‘Target destroyed’ Two days after Russian missile allegedly downed passenger plane, pro-war Telegram channels circulate propaganda video of Santa Claus being blown up over Moscow

Russian pro-war Telegram channels have begun sharing a propaganda video featuring Father Frost — the Russian counterpart to Santa Claus — sitting next to an air defense operator as he launches a missile at the sleigh of the Western Santa Claus. After the missile destroys Santa, Father Frost declares, “Good! We don’t need anything foreign in our skies!” The video surfaced in the days following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in western Kazakhstan, which was allegedly caused by Russian air defense forces. However, an actor featured in the video told journalists that it was filmed well before the incident. Here’s what we know about the clip, its origins, and how the Internet has reacted.

Russian pro-government and pro-war Telegram channels have begun circulating a holiday-themed propaganda video that shows Santa Claus being shot out of the sky by Russian air defense forces.

The clip begins with Santa flying over Moscow in his sleigh, carrying missiles with the NATO logo instead of gifts. “Ho, ho, ho! Hi, Russians! Here are your presents! Happy New Year!” he says in English.

Santa then cries “Holy shi—“ before being blown up by a missile, which turns his sleigh into a fireworks display. The camera cuts to the air defense system operator, who is sitting next to the Russian version of Santa Claus, Father Frost. “Target destroyed,” the soldier says. “Good,” says Father Frost. “We don’t need anything foreign in our skies!”

It’s unclear who made the video. The Russian Telegram channel Ostorozhno, Novosti, which said it received the clip through its Telegram suggestions bot, reportedly identified the actor who played the air defense operator as Dmitry Melnikov. He told the channel that he can’t name the entity behind the clip because he signed an NDA, but he noted that the video has nothing to do with the December 25 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in western Kazakhstan, which appears to have been caused by Russian air defense forces. Melnikov said the clip was filmed weeks ago.

Journalist Ilya Shepelin, who studies Russian propaganda, wrote on X that the clip was produced by RT, though he did not provide evidence.

“It seems that [RT head Margarita] Simonyan decided that since the video was made, money was spent, and they need to report on it and release it online, [they decided] they might as well not just shelve it,” Shepelin said. “Plus, who knows — maybe Margo’s national feelings towards Azerbaijan as an Armenian play a role here.”

One Ukrainian Telegram channel called the video the “cringe content of the day.” Meanwhile, a popular X account dedicated to the aviation industry mocked Father Frost’s statement in the video that Russia “doesn’t need any foreign objects in its skies”: