Anti-Western Blog Author Unveils Clip Showing Kremlin Allegedly Bringing Down Saint Nicholas
Anti-Western Blog Author Unveils Clip Showing Kremlin Allegedly Bringing Down Saint Nicholas
It appears the "Battle against Christmas" is genuine, as a pro-Russian military blogger disseminated a video on the Telegram messaging app on Friday depicting Santa Claus being brought down by Russian defense systems while flying over Moscow.
The video initially appeared on the pro-Russian Telegram channel Pul N3, with the caption "Santa Claus flies over Russia for the final time."
The video commences with standard holiday celebrations before transitioning into footage of Santa in his iconic red attire, carrying several NATO-marked missiles in his sleigh. Playing in the background is the tune "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," with Santa delivering the message in English, "Hi, Russians! Here are your presents," alluding to the Western-supplied weapons and military equipment sent to assist Ukraine in its nearly three-year-long conflict with Russia.
As Santa takes a sip from a can of Coca-Cola, the camera pulls back to reveal an air defense missile streaking towards the sleigh, resulting in an explosion.
Ded Moroz Initiated the Attack
In a peculiar twist, the scene changes to a Russian military command center, where a serviceman is observed seated beside Ded Moroz, a legendary figure similar to Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus.
Also recognized as Morozko or Grandfather Frost, Ded Moroz maintains popularity in East Slavic countries and has long been an essential part of Russian culture. Despite being outlawed in the early Soviet era, Ded Moroz was subsequently reclaimed by Soviet authorities and employed to diminish the emphasis on consumerism and capitalism. In recent years, Moscow has promoted Ded Moroz as part of its attempts to weaken Russia's connections to the West.
It comes as no surprise then, that Russia's "anti-Santa Claus" ordered Saint Nick to be taken down.
After the missile hit its target, in Russian, Ded Moroz inquired, "Is that it?"
"Yes, the target is destroyed," the Russian serviceman responded.
"Good. We don't need anything foreign in our skies. Happy New Year," Ded Moroz said as he embraced the serviceman, who reciprocated, "Same to you! Happy New Year to all."
Santa: A Threat to NATO?
Although the video was not produced by the Kremlin, Ukraine's Disinformation Counteraction Center claimed it nonetheless served to strengthen Moscow's stance that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is a result of NATO involvement.
"Russian fear of the 'NATO threat' has reached new heights. Russian propagandists have shared a 'social video' showing Santa Claus being shot down by Russian defense systems near the Kremlin," the Disinformation Counteraction Center said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Terrible Timing
The timing could not have been more unfortunate. The video of Santa Claus being taken down by a Russian air-defense missile was released only two days after an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer jet crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, claiming at least 38 of the 67 lives on board. The aircraft had attempted to land in Grozny, Chechnya, twice but was diverted due to the presence of Ukrainian drones and fog to the Aktau airport across the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan.
U.S. officials informed CNN on Thursday that preliminary indications suggest a Russian anti-aircraft system may have brought down the passenger jet.
Videos and photographs released to the media indicate the Azerbaijan Airlines plane had damage from shrapnel, but the cause of the holes remains unconfirmed. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency attributed the plane's crash to a collision with birds.
"Russia's approach thus far has been intriguing," geopolitical analyst Irina Tsukerman, president of Scarab Rising, said. "The parody is no coincidence. It's a message to both the West and Baku, implying that one Santa Claus, as a symbol of Western culture, is off-limits; and two, that Russia is even prepared to shoot down Santa Claus if necessary. It's a subtle yet clear threat."
In essence, it appears to be a war on Christmas, or at least Christmas as celebrated in the West.
"It is evident that the shooting of Santa Claus would not be well-received by anyone and positions Russia as a belligerent, unpleasant, and humorless nation," Tsukerman concluded. "The image is shocking and negative. However, what Russia is doing now is just doubling down on its aggressive stance, almost daring the international community to confront it with any effort to enforce international norms."
- The dissemination of the video on social media sparked discussions about Russia's view towards Santa Claus being associated with NATO, as the Santa in the video was depicted carrying NATO-marked missiles.
- The pro-Russian military blogger who shared the video on Telegram also mentioned Ded Moroz, the Russian counterpart of Santa Claus, who was seen in the video ordering the attack on Santa.
- In response to the video, Ukraine's Disinformation Counteraction Center stated that the video strengthened Moscow's stance that NATO is involved in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
- The release of the video came at a sensitive time, just two days after an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan, with some speculations suggesting a Russian anti-aircraft system may have been involved.
- According to geopolitical analyst Irina Tsukerman, Russia's decision to release the video is a clear message, implying that they consider Western culture as a threat and are prepared to take extreme measures to protect their sovereignty.