A U.S. neo-Nazi terrorist group with links to Russia is offering locals payment to carry out attacks, the Guardian reported on April 5.
Russia actively tries to recruit civilians in Ukraine to spy on military targets and carry out terrorist attacks throughout the country. On April 3, at least one person was killed in a Kyiv explosion.
The Base is a neo-Nazi terrorist group established in 2018. The group's leader, Rinaldo Nazzaro, is a U.S. citizen who now lives in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Nazzaro is a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Pentagon employee.
Locals are being asked to conduct attacks on "electric power stations, military and police vehicles, military and police personnel, government buildings, (and) politicians” in various cities, including Kyiv.
"Given Russia’s connections to the leadership of the Base, including offering sanctuary to its leader Rinaldo Nazzaro, there is a strong chance that this could very well be a Russian intelligence operation," geopolitics expert Colin Clarke told the Guardian.
The terrorist group was extensively investigated by the FBI since its founding in 2018. Under U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, the FBI has cut back on investigations into far-right groups.
Previously, the Base did not align itself with Russia. The change likely means the terrorist group is carrying out sabotage across Europe, experts told the Guardian.
"Supporting and directing violent non-state actors, including racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists, is just another tool in the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare toolkit, and one which Moscow has repeatedly demonstrated that it’s willing to use," Clarke said.
The Base is designated as a terrorist group in various jurisdictions, including Canada, the EU, and the U.K.
On April 4, Yuriy Fedko, an official in Dnipro, was killed in a car explosion. Police say several possible scenarios are being investigated, including an attack ordered by Russia to destabilize the situation in Ukraine.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
