When Finnish researcher Pekka Kallioniemi began documenting pro-Kremlin propagandists through his VatnikSoup project in 2022, it quickly grew into one of the most consistent resources tracking disinformation networks on the X platform, with more than 196,300 followers by June 2025.
As of mid-2025, VatnikSoup has profiled seven Estonia-related entries, each revealing a different facet of how Kremlin-aligned narratives are spread in the Baltic region. Propastop does not evaluate the heroes of VatnikSoup but presents Kallioniemi’s assessments. Here are the soups Master Chef Kallioniemi made from Estonian ingredients.
Curd Soup in Conservative Sauce: Varro Vooglaid
According to Vatnik Soup, Varro Vooglaid earned his spot for consistently echoing Kremlin narratives, that vary from blaming NATO for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to spreading anti-EU and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Cloaked in nationalism and traditional values, his platform Objektiiv amplifies disinformation that aligns neatly with Russian interests.
Member of the Estonian Parliament and activist Varro Vooglaid presents himself as a defender of traditional family values — but much of his rhetoric aligns with Kremlin narratives.
Educated in Tartu and Helsinki, Vooglaid founded SAPTK (Foundation for the Protection of Family and Tradition, SA Perekonna ja Traditsiooni Kaitseks) in 2011 and runs Objektiiv, a media outlet known for anti-EU, anti-NATO, and anti-LGBTQ content. His messaging often mirrors Russian disinformation, repackaged in conservative, Christian language. He’s downplayed Russian aggression, blamed NATO for the invasion of Ukraine, praised Assad, and shown sympathy for Kremlin-style “foreign agent” laws.
Elected to parliament in 2023 via EKRE’s list, Vooglaid pushes ideas that undermine Western unity while claiming to defend Estonian sovereignty, making him a useful voice for Russian influence in Estonia. This soup scored over 132 000 views on X.
Solyanka of Soviet Nostalgia: Sergei Tsaulin
Sergei Tsaulin made a name for himself in Estonia not through civil activism or public service, but by glorifying the Soviet Union and parroting Kremlin propaganda, Vatnik Suop writes. For years, he organized “Immortal Regiment” marches every 9th of May, events branded as commemorations but functioning as vehicles for whitewashing Soviet occupation and advancing Russian influence narratives in the Baltics.
While Estonia remembers the USSR as an occupier, Tsaulin insisted on promoting it as a liberator, a message that plays straight into Moscow’s geopolitical goals. His activities were not only socially provocative but frequently illegal: repeated arrests, extremist messaging, and public gathering violations earned him several mentions in Estonia’s State Security Police (KAPO) yearbooks.
After his residence permit was revoked, Tsaulin fled to Russia and reinvented himself as a “persecuted activist.” Russian state media eagerly embraced him as a symbol of supposed Baltic “Russophobia.” Kremlin propagandists like Maria Butina and Maria Zakharova paraded him around in press conferences and fundraisers, portraying him as a victim of NATO oppression rather than a lawbreaker with a taste for extremist theatrics.
Tsaulin’s propaganda value peaked after he was injured in the same St. Petersburg café bombing that killed Russian war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Months later, in a surreal twist, he was invited to speak at the UN Security Council (during Russia’s presidency), where he denounced Estonia and alleged Ukrainian intelligence tried to assassinate him.
Now living in Russia, Tsaulin continues to organize anti-Estonian events and praise Russian war criminals as “heroes.” Once a fringe provocateur, he is now a polished pawn in the Kremlin’s disinformation machine. His soup has earned over 92 000 views on X.
Crypto-Shchi (Russian cabbage soup): Oleg Ivanov
Oleg Ivanov, the flashy crypto promoter turned pro-Kremlin political operative, rose from Estonian business circles to become one of the loudest mouthpieces for Russian disinformation in Estonia, states Vatnik Soup.
Fluent in Estonian and backed by his father, a disgraced local politician, Ivanov built a shady business empire, from failed oil ventures to pushing the fraudulent crypto schemes OneCoin and DagCoin, the latter flagged by Estonian security services for possible terrorist financing. Despite bankruptcy and debts exceeding €800,000, he flaunted a life of luxury, complete with designer clothes and Monaco holidays.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ivanov rebranded himself as a “truth-teller” through slick video blogs and protests. He joined the KOOS party — a pro-Kremlin project masquerading as a political movement, and helped flood Estonian media with propaganda: NATO as the occupier, Bucha as a hoax, Estonia as Russophobic.
He organized provocative rallies against Soviet monument removals, attended Russian state propaganda conferences calling for the “liberation” of Tallinn and Riga, and allegedly funneled Russian money to support KOOS co-founder Aivo Peterson’s legal defense in a treason case.
Once whispers of legal trouble reached him, Ivanov fled to Russia, where he was warmly welcomed as yet another “victim of Western oppression.” He now resides in Sochi, recycling Moscow’s narratives on demand.
Oleg Ivanov is a textbook vatnik, Vatnik Soup claims, blending shady business, political manipulation, and Kremlin propaganda into one self-serving brand of influence. From crypto cons to information warfare, his story is less about beliefs and more about profit and power. This soup has earned over 83 000 views on X.
