Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 19hDon't look away: Russia has killed 100 Ukrainian civilians this week alone. Today, two children were killed. This is the unspeakable terror Donald Trump and the United States are rewarding. www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-ru... 013
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Democracies have a responsibility to defend activists, journalists and communities targeted by Russian, Belarusian, Iranian + PRC transnational repression. Honoured to moderate an OSCE Warsaw Human Dimensions conference TNR panel this week co-organized by @jhrnews.bsky.social @mfaestonia.bsky.social 011
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 08/10/2026For anyone curious about US FIMI, in Vilnius or elsewhere: back in May, we published this report examining foreign influence targeting Canada through Alberta separatism, including from south of the border. @disinfo.eu disinfowatch.org/foreign-inte...disinfowatch.orgDecision Making and National Unity Under Threat - DisinfoWatchDownload the PDF version of the report HERE. Marcus Kolga, Jennie Phillips, Brian McQuinn, Bartel Van de Walle EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Foreign adversaries are exploiting the Alberta separatist debate... 000
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Ovechkin may be retiring to Mordor after this season. Canada should sanction him now and send a clear message: celebrity endorsement of Putin’s regime and Russia’s criminal war must have real consequences. @hasek_dominik @Capitals @AnitaAnandMP www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/a2e82d8...theglobeandmail.comAlexander Ovechkin used his fame to back Putin. We must remember thatThe NHL star’s appearance in an ad for Putin’s party reinforces the Russian leader’s attempt to tie patriotism to loyalty to himself 0104
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 04/10/2026It’s one thing to follow Russia’s war against Ukraine from afar. It’s another to be among those living through it every day + witness the pain and loss, but also the strength, dignity and resolve of Ukrainians who refuse to be broken. Extraordinary few days in Ukraine with JHR colleagues. 040
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 02/10/2026The story about content authored by an unknown entity appearing in Canadian media is hardly surprising. Russian GRU agent Mikhail Mikushin studied, published,+ even volunteered on election campaigns- undetected for years. Canadian naivety about foreign influence remains a gaping vulnerability.cbc.caWho is Daniel Robson? Canadian websites take down articles by suspected AI-generated writer | CBC NewsSeveral Canadian websites have taken down articles published under the name Daniel Robson, saying the writer's identity cannot be verified and was likely generated by AI. 061
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Foreign influence thrives in the dark. Expose the actors, narratives and tactics, and it becomes much harder to manipulate Canadians. In The Globe and Mail, Jennie Phillips, Brian McQuinn, Matthew Taylor and I argue that awareness is the first line of defence against foreign influence.theglobeandmail.comCanada’s best defence against foreign influence is an informed publicNo single intervention can stop it, but we can build our resilience to misinformation and disinformation 273
Reposted by Marcus KolgaDoug Johnson 🇨🇦 @smikooman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026By choosing to lend his fame to Putin's corrupt and repressive political machine, Ovechkin has made himself a prominent symbol of a regime responsible for unspeakable crimes against the Ukrainian people: nightly destruction, murder, torture, rape and the forced abduction of more than 20,000 children 1104
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Sports figures who lend their celebrity to a regime waging a brutal war against Ukraine and abducting thousands of Ukrainian children need to be held to account - including Ovechkin. Honoured to have co-authored this with a true hockey hero - Dominik Hasek. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/a2e82d8...theglobeandmail.comAlexander Ovechkin used his fame to back Putin. We must remember thatThe NHL star’s appearance in an ad for Putin’s party reinforces the Russian leader’s attempt to tie patriotism to loyalty to himself 2116
