Pro-Russia Propagandist Unmasked as New Jersey Tropical Fish Seller.

[ruet]

Last edited Mon Apr 17, 2023, 02:13 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: The Telegraph

To her devoted followers, "Donbas Devushka" - or Donbas Girl - is a Russian Jew from the occupied Ukrainian city of Luhansk, who has faithfully broadcast Kremlin propaganda for months.

But in reality, she is Sarah Bils, a 37-year-old divorcee from New Jersey and a US Navy veteran who served as an aviation electronics technician at Whitby Island in Washington State.

Donbas Devushka emerged after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

She built up a sizeable social media following on Twitter, Telegram and YouTube, emerging as the face of Russian propaganda, raising money and selling merchandise for the Russian cause.

Using assorted pseudonyms including CheburekiVibes, MeatballSubZero, YuGopnik, GhostofLugansk, she has amassed 135,000 subscribers to her podcast on which she broadcasts with a cod "Russian" accent.

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/04/17/propagandist-donbas-devushka-sarah-bils-unmasked/

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We appear to have a problem with former service members. Does this extend to active members? Also, I'd like to see who funder her when she kicked this off. Unless she got lucky, this doesn't seem like something just anyone could pull off.

NON-PAYWALL VERSION

Thanks to marble falls.

[maxsolomon]

1. "Cod 'Russian' accent"?

Wow, what a dirtbag.

[Sanity Claws]

6. Typo for odd?

or cold?

[maxsolomon]

8. That makes sense

but odd in what way? Fake?

[Sanity Claws]

9. My guess: she didn't quite get the accent

Some people are gifted in getting accents right and some aren't. Those who get it right usually have had vocal coaches.

[Blues Heron]

11. British slang for fake

Not authentic; fake
Cod as an adjective is an informal British word for “not authentic; fake “. It is of uncertain origin according to oxforddictionaries.com. Here is a celebrated example of a cod-French accent: French Taunter – Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

[maxsolomon]

12. the more you know...

i wonder if it's rhyming slang...

[Blues Heron]

13. New one for me too

Maybe it’s a reference to “C.O.D” i.e. a mail order accent. Do they have C.O.D in the U.K.? Do we still have it?

[Lonestarblue]

2. The military needs to condition future pensions on a requirement to do nothing to

undermine the United States. Those J6 insurrectionists should be required to forfeit military pensions. As should this Navy veteran actively working for a foreign enemy.

[Sanity Claws]

3. Good lord. It will take years to clean out these Russian spies.

[dobleremolque]

4. She should have to register as an agent for a foreign government. n/t

[Eugene]

7. OP article and related DU thread indicate she may be a key player in the Teixeira leaks.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217832166

A social-media account overseen by a former U.S. Navy noncommissioned officer—a prominent online voice supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine—played a key role in the spread of intelligence documents allegedly leaked by Airman First Class Jack Teixeira, reposting files from obscure online chat rooms.

A purported Russian blogger known as Donbass Devushka, which translates as Donbas Girl, is the face of a network of pro-Kremlin social-media, podcasting, merchandise and fundraising accounts. But the person who hosted podcasts as Donbass Devushka and oversees these accounts is a Washington-state-based former U.S. enlisted aviation electronics technician whose real name is Sarah Bils.

WSJ article: https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/social-media-account-overseen-by-former-navy-noncommissioned-officer-helped-spread-secrets-a4b5643b

No-paywall link: https://archive.is/HN97M

[bucolic_frolic]

10. I think it's just a different form of class struggle against a former employer

[SouthernDem4ever]

14. There has to be money involved somewhere

Unless she is just nuckin' futz.

[marble falls]

15. If she was in aviation electronics, she had a security clearance.

[marble falls]

16. Link to non paywall article ...

https://dnyuz.com/2023/04/17/pro-russia-propagandist-unmasked-as-new-jersey-tropical-fish-seller/

"According to the Wall Street Journal, the Donbas Devushka Telegram account played a key role in the dissemination of intelligence documents allegedly leaked by Airman First Class Jack Teixeira, by reposting them onto an array of obscure online chat rooms. But Ms Bils denied being personally involved.

“I obviously know the gravity of top-secret classified materials. We didn’t leak them.”"

[ruet]

17. Thank You For That.

I didn't realize it was PW'd.

[marble falls]

18. No problems! This is a very important post of yours, and I am glad I could help get it out!!!

[ruet]

19. I edited the OP to include your link.

[Tommy Carcetti]

20. So, like...the reverse opposite of the main characters in The Americans?

An American adopting a Russian accent and Russian names?