Pro-Kremlin youth group, Nashi (“Ours” or “Our Kind” if translated) has made headlines for everything from suspected fascism to confirmed synchronized breeding. Now, a disgruntled Nashi member admits to infiltrating an opposition group. In a tell-all with the Moscow Times, the disillusioned activist says she coordinated 30 young informers to join and subsequently rat out banned opposition organizations and their members. Yabloko had a feeling those new interns were too good to be true!
Nashi’s spy kids targeted three unsanctioned dissident groups in particular: The youth branch of anti-Putin group Yabloko, the National Bolshevik Party (whose name speaks for itself), and chess master Garry Kasparov’s United Civil Front, which calls for “electoral democracy.” The undercover Nashi agents provided Kremlin higher-ups with word of planned opposition events, along with the photos and personal information (contact numbers included) of activists and leaders. For their services, Nashi moles were rewarded 20,000 rubles ($550) per month, while the blabbermouth coordinator in question saw 40,000 rubles ($1,100).
Collected information traveled through a Nashi hierarchy and ultimately found itself on the desk of Vladislav Surkov, Dmitry Medvedev’s right hand man (or rather iron fist) and the likely mastermind behind Nashi.
In sum, this is bad news for the coordinator, and no news for the opposition, or anyone vaguely familiar with Russian history, for that matter.
Nashi Activist Tells of Snooping for Kremlin[The Moscow Times]