Canadian Extremists Disseminate Russian Propaganda, Part II: A Growing Network Of QAnon Adherents And Antigovernment Extremists Across Canada Call For Russia To Attack Ottawa With Nuclear Weapons, Invade Canada, And Kill Trudeau; Post Content Calling For Putin To Send Aid To Canadian Rebels And For Canadians To Volunteer To Fight With Wagner Group

Following the February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Canadian extremists have been playing an outsized role in promoting pro-Russia content and propaganda on social media platforms including Gab, Telegram, MeWe, TikTok, BitChute, Odysee, Twitter, YouTube, and extremist forums, as seen in Part I of this report, which can be accessed here.[1]

As part of that process, some QAnon adherents and antigovernment extremists have expressed support for a Russian invasion of Canada, a nuclear attack on Ottawa, and the assassinations of Prime Minister Trudeau and his cabinet in social media posts on Gab and Telegram.

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AI-generated image posted online showing a nuclear explosion over Parliament Hill.

In addition to calls for a Russian attack on Canada, some QAnon adherents and antigovernment extremists have called for Russia to provide aid to potential Canadian rebels, a call which was echoed and repeated following the Wagner group's designation of the U.S., U.K., and Canada as terrorist organizations.[2] Conversely, the Wagner group is designated as a terrorist entity in Canada.[3]

Image of the February 5, 2023 declaration, signed by the PMC Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, designating U.S., U.K., and Canada as a terrorist organization.

The following report covers content by Canadian QAnon adherents and antigovernment extremists calling for a Russian attack on Canada and for Russian aid to potential Canadian rebels.

Canadian Extremists Call For A Russian Invasion Of Canada

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Canadian QAnon adherents and antigovernment extremists have repeatedly called for the invasion of Canada by Russian forces. Within a month of the invasion, a Canadian white supremacist posted a call for Russia to invade Canada "through the arctic" on his Telegram channel on March 15, 2022, stating: "Putin will destroy you & your globalist scum friends. Canada will be a leader in the world again once Russia invades through the arctic and liberates us."

Calls for a Russian invasion increased substantially in 2023, especially around February 5, 2023, the day of the Wagner declaration, during which Canadian QAnon adherents and antigovernment extremists began expressing support for various types of Russian attacks on Canadian soil.

In an antigovernment Telegram chat administered by an Alberta-based antisemite and antigovernment extremist, users called for the assassinations of Prime Minister Trudeau and Deputy Minister Chrystia Freeland and a nuclear attack against Ottawa. On January 26, the admin posted: "They have OPENLY declared war on Russia.... We have Insane CRIMINALs Running our nation."

Over a dozen users responded, with one commenting on January 26: "Let's hope Putin knows where freeland and trudy hang out and that the rest of us are on his team." Another user commented on January 30, stating: "Would it be a bad thing if a small nuke hit Ottawa when parliament is sitting .... Just asking for a friend."

Another user in an antigovernment Telegram chat posted a comment on February 3, stating: "Honestly, I pray Russia blows up ALL THE FILTH IN NATO CENTERS LIKE DC, TORONTO, OTTAWA, VAN... DANG NOW I am gonna be on my knees asking for forgiveness."

Canadian QAnon Adherents And Antigovernment Extremists Call For Canadian Veterans To Volunteer With The Wagner Group And For Russia To Aid Potential Rebels

A prominent Canadian QAnon influencer posted a summary of the Wagner declaration and called for Canadian veterans to volunteer with the group, ostensibly to fight in Ukraine or as a liberation force in Canada, in a Gab post dated February 12, 2023, writing: "Official Statement From Yevgeny Prigozhin, Commander of PMC Wagner declaring the governments of the USA, Canada, and Great Britain terror organizations!!! [...] the Wagner PMC will provide all possible assistance to the peoples of these and other oppressed countries in countering terrorist structures, such as the US government, the British and Canadian governments, the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Katiba Masina, etc. We will protect and support the peaceful population of states subjected to genocide, neocolonialism, terrorism by private, state and supranational entities. (Any veterans that have had enough with living under tyranny, jab mandates, and injustice. PMC Wagner is hiring)."

Likewise, on February 24, an antigovernment extremist posted a call on Telegram for Russia to send weapons to potential Canadian rebels, stating: "ask Putin to send arms to Canada so we can protect ourselves from a tyrannical goverment"