has now been taken over by an outsider and which conveys its greetings to the Russians through the web pages. The Russian embassy has also taken note of the association’s activism in the past, although otherwise the embassy – in public – kept a certain distance from the association’s activities. The car parade in May this year was at least morally supported by the Russian embassy. (8)

Certificate of Merit for Daria Skippari-Smirnov, signed by Nikolai Zemtsov, Member of Parliament, Russia.

I consider it very probable that the activation of RuFi is due, at least in part, to the activities and messages conveyed by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which have also been passed on by the Russian Embassy in Helsinki. In the example (picture below), the Russian Embassy in Finland asks you to report conspiracies, discrimination and hatred against Russians to your tweet email address. The same message has been passed on by the Russian Foreign Ministry – their communication also speaks directly of “Russophobia”. A fashion term that the Russian administration deliberately and intentionally misuses to suppress objective and appropriate criticism of the regime. A term used to stigmatize critics of the Russian regime.

In addition to the visible influence, RuFi activists participate in the WhatsApp group of Russians in Finland, which was hotly debated before the May car ride. Screenshots of the group’s discussions show that the Russian-speaking group is spreading Kremlin hate propaganda against Ukrainians and inciting violence. A group of about 80 people was formed in mid-April and has been named the Autokulkue. (9) One of the most active members of the WhatsApp group is Daria Skippari-Smirnov, former chairman of RuFi.

The discussion in the group follows the same lines as Russian state propaganda. In the discussion of the WhatsApp group, Ukrainians are also being demonized and de-humanized. The group is even proposing to bring shovels (in the car ride) so that the Ukrainians can be buried. Even such writing causes nothing but laughter in the group. (10)

This post is largely based on a blog “RuFi ry – Venäjän pienimuotoista vaikuttamista Suomessa”, I wrote in Finnish earlier in May.

 

Marko 

 

Sources:

1. https://seura.fi/asiat/ajankohtaista/video-voitonpaiva-helsingissa-pursui-neuvostonostalgiaa-ja-venalaisia-kansanlauluja/ 

2. https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12429485 

3. https://www.turpeinen-saari.net/blogi/2015/07/10/424 

4. https://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/art-2000008779634.html 

5. https://dnrhelsinki.com/ 

6. https://www.fakeobservers.org/biased-observation-database/details/baeckman-johan.html 

7. https://www.president.gov.ua/storage/j-files-storage/00/65/10/26ff8d8c25d2081f4e3666cba71bddf9_1553072270.pdf 

8. https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12429485 

9. https://putinintrollit.fi/2022/05/05/suomenvenalaisten-whatsapp-ryhmassa-keskustellaan-aseiden-tuomisesta-venaja-mieliseen-kulkueeseen-ja-lietsotaan-vihaa-ukrainalaisia-vastaan/ 

10. https://putinintrollit.fi/2022/05/12/vierasblogi-mita-keskustelut-suomenvenalaisten-whatsapp-ryhmassa-kertovat-venajan-kulttuurista-ja-propagandasta/ 

*: Photo by Marko Enqvist.