Navy veteran, Sarah Bils, provided pro-Russia propaganda for months

Sarah Bils at a cake cutting ceremony while she was in the Navy. (The Telegraph)

Sarah Bils built up an online persona, making people believe that she was someone living in Ukraine. She used the name “Donbas Devushka” which means “Donbas Girl.” As a person “living” in Ukraine, in an area occupied by the Russians, she spread pro-Russia propaganda. However, her tropical fish interest, coupled with her not covering her tracks, lead to her being uncovered as Sarah Bils, a Navy veteran, from New Jersey.

From The Telegraph:

Donbas Devushka emerged after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

She built up a sizeable social media following on Twitter, Telegram and YouTube, emerging as the face of Russian propaganda, raising money and selling merchandise for the Russian cause.

And according to the Wall Street Journal, the Donbas Devushka Telegram account played a key role in the dissemination of intelligence documents allegedly leaked by Airman First Class Jack Teixeira, by reposting them onto an array of obscure online chat rooms. However, Ms Bils denied being personally involved.

“I obviously know the gravity of top-secret classified materials. We didn’t leak them,” she said.

Using assorted pseudonyms including CheburekiVibes, MeatballSubZero, YuGopnik, GhostofLugansk, she has amassed 135,000 subscribers to her podcast on which she broadcasts with a cod “Russian” accent.

Several of her Twitter accounts were suspended, but undaunted she built up Donbas Devushka’s disinformation empire — branded “girl and cat against the whole world”.

Ms Bils has been unmasked by the North Atlantic Fella Organisation — NAFO — which devotes itself to raising funds for Ukraine and combating disinformation.

As Donbas Devushka, she posted photographs on Twitter, giving her first name as Mila. She also created a YouTube channel last July and then another Twitter account, under the handle @Luganskforlife.

She also, at least on social media, claims to be an expert on geopolitics and history. In one profile, Ms Bils says she is studying at the online School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University.

Sarah Bils claims that she was forced out of the Navy due to her left-wing views. The Telegraph has the rest of the article here. Fox News provides more information on Sarah Bils’ time in the Navy. She lost a couple of ranks on her way out and is currently under investigation for her possible role in spreading the leaked classified documents.

Category: Russia, Ukraine, Veterans in the news