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A US-based neo-Nazi terrorist organization with a leader residing in Russia is advocating for targeted assassinations and attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine, aiming to destabilize the country during its ceasefire negotiations with the Kremlin.

Established in 2018, The Base has global cells and was the focus of an extensive FBI counter-terrorism campaign that resulted in several arrests and international condemnation. However, with the Trump administration reducing FBI efforts against the far-right, The Base is now exporting its violence beyond borders.

This marks the first instance where The Base has openly aligned with Russia’s broader geopolitical objectives, suggesting possible collaboration in Russian sabotage and propaganda operations occurring across Europe.

The Base’s founder and leader, Rinaldo Nazzaro, who has a history in US special forces and now lives in Saint Petersburg, has long been suspected of being a Russian intelligence asset, with even his group’s members suspecting his ties to Russia.

The lead expert Colin Clarke from the Soufan Center posits that due to Russia’s support for the Base’s leader, there’s a likelihood that these calls for violence could be a Russian intelligence operation, as backing violent extremists is a tool in the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare arsenal.

Telegram posts by The Base are offering compensation for volunteers to carry out assaults on “electric power stations, military & police vehicles, military & police personnel, government buildings, [Ukrainian] politicians” primarily in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

The group has previously proven capable of securing funds through cryptocurrency and funds from Nazzaro, whose financial backers remain unknown.

“The remnants of the Ukrainian authorities understand their weakness, and we understand it too,” asserts The Base. “The time is now.”

This campaign is part of a broader effort to create a white nationalist enclave in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, which The Base sees as strategically advantageous due to the rugged terrain being favorable to an unconventional paramilitary operation.

Alongside posts on Telegram, The Base has uploaded nearly 50 videos since late March, showing members tagging symbols of The Base’s Ukrainian cell on city walls, starting in Kyiv and Odessa, and featuring locations in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv.

The Base is offering financial incentives for successful attacks and is currently soliciting donations to an anonymous Monero wallet.

The authenticity of the videos was confirmed by The Guardian, indicating recent activity in each city.

The Base’s aspirations in Ukraine align with the Kremlin’s persistent characterization of President Zelenskyy’s government as a potential “new Third Reich,” despite Russia harboring neo-Nazi elements and building alliances with European fascists.

Attempts to contact the Russian Foreign Ministry about The Base and Nazzaro’s presence in Russia went unanswered.

The Base’s actual presence and influence in Ukraine remain unclear, although prior incidents have involved its members getting deported or attempting to join the military without success.

Nazzaro consistently denies affiliations with spy agencies, even appearing on Russian state television in 2020 to claim no contact with Russian security services.

However, activities seem to originate from Russia, as the call to action posts were first seen on a VK account hosted in Russia and run by Nazzaro, and the recruitment email is a known ally of Vladimir Putin’s email provider.