Alleged former members of neo-Nazi group claim its leader is Russian spy
Alleged former members of an international neo-Nazi terrorist organization are claiming its Russia-based and American leader is a Kremlin spy, according to online records reviewed by the Guardian.
The allegation that Rinaldo Nazzaro, a former Pentagon contractor and founder of the Base, listed as a designated terrorist organization all over the world, is an alleged Russian intelligence asset could bring new meaning to his group's latest effort: sabotage and assassination missions inside Ukraine to weaken the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Related: US neo-Nazi group with Russia-based leader calls for targeted Ukraine attacks
A website circulating on far-right Telegram channels is claiming to speak on behalf of former members of the Base and said it was 'exposing' the group for what it really is: the cutout of Russia's federal intelligence agency, the FSB.
The members allege that they were always suspicious of Nazzaro's behavior and worried about who his handlers really were.
'[Nazzaro] presented himself as an army veteran who has been to Afghanistan, however during gun ranges he mentioned how he's never touched a shotgun in his life,' wrote the members.
'Things started becoming really SUS when a few members could see him texting on the phone in Russian, in a fluent/at least a good level as he was writing fast and seemingly naturally, all of that alone led to the belief that [Nazzaro] might be a Russian federal asset, and at that time it was already obvious that he was flying to Russia back and forth.'
For example, when a number of Base members were first being arrested, they noted he quickly, 'gets into a plane to Russia'.
During the height of the Base's activities, it came to light that Nazzaro had worked in a top secret capacity as a drone targeting analyst for American special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, but there were no records of him being in ground combat.
The ex-members also claimed how the Base's latest venture into Ukraine, where it is offering cash for operatives to carry out assassination and sabotage missions, is a Russian intelligence operation that is gaining traction. Recent videos online show the Base burning military vehicles with Ukrainian license plates, electrical boxes, and other activities inside the country.
The writers said the new Base cell in Ukraine was 'bigger than any other fedop' carried out by Nazzaro.
'[Thus] not only are they trying to disrupt the system but also dislocate the Ukrainian forces which AGAIN furthers the interests of Russia,' they said.
Other evidence provided to the Guardian shows that whoever is running the account for the Base's Ukraine cell on Telegram, has paid for a bot army to up its follower numbers into the tens of thousands.
'How does The Base have money for so [many] bots and rewards for actions?' wrote a user affiliated with the website on Telegram. 'I wonder who funds them.'
Nazzaro has increasingly leaned on Russian digital infrastructure to operate his global organization. Posts calling for attacks on Ukraine first appeared on the Base's VK account, which is hosted in Russia and run by Nazzaro. The recruitment email for the Base is also a Mail.ru address – the email provider of a well-known ally of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
Nazzaro, however, has repeatedly maintained that he is not affiliated with any spy agencies, even making an uncanny appearance on Kremlin state television in 2020, telling a reporter that he 'never had any contact with any Russian security services', something the ex-members also reference.
'That these accusations are also coming from alleged former members of the group is particularly interesting, given inside knowledge of the group they may have and Nazzaro's role within the global accelerationist white power movement,' said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a far-right analyst who saw the website and allegations circulating.
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