Matryoshkas, Cannon Fodder and Neo-colonialism: Russia, the Machine of Evil
In the age of social media and hybrid warfare, Russia has perfected a system of power projection that combines seduction, human expendability and resource extraction. Three seemingly distinct pieces—digital "matryoshkas", foreign cannon fodder and the advance in Africa—form part of the same gear: a machine that exports influence, destroys lives and presents itself as a victim or liberator while operating with calculated cynicism. Digital Matryoshkas Since the rise of TikTok (a platform owned by China, a strategic ally of Moscow), a wave of attractive young women of Russian or allied origin living abroad has multiplied. With smiles, soft accents and constant flattery towards the host country, they gradually introduce pro-Russian narratives, nostalgic for the post-Soviet space or critical of the "decadent West". These are not just organic creators. Investigations have documented networks of influencers and accounts—some with state or para-state...