The video, published on Sept. 24, cites Yan Gagin as a “military-political
expert” working with Russian proxies in Donetsk Oblast. Gagin told the propagandists
that invading Russian troops found “satanist instructions” near Kurakhove,
Donetsk Oblast, allegedly left behind by Ukrainian soldiers.
Gagin presented staged photos showing black candles, a grenade placed inside a circle, a skull, a drinking glass, and what he described as “a pentagram made of assault rifles.”
“This gong, this pentagram made of guns, clearly shows that the kit was meant for soldiers,” he said in the video. He also showed an inscribed sheet he referred to as the “instructions” to build a “satanist altar.”
The propagandists told viewers that the “initiation rites” of Ukrainian “nationalist battalions” involved human sacrifices “resembling the offerings of modern pagans.” None of these claims is supported by credible evidence.
“If you think your life is pointless and your work is
foolish, remember there’s always military-political expert Yan Gagin analyzing
the ‘instructions’ for a fake satanic altar from Kurakhove,” Ukrainian
journalist Denys Kazanskyi quipped on social media.