Pro-war memes, Z symbols and blue and yellow flags: Russian influencers at war

As the government tightens its grip, some social media stars are speaking out, while others are pivoting to propaganda

Dasha smirks at the camera and says in a baby voice: Hi, I missed you all." It is 11 March, a few weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, and the blond 19-year-old Moscow-based influencer with 126,000 Instagram followers is posting to her stories. I wasn't on social media for over a week and I want to talk about my news and the news of the world," she says.

After taking a weekend trip to a friend's dacha in the countryside, Dasha posts videos of her friends laughing, making pancakes or playing party games. The atmosphere is warm, the alcohol flowing. The next tile shows Dasha looking solemnly at her phone. I was constantly watching the news to understand what was going on in the world and one thought wouldn't escape my mind ..." she writes. Next tile: Maybe I should leave Russia?" in bold red letters. In smaller black text underneath, she elaborates: At least for a little bit of time, until the situation calms down and we have a better understanding." There is a question box for followers to answer: What do you think about this?"