Reposted by Marcus Kolgadisinfowatch.bsky.social @disinfowatch.bsky.social · 22/09/2026A former Fox host Trish Regan is pushing Alberta referendum misinformation to her 1.34 million YouTube subscribers. She falsely calls the Oct. 19 vote a “secession vote” and pitches Alberta as America’s “51st state.” disinfowatch.org/disinfo/form...disinfowatch.orgFormer Fox News Host & Influencer Amplifies Alberta Referendum Misinformation - DisinfoWatchA U.S. political commentator, and former Fox News host, Trish Regan, is promoting the idea that Alberta could leave Canada and join the United States while misrepresenting key facts about... 063
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Ottawa cannot tolerate Kremlin officials who abuse diplomatic cover to engage in petty anti-Ukrainian vandalism, harassment and intimidation. Former Senator Stanley Kutcher and I argue that at the very least, officials who do should be expelled. ca.news.yahoo.com/opinion-cana...ca.news.yahoo.comOpinion: Canada must confront the Kremlin’s agents at homeHelping Ukraine abroad isn't enough. Russian diplomats in Canada should be heavily scrutinized 0136
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 17/09/2026The new U.S. DOJ indictment alleging Russian intelligence plots to carry out assassinations abroad should be a wake-up call for Canada . I spoke with CBC about the wider threat of transnational repression and why Canada needs to take it far more seriously. www.youtube.com/watch?v=teck...youtube.comHow Putin goes after his enemies outside of RussiaYouTube video by CBC News: The National 064
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 17/09/2026A new US DOJ indictment offers a disturbing look at how Russian intelligence targets critics abroad through assassination plots. I co-authored this Atlantic Council report on how democracies can counter + prevent transnational repression: www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...atlanticcouncil.orgAuthoritarian reach and democratic response: A tactical framework to counter and prevent transnational repressionWhen foreign governments conduct surveillance, intimidation, or enforcement actions, they undermine state sovereignty and threaten to erode public trust in institutions, representing a significant nat... 040
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Deeply disturbed by the threats directed at Canada's Tribute to Liberty and its chairman, Ludwik Klimkowski. Words have consequences. Persistent and irresponsible Kremlin aligned “Nazi” smears fuel real-world intimidation and hate. tributetoliberty.ca/content/thre... 030
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Anne Applebaum on MAGA ambitions towards Canada: “pressure the economy, break up the federation, pick up the pieces. And no, it is not a joke.” 0114
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 13/09/2026On CBC News to discuss the Canada–Ukraine agreement. Canada will benefit from Ukraine’s drone expertise, but Ukraine needs air-defence weapons now. Ottawa should press allies like South Korea to sell them immediately + expel Kremlin agents operating under diplomatic cover. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...cbc.caCBC speaks with Marcus Kolga about PM Carney and Zelensky signing a 100-year dealGet the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis. 0264
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 13/09/2026While Russian drones terrorize Ukrainian civilians and kill scores night after night, Donald Trump is more concerned with protecting Vladimir Putin’s energy revenues. One wonders what Trump’s real-estate agent discussed with Putin in Moscow. Vile. www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-po... 364
Reposted by Marcus Kolgadisinfowatch.bsky.social @disinfowatch.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Russian narratives targeting Zelensky’s visit to Canada. A network of fake Alberta websites created to shape the Alberta separatism debate with new analysis from VIGIL Strategic Intelligence on the network behind them. All in our latest DisinfoDigest: disinfowatch.org/disinfodiges...disinfowatch.orgDisinfoDigest: Foreign Narratives Targeting Canada & Ukraine - DisinfoWatchThis edition of DisinfoDigest highlights how foreign and foreign-linked actors continue to exploit political divisions, democratic debates and international crises using a mix of state media, influenc... 078
