(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread propaganda and incite violence. Last week, CEP researchers observed three videos posted by The Base on Telegram that showed arson attacks in Ukraine, targeting an electrical box, a vehicle, and a building, and a message stating that the group had declared “war on the Liberal Globalist regime in Kiev [sic].” CEP researchers also found several Telegram and TikTok accounts tied to Youth Clubs, chapters of a decentralized movement for young men under 18 endorsed by white supremacist Active Clubs. The Telegram accounts were created in February or April.
On X (formerly Twitter), CEP found 28 accounts linked to Active Club chapters in the U.S. and Europe, including four verified accounts. The accounts were still on X five days after they were reported to the platform.
On April 15, an online pro-ISIS tech channel recommended that their followers wait for official analysis from the group or its affiliates before using the Signal communications app. On Telegram, the neo-Nazi accelerationist group Injekt Division made two posts endorsing antisemitic and racist violence.
Neo-Nazi Accelerationist Group The Base Claims Three Arson Attacks in Ukraine
On April 15, 17, and 19, a Telegram channel affiliated with the neo-Nazi accelerationist group The Base posted three videos that showed an individual burning an electrical box using an accelerant, using a liquid to light the hood of a vehicle on fire, and setting a building on fire. The videos were posted in the Telegram channel dedicated to The Base’s operations in Ukraine, where the group has called for the creation of a breakaway ethnostate in the Carpathian Mountains.
The text accompanying the first video stated that the group would now go beyond graffiti, “declar[ing] war on the Liberal Globalist regime in Kiev [sic].” On March 28, the group claimed that if their demands for a breakaway state were not met, they would encourage attacks on “electric power stations, military & police vehicles, military & police personnel, government buildings, [and] pro-Kiev [sic] politicians.” While the group has posted graffiti in several areas in Ukraine, their numbers are unknown. Additionally, the group has called for “operatives” to contact them to carry out operations, noting that “a financial reward is possible for successful actions.” The Russian government has allegedly previously funded acts of sabotage in Europe and Ukraine.
The Base’s leader, Rinaldo Nazzaro, lives in St. Petersburg, Russia, and has long denied any ties to the Russian government. Nazzaro has sought recruits for the neo-Nazi network in the U.S. and Europe and even offered to pay a monthly salary to a leader of the group in the U.S. The Base has continued to post photos of alleged U.S. and European members, including photos purportedly from Spain, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Sweden from mid-March to mid-April.
Video posted on Telegram on April 15 allegedly shows the burning of an electrical box, reportedly in Ukraine. Screenshot taken on April 17.
White Supremacist Active Club Movement Promotes Youth Clubs for Young Men Under 18
On April 17, the main Active Club Telegram channel, with over 4,500 subscribers, endorsed “Youth Clubs” for recruiting boys under 18 to the movement. In an essay posted in February 2022, Robert Rundo, the founder of the Active Club movement, noted that high schools were potential recruiting grounds.
A central Telegram channel was located for the white supremacist Youth Club movement, using a logo modeled on those used by Active Clubs. The channel had over 400 subscribers on April 17 and posted content from regional Youth Clubs, the neo-fascist group Patriot Front, and Active Club-affiliated accounts. The account had been created on February 24, 2025. An explanatory post claimed that Youth Clubs were “Network[s] of pro social young white men nation wide [sic]” that participate in activism and group fitness activities. In addition to being promoted by the main Active Club Telegram account, the Youth Club account was advertised by a prominent neo-Nazi Telegram channel with over 11,000 subscribers.
Another Youth Club account, created on April 2, included various quotes from non-controversial figures as well as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and William Luther Pierce, the author of the infamous white supremacist novel The Turner Diaries.
Additional Telegram channels were found for Youth Club chapters in New England, with 55 subscribers; New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with 195 subscribers; Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C., with 69 subscribers; Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, with 31 subscribers; Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota with 14 subscribers; Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois, who specified that the club was for individuals between the ages of 16 and 18, with 14 subscribers; Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama, with 21 subscribers; and a channel for Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah, with 38 subscribers. Eight Youth Club-affiliated channels were created in February 2025, and two were created in April.
Content on Youth Club Telegram channels included stickers and flyers promoting white supremacism and photos and videos depicting Youth Club members participating in combat sports and hiking. Several accounts posted content from Patriot Front or Active Club Telegram channels. Several channels noted that they were part of the “3.0” model of white supremacism promoted by Active Clubs.
Seven Telegram channels listed the same Telegram user as the recruitment contact, suggesting a certain level of coordination for online vetting and admittance. Two Youth Club chapters had different individual recruitment contact accounts.
Seven TikTok accounts affiliated with white supremacist Youth Clubs were also located. The accounts had an average of 298 followers, ranging from 20 to 1,411.
A Telegram message announcing the formation of a regional Youth Club. Screenshot taken on April 17.
Over 25 Active Club-Affiliated X Accounts Located
On April 16, CEP researchers found 28 accounts on X affiliated with the white supremacist Active Club movement. Twelve accounts were for regional U.S. chapters, three accounts for chapters in Germany, two for Estonia, two for affiliates in Finland, and the remaining chapters in Norway, Northern Ireland, England, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, Lithuania, and France. An additional account did not cover a specific regional chapter but posted content from the entire movement.
The 28 accounts posted various propaganda videos and photos, including calls for recruitment. Two U.S. chapters posted pictures of the theft of LGBTQ+ pride flags or antisemitic and holocaust denial content. Almost all accounts (22) posted links to Telegram channels or email addresses for recruitment purposes.
The earliest account was created in February 2020, likely for a different group or individual before they rebranded as part of the Active Club movement. Seven accounts were made in 2023, 15 accounts in 2024, and five accounts were created in 2025. The 28 accounts averaged 340 followers, ranging from 13 to over 3,500. Four X accounts had blue verification checkmarks linked to chapters in Norway, Switzerland, Arizona, and Texas.
CEP reported the 28 accounts to X on April 17. CEP had previously reported five accounts to X in August 2023 or January or February 2024. The 28 accounts were still on the website on April 22.
A pinned tweet with over 2,500 views belonging to a verified X account connected to a Texas-based chapter of the white supremacist Active Club movement. The post states “You know what must be done and having to stomach to do it [sic] begins with not being alone.” Screenshot taken on April 16.
Pro-ISIS Tech Group Recommends Awaiting Official Confirmation Before Using Signal
On April 15, a pro-ISIS tech group posted on RocketChat that the group’s supporters should wait for official word before using the encrypted communications app Signal. The post noted that ISIS-K-lined al-Azaim Media had recently recommended the continued use of the Telegram app and cautioned against using the Gem Space app. The post indicated that ISIS tech operatives might still be researching Signal or have concerns about the app that are not currently public.
Neo-Nazi Accelerationist Group Makes Posts Supporting Antisemitic and Racist Violence
A Telegram channel affiliated with the neo-Nazi accelerationist group Injekt Division made posts on April 14 and 16 endorsing violence. A post on April 14 encouraged burning down synagogues, using an image of an individual wearing a skull mask and an Injekt Division logo. Text accompanying the post questioned whether the man arrested for an arson attack on the home of Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor, was a fan of the group. No information indicates that Cody Balmer has ties to the group, the extreme right, or accelerationism. On April 16, the same channel posted an image encouraging the murder of African Americans, along with a way to contact the group on an encrypted communications platform.