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Russian Telegram channels dedicated to broadcasting graphic war footage from Ukraine—including apparent executions and the mutilation of corpses—have morphed into a highly profitable online industry operated in part by civilians and teenagers, according to a new investigation.
The independent Russian news outlet IStories analyzed more than 50 channels focused on war snuff. The investigation revealed that administrators draw tens of thousands of followers, monetizing extreme battlefield violence through advertising, cross-promotion, direct donations, and paid access to uncensored material.
Rather than frontline soldiers sharing the realities of combat, the networks are predominantly managed by opportunists hundreds of miles away from the trenches, turning atrocities into a lucrative digital enterprise.
The Factory Worker’s Side Hustle
One prominent example highlighted by the investigation was "Video *** 18+," a Telegram channel that amassed nearly 40,000 subscribers.
IStories identified the channel’s founder as Vladimir Grebennikov, a 36-year-old refractory worker at an aluminum plant in Volgograd. Based on the channel's posting volume, audience reach, and current market rates, the outlet estimated the operation could generate roughly 200,000 rubles a month in advertising revenue—a significant income in provincial Russia.
By early 2026, Grebennikov had reportedly sold the channel, citing burnout from managing the relentless stream of gore.
A Teenage Enterprise
Grebennikov’s operation, however, was far from isolated. The investigation exposed a disturbing demographic trend among the administrators: a significant number of them are minors.
One major snuff channel, boasting nearly 110,000 subscribers, explicitly listed teenagers as its advertising contacts. IStories identified Denis Bogolyubov, now 19, who was handling ad sales for the channel in 2023 when he was just 16. Another teenager, Artem Prigodin from the Arkhangelsk region, was also linked to selling ads for graphic "18+" channels while still underage.
Elsewhere, the outlet identified 18-year-old Artem Filippov from Kaluga as the founder of a separate graphic channel, which he appears to have launched when he was about 15.
Investigators located at least four other administrators who are currently no older than 15. One of them, a 14-year-old schoolboy from Abakan, heavily utilized Russian military imagery on his accounts and had reportedly applied to join Yunarmiya, the Kremlin-backed patriotic youth movement.
Crowdfunding Atrocities
The monetization tactics extend beyond traditional advertising. The investigation found that some channels openly solicit funds from their audiences to pay for exclusive violent content.
In one chilling instance, an administrator sought donations to purchase footage showing a wounded Ukrainian soldier being executed. The administrator later publicly thanked a subscriber for financially supporting the Russian fighter who provided the video.
While these channels exist primarily to traffic in gore and generate profit, human rights advocates and international investigators note they are inadvertently serving a second purpose: the vast trove of graphic material they circulate may ultimately serve as critical documentary evidence in future war crimes prosecutions.