Reposted by Marcus KolgaCanada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 04/09/2026Update: OpenAI says following its own investigation, prompted by this story, it has banned the account of one of the creators of this network of websites.nationalobserver.comA US-linked network of fake websites is promoting Alberta separatism to AI chatbotsThe websites present crude, AI-generated slop disguised as the voice of real Albertans. But they're made in Florida — and they're not even targeting Albertans directly. 06828
Reposted by Marcus Kolgadisinfowatch.bsky.social @disinfowatch.bsky.social · 29/08/2026U.S. influencer Benny Johnson openly urging Albertans to separate and join US - "why wouldn't we take it by force" - to his 4.1million followers on Twitter. His video drew 250k+ views on YouTube alone. disinfowatch.org/disinfo/u-s-... 122
Reposted by Marcus Kolgadisinfowatch.bsky.social @disinfowatch.bsky.social · 25/08/2026RT amplifies JD Vance’s false claim that Canada is a leading global “trade violator”, exploiting deteriorating Canada–U.S. relations to deepen mistrust and division between Canadians and Americans. Our latest DisinfoWatch analysis: disinfowatch.org/disinfo/rt-a...disinfowatch.orgRT Amplifies Vance Claim That Canada Is a Leading Global Trade Violator - DisinfoWatchRussian state-controlled media outlet RT has repurposed and amplified remarks by U.S. Vice-President JD Vance falsely portraying Canada as one of the world’s leading “tariff” and “trade violators,” wh... 042
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Let’s not forget that Canada’s neighbours put this person in a position to do this, enabling him to relentlessly threaten and abuse us while inflicting what may be irreversible damage on the U.S.-Canada relationship. Canadians will not forget. 050
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 21/08/2026The Kremlin’s denial of the 23.8.1939 Hitler-Stalin Pact is the cardinal lie on which most others are based - including those used to justify its war against Ukraine. Black Ribbon Day ensures we never forget the truth and victims of Soviet + Nazi terror. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/a2e82d8...theglobeandmail.comThis is the history that Vladimir Putin wants us to forgetThe Russian President wants the world to believe a victim narrative about the Soviet Union. That story ignores some inconvenient facts 041
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 17/08/2026Ukraine’s successful drone strikes deep inside Russia are putting intense pressure on the economy and the Kremlin. But Ukraine remains vulnerable to relentless Russian drone and missile attacks on civilians. I discussed the latest developments on CBC’s The National: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uikb...youtube.comMassive Ukrainian drone strike batters targets deep inside RussiaYouTube video by CBC News: The National 031
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 11/08/2026Honoured to have co-authored this opinion about Canada's new Foreign Influence Transparency Registry with colleagues Sarah Teich and Gloria Fung for today's Globe. Will it work? That depends on its implementation and enforcement.... www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...theglobeandmail.comOpinion: The new foreign interference law is a good start. Will it work?The implementation of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act will reveal whether it’s a dead letter 031
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 08/08/2026Russian diplomat/FSB agent Ivan Danilenkov indulging in some not-so-sneaky anti-Ukrainian vandalism. The PM and Ms Anand should send this orc home to Putin. 3198
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 03/08/2026China is a predator, not a partner. It is helping sustain Russia’s war against Ukraine while working with Russia on anti-satellite weapons + systems designed to penetrate NATO/NORAD defenses. Charles Burton and I argue that Canada cannot ignore the Russia-China alliance. 246
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 31/07/2026More reckless, clownish foreign policy from Trump. Backtracking on Ukraine’s ability to produce Patriots will only embolden Putin and leave countless Ukrainian civilians at even greater risk from Russia’s relentless attacks. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...theguardian.comTrump backtracks from promise to let Ukraine build Patriot missilesUS president tells reporters during Camp David cabinet meeting technology ‘a hard thing to give away’ 020
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Things you can’t make up: Dugin retweets Simonyan promoting a Tucker Carlson interview with an American turncoat and a senior Russian RT propagandist, in which he gushes about Putin’s Russia. 150
