Is it true that Navalny supported “Svo” and called for joining the Wagner PMC volunteers?

In social networks there were reports that Alexei Navalny spoke in support of the “special military operation” and called on compatriots to sign up with volunteers. As evidence, a photo of an advertising poster with Navalny in military uniforms is given. We checked the reliability of these messages.

At the end of December 2022, Twitter non -Russian -language users distributed an image in which Alexei Navalny was depicted on the campaign of the Russian private armed formation “Wagner Group”. At the poster, the Russian oppositionist is represented in military uniform with weapons, as well as with the patch of Putin and with the St. George ribbon. On the background is placed sign “The Army of Russia”, as well as the inscription “The time has come to become a real patriot. I made the choice of ZA Russia the future! Have you signed up a volunteer? " and “Navalny” (the word is located vertically, the letter N is stylized under the letter Z).

For example, on December 25, this poster Published A man under the nickname Grahworin, his tweet with the signature “Wagner now uses the face of Navalny for recruitment” (translation from English) has collected more than 108,000 views. At the same time, judging by the remnants and retweets, some of the foreign users considered that Navalny personally took part in the recruiting campaign and supported “Svo” (examples here, here, here, here And here). In addition, in Runet you can find a photo in which this campaign poster with Navalny is allegedly posted as outdoor advertising (here And here).

December 21 in social networks of Navalny appeared The post on how the prisoners were recruited in the colony where it is contained. In his post, the opposition openly spoke out against the special operation and recruitment of prisoners. Below are excerpts from the text.

Imagine, it turns out, Putin Prigozhin came to my colony in order to recruit Zekov to his combat detachments of the adjutant Popandopulo. An eyewitness says: “He flew by a helicopter, all the convicts were collected at the stadium with his superiors. Prigogine is small, bald. He said: "I myself rejected ten years, I call you to become my assault rifles. Six months later, I will write a pardon to everyone, you have five minutes to think." After that, 80–90 people went to the headquarters (administration building) to be formalized, and then there was another second wave of recruitment. ” I want to say that we still do not fully understand what terrible long -term consequences will have all this recruitment.

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We will pay for this for a long time. Even if it were advisable from a military point of view, and then it would be completely unacceptable. Well, after all, from a military point of view, this is stupidity, the usual Putin-Pogozhinsky corruption mud. Putin ordered the adjutant Popandopulo to create detachments from criminals, where they break their heads with sledgehammer and arrange public executions. And all this in order to shamelessly take a piece of land from a neighboring state. The foundations of law are destroyed in Russia for the sake of future defeat in a shameful war.

A few hours later, in social networks of the press service of the Concord company (also known as "Prigozhin press service") appeared answer to request RBC publications comment on the publication of Navalny. Note that the correspondent of RBC incorrectly indicated that the opposition was held in IK-2 in Pokrov, since at that time it was already Translated In IK-6 strict regime in the village of Melekhovo. Below are part of the Prigozhin comment.

I often fly by helicopter and visit different places. A huge number of Russian patriots go to fight in the ranks of the Wagner PMC. Alexei Navalny is not among them. If he expresses a desire to go to war, of course, we will be happy about this. As they say, freedom - with a clear conscience. I am not such a large expert on Russian law as Lesha, but I do not see anything reprehensible for two reasons. The first - people can cleanse and get a second chance in life, passing through the horrors of war. The second - remember, think about it, and preferably write down to yourself: no one can take away the right to protect his homeland, his mother and his family in all available ways. I globally disagree with the policy of the state that everyone was “naval -like” gave the opportunity to escape abroad. They were obliged to collect them, form one penalty battalion and convey to me. And do not hesitate that they would all have died by heroes.

After a couple of hours, in the Telegram channel "Wagner Orchestra | Wagner ”published the aforementioned commentary of Prigozhin, and to the post, which Sicked more than 250,000 views, Attached The propaganda poster with Navalny. However, it can hardly be said that the image was used to recruit Navalny supporters based on Prigozhin’s commentary. Rather, the picture was used as a humorous meme and the joke of Navalny's supporters.

In addition, some users decidedthat the authors of the Wagner Orchestra Channel created the poster, but in fact it appeared a few months earlier. How I found out Twitter user under the nickname Michael Vokabre, the author of the poster is an artist under the nickname DELERwho allowed to use his work "without links and copyrights." We found the earliest publication with this image on VKontakte on the user page DELER ART (total 49 subscribers at the time of writing this text), where the poster laid out September 26th. Moreover exists And the second version of the poster, on which it is written "Za Beautiful Russia of the Future."

A few days later, DELER presented his project called “Liberan Za Swell” (Part 1 And Part 2). “My view of the scoundrels, who suddenly found the strength to change and take the side of the good. What people could they become if they have a conscience raised. What a mental image they deprived themselves by washing their life to a destructive, ”says the author’s signature. In addition, he explained that he initially created a poster with Navalny as a meme to “troll the hung”, then decided to make a set of similar pictures with the leaders of liberal moods.

In early November in DELER ART appeared A post with a collection of photo billboards, which allegedly posted his posters with Navalny, Harry Kasparov, Alexei Venediktov, love Sobol, Ksenia Sobchak and Lia Akhedzhakova. The signature reads: “Attention! On all billboards of the country! From the places they report: from Kamchatka to Kaliningrad, more and more frightened patriots actively (forcibly, but voluntarily) joined the action of their support! Not six months have passed. ” We checked the pictures, and all of them were changed in the photo editor.

We add that on September 13, 2022, the Popular Policy YouTube channel I went out The video in which the Navalny team spoke about the prisoners recruited by the Wagner PMC from the IK-6 colony in the village of Melekhovo, Vladimir Region, where the oppositionist was already serving time. This was the reason for creating many memes and jokes that Navalny himself was signed as a volunteer. For example, jokedthat he received the position of operator of an unmanned aerial vehicle (other examples - here, here And here).

Photo on the cover: DELER ART

Satirical news

What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. Is it true that the grandfather of Alexei Navalny worked with the Germans during the war?
2. Is it true that Alexei Navalny is the only Russian who was conventionally conventionally convicted?
3. Is it true that the “public services” released a video about how to sign up for the volunteers of “Svo”?