Maastricht

One of the founders, or as they call them, Founding Fellas, is Gavril Ducu from Maastricht. Born in Romania, he now dedicates all his time to helping Ukraine wherever possible. "I was born 56 years ago in Romania, during Ceaușescu's time. I know what it's like to live without freedom." The large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022 was the moment for Ducu to take action. "This is a war between good and evil. Russia kidnaps children, bombs schools and hospitals, murders civilians. The world needs to see this, the world needs to take action."

Fundraising

NAFO started in the spring of 2022 when Georgian volunteers on the Ukrainian side began a fundraising campaign via social media. They raised funds for uniforms, helmets, as well as ammunition and weapons. Ducu joined in, and the group of internet activists quickly grew, both in numbers and mission. "The war was immediately accompanied by a lot of disinformation. Claims that Ukraine is a Nazi state or that Russian-speaking people are being oppressed. Nonsense, of course. President Zelensky is a Russian-speaking Jew," says Ducu.

Fella

Thus, debunking disinformation became a significant activity for the group, which eventually named itself NAFO. It’s a nod to NATO, but with an F for Fella, the name members use for each other. "Our work is online. It needs to be accessible, funny, and definitely not alarmist; otherwise, the message won't get through," explains Fella Ducu, highlighting their cheerful image.

Dog

The already popular internet meme of the Shiba Inu dog was adopted by the group, and the Fellas changed their online avatars, like on Twitter, to this dog. Preferably dressed in uniform or traditional costume. This cheerful image sharply contrasted with the horrific scenes from places like Mariupol or Bucha, where civilians fell victim to Russian violence.

According to Ducu, there are more than 250,000 people worldwide who are connected to NAFO in some way. These aren't just die-hard supporters like himself, but also occasional supporters who donate from time to time or enjoy fact-checking information from the front lines, such as verifying the location and time a video was made. Others track the 'score' on the battlefield based on such footage: how many tanks and armored vehicles have been destroyed this time?

Online

NAFO went viral. More and more people donated, and the funds supported a growing number of causes. This included bullets for snipers, mine detectors to clear explosives, medical supplies, as well as off-road vehicles, ambulances, and fire trucks. Online discussions between supporters of Ukraine and those backing Russia also became more organized. To prevent these confrontations from turning into endless arguments, NAFO developed detailed guidelines.

Vatnik

How do you recognize disinformation? How can you tell if you're debating with a real person or a chatbot? Another key point: which celebrities have ties to Russia? In NAFO terms: who is a vatnik? A vatnik is a Russian word for a quilted jacket that soldiers used to wear and is now used as an insult for people who justify or support Russian aggression.

Destabilizing

For Ducu, countering disinformation is of utmost importance. "You must remember that Putin comes from the KGB. The Soviet Union's secret service not only engaged in espionage to gather intelligence but also in ways to destabilize the enemy, to sow discord. And that still happens today; we must remain vigilant." According to the Maastrichtenaar, this destabilization isn't limited to the Ukrainian war. "What about Brexit or the election of Trump? Such polarization plays right into Moscow's hands."

Ridicule

Russia eagerly exploits the internet to spread propaganda. "If you repeat a lie often enough, people will eventually believe it. And if, during election times, people see enough messages saying that others are voting for a particular person, they start doubting their own choice. NAFO aims to expose, criticize, and, if possible, ridicule these practices."

Posters

But the internet isn't the only place where Gavril Ducu shares his involvement. He also puts up posters in Maastricht to keep the war in Ukraine visible. He notices that Russian propaganda hasn't really caught on in the streets. "When I'm flyering, people are genuinely interested. They ask what it's for and scan the QR code on the posters with their phones. I might have received one negative reaction. Thankfully, you can still safely put up Ukraine posters here. And if someone were to wave a Russian flag on the street, I don't think they'd be taken seriously."

Gaining Ground

There’s another reason NAFO tries to establish a presence in the real world. Since Elon Musk took over Twitter and renamed it X, the Fellas have had a harder time on that platform. "During the Twitter era, if we started a fundraiser for something like an off-road vehicle, we’d quickly gather the money," Ducu explains. "But now with Musk in charge, you see such actions barely reach people, and it takes much longer to raise the funds."

NAFO's approach has already received praise in multiple places. The British magazine The Economist wrote in 2022 that "NAFO's lighthearted approach disguises the fact that they are waging an information war successfully."

Notable figures like Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis temporarily changed their Twitter avatars to a Fella. In the summer of 2023, NAFO received the Star of Lithuanian Diplomacy, an award from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There is also criticism, of course, from the other side. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova says that "NAFO represents everything that Europe once fought against: hate speech, intolerance, trolling, spam, bullying, and all possible forms of xenophobia."

No Way Out

In February 2022, Russia claimed that Ukraine would be defeated within three days. Now, over two years and hundreds of thousands of victims later, Gavril Ducu sees no way out other than a total defeat for Russia. "That country is so corrupt and unreliable, Putin has already broken so many treaties. Peace negotiations with Moscow are therefore pointless. Did you know that in 1994 the United States and Russia guaranteed Ukraine's borders? That happened when Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons. And when you look at all the atrocities committed in Ukraine... You can't negotiate with this Russia."

Vigilant

He emphasizes once again that we must remain vigilant. "Ukraine is fighting to survive, but also fighting for our freedom. Russia also has its eyes on the West. We must stay alert. What NAFO does in terms of fundraising is important now, but in the long term, our entire democracy must become resilient. Schools should teach about disinformation and subversion. Democracy is not something that is taken from us, but something we ourselves gradually dismantle if we are not careful."

Original article on l1nieuws.nl