Russia Tries to Stage a Bust of Ukrainian Nazis, Accidentally Buys a Wig and The Sims Instead of SIM Cards
A reported Russian disinformation plot seemed to hilariously fall apart when news watchers noticed that their props included 3 copies of The Sims video game.
BBC journalist Francis Scarr reported on Monday that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) is claiming to have arrested a group of Ukrainian neo-Nazis who were planning to assassinate Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov. Scarr said the organization claimed to have confiscated “one IED, eight Molotov cocktails, six Makarov pistols, a sawed-off shotgun, a grenade, over 1,000 rounds of ammo, drugs, forged Ukrainian passports, and ‘nationalist literature and paraphernalia’” after raiding the hideout of these supposed assassins.
These items sound like what a person might expect from a group of neo-Nazi killers, and the Russians have constantly tried to falsely justify their invasion of Ukraine by claiming to be on a mission to de-Nazify the country. The New York Post reports that the FSB claims the alleged plot against Solovyov was being coordinated by Ukrainian security services who are currently fending off Russia’s invading military.
As it happens, the FSB released a video from the arrest, which includes several photos where they laid out what they found on top of a bed.
And in these pictures from the raid we have a “Ukrainian neo-Nazi starter pack” courtesy of the FSB pic.twitter.com/5FSvpze1lG
— Francis Scarr (@francska1) April 25, 2022
In that photo, if you look past the neo-Nazi shirts (which look suspiciously brand new), you’ll notice that the spread includes a greenish-looking wig, a copy of The Sims 3 and 2 of the game’s expansions. This raises a number of questions about what was really going on with this “assassination attempt,” and Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat suggested Russian propagandists might’ve confused SIM cards for The Sims.
I genuinely believe this is a dumb FSB officer being told to get 3 SIMs.
— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) April 25, 2022
“Who knew they were so into The Sims 3?” Scarr sarcastically tweeted. He also included footage of Solovyov claiming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the attempt on his life as an act of revenge.
This just gets better and better
On his show tonight, Solovyov says Zelensky ordered his assassination because he “once tried to get a job on Russian state TV but wasn’t talented enough” (with subs) pic.twitter.com/ozXP81egMD
— Francis Scarr (@francska1) April 25, 2022
Photo via Francis Scarr
