At Russia’s flagship university, Moscow State University (MSU), there is also a group of pro-war activists: the MSU Student Patriotic Organization (SPO MSU).

SPO MSU activists raise funds to purchase equipment for Russian soldiers and mercenaries fighting against Ukraine and help deliver the supplies to the battlefield.

On their Telegram channel, they announce collections for what they describe as «humanitarian aid» and publish thank-you messages from «our guys». There is one notable detail about this pro-war network: its activists go to considerable lengths to conceal their identities, even from their fellow MSU students.

It is time to take a closer look at who is behind the masks.

Andrey Yuryevich Trutnev

Founder of the СПО МГУ (SPO MSU) Telegram channel. He is personally involved in collecting equipment for Russian soldiers and mercenaries and delivering supplies to the battlefield in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Andrey Trutnev is the son of Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.

In 2023, Andrey Trutnev enrolled in the master’s program at MSU’s Faculty of Law. On social media, he maintains the image of an athlete while carefully concealing his support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

# Maria Yuryevna Trutneva

Administrator of the SPO MSU Telegram channel. In 2023, she completed her first year at Moscow State University. She is responsible for collecting donations to support Russia’s war effort, with her bank card details listed among the payment information.

Maria Trutneva is the daughter of Yury Trutnev. This means that at least two children of the senior Russian official have been involved in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Yury Trutnev is himself an active supporter of Russia’s war against Ukraine and has repeatedly traveled to the occupied Donbas for propaganda appearances. As Russia’s presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, he also oversees regional authorities on issues related to mobilization.

In December 2022, for example, Trutnev personally inspected the readiness of mobilized troops at a training ground in Uspenovka, Sakhalin Region. He has since been placed under sanctions by six countries.

The younger Trutnevs may have good reason to keep a low profile. Their family ties to a senior Russian official under sanctions could make public support for the war considerably less convenient. Apparently, there is a way to have both: surfing in Miami and playing soldier with militants in Donbas.

Kantemir Valeryevich Balkizov

Administrator of the SPO MSU Telegram channel. In 2023, he enrolled in the master’s program at MSU’s Faculty of Law, where he studied alongside Andrey Trutnev. Balkizov moved to Moscow from Nartkala, a city in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkarian Republic.

Balkizov appears to be pursuing a career in law enforcement. In 2023, he began working as a public assistant to a prosecutor. At the same time, he has reportedly been involved in supplying Russian forces occupying Ukrainian territory.

The apparent contradiction is striking: someone working toward a career in Russia’s law-enforcement system is simultaneously involved in activities that the investigation links to several offenses under the Russian Criminal Code, including Articles 205.1, 210, 222 and 239.

This is another example of the gap between Russia’s official law-enforcement rhetoric and the activities of some of the people working within or alongside the system.

Islam Nabiyullaevich Osmanov

Administrator of the SPO MSU Telegram channel. In 2023, he enrolled in the master’s program at MSU’s Faculty of Law, where he studied alongside Andrey Trutnev. Originally from Derbent, Dagestan, he later moved to Moscow.

Osmanov has been involved in collecting and delivering equipment for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. He is also active in pro-war Z-chats, where he appears eager to show fighters from the self-proclaimed “DPR” that Moscow State University has its own supporters of the war.

External Links

Sakhalin Against War — first investigation and identification

OsintFlow — identification and publication of personal data:

• Andrey Trutnev
• Maria Trutneva
• Kantemir Balkizov and Islam Osmanov

T-invariant — detailed reporting on Andrey and Maria Trutnev:
T-invariant