What unites the March attack from the grenade launcher of the Polish Consulate in Lutsk, Rivne proclamation of the people’s Republic, as well as protests of the people, posing as poles in Lviv, and the Bulgarians in Odessa? The security service of Ukraine believes that the focal point of all of these shares were one person: Nikolay Dulsky of the marginal nationalist organization “Emery”.
According to the head of the security Service of Ukraine Vasily Gritsak, Dul hiding in Russia. From there Russian money through a network of his associates in the Ukraine, he managed to organize a series of provocations. Near Lviv detained two of his accomplices who participated in the organization of protest “poles”, to block the route (Lviv — Rava-Ruska, approx. TRANS.). Each of the 150 protesters allegedly paid 200 hryvnia. Proof of guilt of the detainees and serve Dulsky intercepted encrypted messages they exchanged. In Odessa detained the member of the movement “Emery”. There “professional the Bulgarians”, which was supposed to appear in the Bulgarian consulates and to demand to protect them from harassment and discrimination from the authorities, paid five times more. The budget for the entire operation amounted to 80 thousand hryvnia. In Rivne, where protesters demanded the establishment “Rivne people’s Republic”, with the organization of the rally stood apart from Dulsky, the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov, who is also in Moscow.
Analyst of Foundation “Center for studies Poland-Ukraine” Dmitry Borisov believes that submitted by the Ukrainian security services, the scenario looks quite plausible. “In order to “arrange”, “organize” and “coordinate” actions in the Ukrainian media describes its activities, not necessarily physically present at the place of the action. There were performers. To organize something like that, enough to have a Signal app, Viber or Messenger. Moreover, the costs of such events does not exceed the amount that can be transported across the border,” — said the expert.
Despite the fact that the SBU carried out a series of arrests and gathered evidence, the Ukrainians still have not managed to find a key figure — a man who fired at the Consulate in Lutsk. He Dulsky, who is considered a coordinator of provocation, denying that he is hiding in Moscow. In response to allegations of the Ukrainian authorities, he published a video in which he said that he is being persecuted Kiev, and the movement of “Sandpaper” is the “only real opposition”, opposed to Petro Poroshenko. He added that he regularly changed his place of stay is in the moment of recording video in Odessa.
“It is noticeable that Dul tries to portray itself as a Martyr. He can succeed, because, though his message will not get to the mass audience, in some Ukrainian circles to it can listen,” — said the head of the Center for the study of propaganda and disinformation Adam Lelonek (Adam Lelonek). And he adds: “Dulsky refers not only to the Ukrainian nationalists, but also the Russians and the “padded jacket”, that is sympathetic to Russia of the Ukrainian society. He tries to reach the poles. Some time ago, in broken Polish, he talked about his Polish roots.”
Bully, provocateur, the tool of the Kremlin
The alleged “brain” of provocation is interesting, though vague in the past. On its activities before the Maidan is unknown, in fact, nothing, except that asserts itself Dulsky, he was the champion of Europe on Sambo. Public activity began in 2014. She was a wild Dul acted as the activist of the extreme nationalist groups. Together with his colleagues from “Emery”, he denounced in Kiev, casinos and brothels, allegedly linked with Pro-Russian separatists, and catching pedophiles, saying that, disappointed by the effects of the Maidan, decided to join the fight for the moral rebirth of Ukraine. In 2015, he even participated in the elections of Kyiv mayor, becoming the candidate of the party of former Moscow mayor Alexander Omelchenko “Unity”. Soon, however, activities Dulsky started to arouse suspicion, including in circles, which is considered a Bastion of Ukrainian nationalism.
“In 2016, Dul drew the attention of the Civil case “Azov”. It was then that he began to organize in Kiev shares, the subject of which coincided with the interests of Russia. They actively covered by Russian and separatist media,” — says Borisov.
It was, in particular, appeals to make a “third Maidan”, which once again swept away the power in Ukraine. Some time later “screaming” beat Dulsky, after which he appeared in Moscow in the Studio and openly Pro-Kremlin Abkhaz news Agency Anna News. This was followed by new rebellions, for example, on the popular Russian channel NTV, where he played the role of “regular Ukrainians”, strengthening the image of Ukraine that Russia is promoting. As suggested by Adam Lelonek, past and current activities Dulsky fits in perfectly with the methods and goals of the Russian information war, even if, as in Rivne, Odesa or Lviv, it at first seems ineffective.
“People like Dul is one of the many tools that the Kremlin uses its information operations. All the links are independent from each other, but their steps if necessary can be coordinated. These actions are not always addressed to the West, they mainly serve the purposes of Russian propaganda. With their help, you can check how things are going with the logistics and organization of their people on the ground, and at the same time to draw a broad picture of the situation in Ukraine is unstable, Kiev pursues ethnic minorities. This operation is not an end in itself but part of a larger plan” — the expert concludes.
