Journalists link Russian Special Forces officer to Telegram channel that sells snuff videos of killed Ukrainian soldiers

Journalists at iStories say they’ve identified a handful of soldiers and civilians responsible for the popular Telegram channel Arkhangel Spetsnaza (Special Forces Archangel), which shares with its 1.1 million subscribers “exclusive” footage of death and executions from Ukraine’s frontlines. In the first days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the channel offered detailed reports about the push toward Kyiv — specifically, Russia’s disastrous assault on Antonov Airport. According to iStories, the Telegram channel enjoyed special access here because its creator is an officer named Yevgeny Zhulidov in Russia’s 45th Airborne Assault Special Forces, which participated in the Hostomel airfield landing. Today, Arkhangel Spetsnaza has multiple revenue streams, employs numerous people, and publishes frontline reports, various manuals for Russian soldiers, and original snuff videos depicting real killings from the war.

Arkhangel Spetsnaza has eight authors: seven active servicemen and one civilian writer. iStories reports that the channel’s creator and main administrator, who uses the callsign “Athlete,” is 26-year-old Russian military officer Yevgeny Zhulidov. Leaked databases of personal information list his home address as a three-story, 600-square-meter (6,460-square-foot) mansion in an affluent neighborhood outside Moscow. Zhulidov’s old military unit, Number 28337, is based nearby.

iStories identified another channel administrator as a 23-year-old soldier named Yevgeny Aleinik, whose personal background strongly suggests that he is the son of Stanislav Aleinik, a former deputy head of Russia’s Agriculture Ministry and the current rector of Belgorod State Agrarian University. Journalists could not determine Yevgeny Aleinik’s military unit.

iStories speculates that one of Arkhangel Spetsnaza’s authors may have ties to the 8th Directorate of Russia’s Central Military Command, which guards the Armed Forces’ state secrets. In the metadata of one of the channel’s published manuals, the listed creator is Nikolai Chebrov, who shares a full name with an officer from the 8th Directorate’s Unit 31659.

The report on Arkhangel Spetsnaza also describes a small team of civilian administrators, including former funeral home worker Yulia Matveeva and Federal Emergency Management Agency employee Svetlana Sbitneva. 

The channel monetizes its content through donations and the sale of advertising and merchandise. For example, a single promoted post on Arkhangel Spetsnaza costs 54,000 rubles ($580). For a special fee, hardcore fans can subscribe to Arkhangel+, which promises “more in-depth analysis and information sharing, military service tips, scoops, insights, and opinions.” The paid channel includes even more photos and videos of killed Ukrainian soldiers, as well as recordings of their interrogations. More than 800 Telegram accounts subscribe to Arkhangel+, which costs between 500 and 1,000 rubles, generating up to 800,000 rubles ($8,620) per month.

Trying to reach Yevgeny Zhulidov, iStories contacted one of his presumed Telegram accounts — a user with the nickname “Arno Breker.” The account told the journalists that Zhulidov and Yevgeny Aleinik have not administered the channel since late 2022 and claimed that Russia’s Airborne Assault command is now running it directly.