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Putin’s repression extends well beyond Russia’s borders and into Western democratic countries, including Canada. Grateful to Alex Shprintsen, Terry McKenna and the CBC team for giving survivors the opportunity to share their experiences -and my own- with Canadians. youtu.be/teckdoLF0Kc?...youtu.beHow Putin goes after his enemies outside of RussiaYouTube video by CBC News: The National 194
Reposted by Marcus KolgaJournalists for Human Rights (JHR) @jhrnews.bsky.social · 15/07/2026Must-read: For DFRLab, JHR-Europe's Marcus Kolga (@marcuskolga.bsky.social) tells the stories of 2 Belarusian-Canadian activists working in support of a free #Belarus, targeted by the Lukashenka regime, even on Cdn soil, through family & property they have back in Belarus: dfrlab.org/2026/07/13/d...dfrlab.orgDistance won’t protect you: Belarusian transnational repression in CanadaProperty seizures, family interrogations, and digital surveillance show how Belarus punishes its diaspora on Canadian soil. 031
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 13/07/2026The Lukashenka regime is seizing property of Belarusian Canadians, harassing relatives + monitoring activities in efforts to intimidate them into silence. My new Atlantic Council DFRLab report on Belarusian transnational repression in Canada is featured in today’s Globe. dfrlab.org/2026/07/13/d... 085
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 09/07/2026One of Russia’s wealthiest oligarchs is now publicly warning about the looming disaster Putin has created. When Kremlin connected elite start publicly saying it, it’s a sign that Russia’s war is corroding the regime from within. economist.com/leaders/2026...economist.comThe man who would change RussiaA leading oligarch speaks out, warning of the looming disaster facing his country 1134
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 09/07/2026Russians are increasingly realizing that Putin has dragged their country into hopeless economic + social peril through an unwinnable, strategically pointless, criminal war. That realization is becoming a threat to the regime itself. Let’s help Ukraine finish the job nationalpost.com/opinion/marc...nationalpost.comMarcus Kolga: Putin’s Russia is at a dead end — Canada must help Ukraine finish the jobPutin’s war has failed to erase Ukraine or break the west. Instead, it's exposed the weakness, corruption and fear of his regime 25015
Reposted by Marcus Kolgadisinfowatch.bsky.social @disinfowatch.bsky.social · 03/07/2026Canada’s Foreign Influence Transparency Registry takes effect on August 4. So what do these operations look like in practice — and who may need to register? We created this DisinfoWatch video primer to explain: 052
Reposted by Marcus KolgaAaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 03/07/2026Trump's fair has been opened for 20 minutes today and there is still not a single soul there! 3614246786
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 03/07/2026Canada’s Foreign Influence Transparency Registry comes into force August 4. By Oct 2, Canadians acting on behalf of foreign states or collaborating with RT, Kremlin-linked think tanks + groups like the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Assc must be registered. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...theglobeandmail.comCanada’s foreign influence registry to come into force in early AugustPeople working on behalf of foreign governments or entities to influence domestic politics will have to report their activities or face fines of up to $1-million 041
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Disgraceful. Spotted just north of Barrie Ontario on Canada Day. There’s nothing patriotic about defacing our national symbols. 060
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 18/06/2026“…if Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too” - President Zelensky, June 18, 2026. 080
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 15/06/2026X, Meta, Google +TikTok shape what millions of Canadians see every day. We cannot not rely on their goodwill. My new Balsillie paper argues for a Canadian DSA, aligned w/ Europe, to demands transparency, accountability + action against information manipulation. balsilliepapers.ca/bsia-paper/d...balsilliepapers.caDefending Canada’s Information Sovereignty: Aligning with the EU’s Digital Services Act - Balsillie PapersMarcus KolgaJust as Canada works with its allies to defend its physical borders and national sovereignty, it must also cooperate with them to protect the integrity and sovereignty of its information s... 051