Jellied Soup: Harry Raudvere
Harry Raudvere is a strange blend of nationalist businessman, neo-Nazi sympathizer, and Kremlin mouthpiece. Known for his wind farm wealth and ownership of BonBon Lingerie, popular in Russia before the war, Raudvere uses his platform to push anti-Western, pro-Kremlin disinformation across Estonia.
He has appeared on Russian state media and his own far-right outlet, Nõmme Raadio, to denounce EU sanctions, downplay Russian war crimes, and parrot Kremlin lines about NATO “provoking” Russia. He even compared the “suffering of Russians” to that of Jews, which earned him praise from Sputnik.
Raudvere’s ideological pivot from conservative to conspiracist culminated in his expulsion from Isamaa in 2022. He then founded ERE, a fringe pro-Russian party calling for Estonia to exit the EU. Despite minimal support, he remains a useful amplifier of Russian propaganda.
His associations include convicted FSB collaborators Aleksei and Viktoria Dressen (formerly linked to his lingerie business), Finnish Kremlin propagandist Johan Bäckman, and fellow Estonian vatniks Aivo Peterson and Oleg Ivanov.
Raudvere checks every box for Vatnik Soup: extremist views, Kremlin-aligned media, ties to FSB-linked figures, and active efforts to destabilize Estonia. This soup has earned over 148 000 views on X.
Cold Disinfo Soup: Oleg Bessedin
VatnikSoup describes Oleg Bessedin as one of the most prominent pro-Kremlin propagandists operating in Estonia today. Disguised as an “independent journalist,” he uses Facebook groups, YouTube videos, and shady media platforms to inject Russian disinformation into Estonia’s Russian-speaking community.
Bessedin’s history dates back to the 1990s with ties to Russian oil interests and Kremlin-backed parties. Today, he pretends to be a citizen reporter, but according to Estonia’s Internal Security Service (KAPO), he peddles Russian state propaganda, spreads lies, and even impersonates Estonian public broadcasters to build trust.
His content is textbook Kremlin messaging: the West is corrupt, Estonia is “Russophobic,” and Russia is the misunderstood savior. His social media groups like “Tallinners” and YouTube channel push narratives funded by Russian state organizations like Russkiy Mir, the Putin-established influence foundation. One series he produced, “Never-Overgrowing Russian Paths in Estonia,” was directly financed by Russian state money.
Bessedin also played a key role in promoting the KOOS party, the Kremlin’s favorite tool in Estonia, acting as its PR manager and digital agitator. His content is designed to stir division, especially around topics like Ukraine, NATO, and religious persecution, echoing both Putinist and far-right Christian nationalist narratives. This soup has earned over 221 000 views on X.
Prison Pea Soup: Aivo Peterson
Aivo Peterson, an Estonian politician from Ida-Virumaa, has become a key figure in pro-Kremlin propaganda within Estonia. As highlighted in VatnikSoup, Peterson is a “decoy vatnik” — someone so openly pro-Russian that he distracts from more discreet influence operations.
A former border guard and real estate agent, Peterson rose to prominence after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He co-founded the “Koos” (Together) movement with crypto-entrepreneur Oleg Ivanov, spreading Kremlin narratives to Estonia’s Russian-speaking population — including denying the Bucha massacre and blaming the West for a “proxy war.”
In 2023, Peterson visited Russian-occupied Donbas and Mariupol and appeared on Russian state TV. He was later arrested in Estonia for allegedly preparing a pro-Kremlin armed civilian group. Now facing treason charges, Peterson still ran for the European Parliament in 2024 from prison, earning over 11,000 votes.
VatnikSoup considers Aivo Peterson a vatnik because he is an activist who promoted Russian narratives in Estonia, denied war crimes like Bucha, and called for ending aid to Ukraine. He traveled to occupied Donbas, appeared on Russian TV, and allegedly worked with Russian intelligence to build a separatist movement through the Koos party. This soup has earned over 203 000 views on X.
Noodle Soup of Fake Neutrality: Jana Toom
According to Vatnik Soup, a well-known project exposing pro-Kremlin propagandists, MEP Jana Toom earns her place through years of soft-power politicking that consistently aligns with Russian interests.
A former Russian citizen and daughter of a Soviet Party official, Toom has opposed Estonian-language education reform, downplayed Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and repeatedly echoed Kremlin narratives in both Estonian and EU politics. From meeting with Assad and appearing on Russian propaganda shows to financing legal battles for deported pro-Kremlin activists, her record is a masterclass in walking the pro-Russia line without openly praising Putin.
Vatnik Soup highlights her as a classic example of a Kremlin-aligned actor who undermines her own country’s position from within European institutions, never crossing legal red lines, but consistently eroding support for Ukraine, sanctions, and Western unity. This soup has earned over 227 000 views on X.
With 359 entries to date, Vatnik Soup has grown into a valuable archive of Kremlin-aligned disinformation actors and tactics. Its mix of full-length profiles, guest contributions, thematic deep dives (Nuclear Crackers), and reference tools like the Vatnik Dictionary and Baseball Cards makes it both accessible and informative.
By mapping connections, exposing narratives, and naming key players, Vatnik Soup strengthens public resilience against propaganda. In a time when disinformation crosses borders faster than ever, such initiatives play a critical role in safeguarding democratic societies, Estonia included.