Reposted by Marcus Kolgadisinfowatch.bsky.social @disinfowatch.bsky.social · 14/06/2026The Kremlin is now threatening Canada over support for Ukraine’s defence industry and partnership with Ukrainian drone manufacturers. The tactic is familiar: invert blame, call Ukraine’s self-defence “terrorism,” and intimidate Canadian firms and workers. disinfowatch.org/disinfo/russ...disinfowatch.orgRussian Spokeswoman Threatens Canada Over Drone Manufacuring - DisinfoWatchRussian state media outlet TASS published a June 10 statement by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova targeting Canada over a recently announced Canada-Ukraine drone production arrang... 052
Reposted by Marcus KolgaEUvsDisinfo @euvsdisinfo.eu · 13/06/2026If sanctions ‘do not work’, as FIMI outlets frequently claim, Moscow has built an impressive infrastructure to avoid them. 34911
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 13/06/2026On June 14, we remember the tens of thousands of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians forced from their homes at gun point, forced into cattle cars + sent to Gulag camps in 1941. We must never forget + must demand justice for these Soviet Russian crimes. macdonaldlaurier.ca/perpetrators...macdonaldlaurier.caWe must hold the perpetrators of Soviet crimes to account: Marcus Kolga in the Toronto Sun | Macdonald-Laurier InstituteCanada needs to identify the few remaining Nazi German and Communist Soviet collaborators who have escaped justice for the past 80 years. 063
Reposted by Marcus KolgaRaoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights @rwchr.bsky.social · 10/06/2026RWCHR's Brandon Silver and Sr Fellows Vladimir Kara-Murza and Marcus Kolga have all appeared before Parliament in support, building on the Magnitsky legacy championed by Irwin Cotler. Read more: www.raoulwallenbergcentre.org/en/news/2026... @marcuskolga.bsky.social, @vkaramurza.bsky.social 053
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 10/06/2026Even Russia’s playgrounds are now being weaponized by Putin’s regime. Children are being surrounded by vulgar militarist propaganda that glorifies war, normalizes violence, and conditions them to accept aggression as patriotism. www.rferl.org/a/russia-pla...rferl.orgMilitarized Playgrounds Emerge In Russia As War Pushed Into Children's SpacesPlaygrounds recently installed across Russia are being constructed with an overtly militarized theme amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 020
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 08/06/2026Canadian businessman whose company sells armoured trucks to repressive authoritarian regimes, including Russia, has been sanctioned by EU but both he and his UAE based company escaped Canada’s sanctions list. Why? www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...theglobeandmail.comCanadian businessman accused of aiding Russia sanctioned by EU, but not OttawaThe government hasn’t said why it hasn’t imposed sanctions on Guerman Goutorov or his company, Streit Group 0153
Reposted by Marcus Kolgadisinfowatch.bsky.social @disinfowatch.bsky.social · 28/05/2026Russia’s “Merchant of Death,” Viktor Bout, threatens nuclear war + strikes against NATO with Alex Jones. Classic Kremlin escalation propaganda that frames Russia as victim, NATO as aggressor, and support for Ukraine as reckless. disinfowatch.org/disinfo/russ... 022
Reposted by Marcus KolgaShort Stack Fella 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @shortstackfella.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Vladimir Kara-Murza and Bill Browder will be appearing at the committee in the first hour. @marcuskolga.bsky.social is appearing in the 2nd hour. #cdnpoli #russiaIsATerroristState 141
Marcus Kolga @marcuskolga.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Great to see Canada’s MFA, Anita Anand, in Tallinn tomorrow to inaugurate Canada’s embassy in Estonia. It was an honour to help lead the advocacy to establish the embassy + I remain grateful to @chrystia-freeland.bsky.social for her leadership in advancing it. arvamus.postimees.ee/8473865/marc...arvamus.postimees.eeMARCUS KOLGA ⟩ Kanada kohalolek Tallinnas on võit eestlastele mõlemal pool Atlandi ookeaniKui Kanada välisminister Anita Anand külastab sel nädalal Tallinna, et avada Kanada saatkond Eestis, ei tähista see üksnes uue diplomaatilise esinduse avamist, kirjutab Marcus Kolga, kes on asutanud k... 194
