Latest news with #Sandpit
Scottish Sun
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Desperate Putin brainwashing TODDLERS with cartoons starring baby Trump to indoctrinate kids ‘as early as possible'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TWISTED Putin's brainwashing programme has plunged to new depths with a dystopian propaganda cartoon aimed at toddlers. The animated kids' show uses toddler versions of world leaders to plant pro-Putin and anti-Western sentiments before kids can even walk or talk. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 16 Sandpit features animated versions of Putin, Trump, Macron, Musk, Erdogan and Kim (top left to bottom right) Credit: Telegram 16 A gentle, wide-eyed Putin with a bear and a ship symbolising the Black Sea Fleet Credit: Telegram 16 Putin's propaganda machine targets children to boost support for his faltering war Credit: Alamy Putin's chief propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov, spearheaded the new show called Sandpit. The producers say its aim is to "instil patriotism from an early age" and teach Russian infants to "discuss geopolitics". A 30-second trailer posted on Solovyov's Telegram account shows toddler versions of Putin, Trump, Macron, Musk, Erdogan and Kim Jong-un chatting on a video call. At one point, Kim tells Macron he shouldn't be allowed to hang out with the others because 'you're always with your grandma' - a jibe at the French president's wife, Brigitte, who is 24 years his senior. When Trump asks why their call is taking place on a Russian video app, Putin fires back with a jab at Western technology: 'Because your Skype cut out, that's why.' Speaking to The Sun, Dr Alasdair McCallum, a Russian propaganda expert at Australia's Monash University, says: "The Sandpit cartoon is taking things to new extremes. "You have these quite bizarre AI-generated cartoons aimed at toddlers. "The aim is to indoctrinate from as early as possible - before they can even walk.' Dr McCallum thinks the message in the trailer couldn't be more obvious. He explains: 'The idea is that Russia is strong and the West is weak, so Trump, Macron and Musk are depicted as goofy and incapable of making strong decisions, whereas the little toddler version of Putin is very strong and composed.' Inside Putin's chilling 10-year plot to build army of West-hating 'child zombies' to prepare for war with Nato Putin, whose face appears kind and calm, is shown wearing a crisp white judo uniform. Next to the Russian president sit a teddy bear, a symbol of national identity, and a black toy ship, representing the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet. Meanwhile Kim, who is currently sending troops and weapons to back Putin's war in Ukraine, comes across as missile-mad, gripping a toy rocket tightly with both hands. Towering missiles also loom in the background of the dictator's room - which, with its lack of windows, resembles a bunker. And to drive the point home further, Kim's email address - BigBadaBoom@ - is a blatant nod to explosions, paired with the mock domain of North Korea's capital. Erdogan, whose email address is LuxuryTurkey@ is also portrayed in a wildly exaggerated style. Wearing the traditional fez, the Turkish president appears against an ornate, Ottoman-inspired backdrop. While presidents like Erdogan and Macron show cracks of anxiety, Trump and Musk grin smugly. The businessman-turned-president sits in a gaudy room, while the Tesla CEO appears fixated on his toy car. The cartoons even have their own avatars: Putin is a bear with a red star, Kim is a mushroom cloud and Trump is the pope blessing worshippers. Many of the references will sail right over kids' heads, Dr McCallum admits, but he says they serve the additional aim of shocking the rest of the world. He explains: 'A lot of Russian propaganda has a kind of shock element to it. "This is why you often see extreme messages about the amount of nukes they could drop on Britain.' He believes the timing of the show's launch is far from a coincidence. UK intelligence revealed in early June that Russia has suffered huge war losses, with about one million of its own soldiers either killed or wounded in the war in Ukraine since February 2022. 16 Sandpit aims to 'instil patriotism from an early age', according to its producers Credit: Telegram 16 A missile-mad Kim Jong-un is shown holding a toy rocket Credit: Telegram 16 A distressed Macron is teased over his older wife Brigitte, who is called his 'grandma' Credit: Telegram 16 Putin has ramped up propaganda aimed at children Credit: AP "They need to replenish that manpower, they have to try to indoctrinate them early,' says Dr McCallum. But he finds it hard to imagine any of Solovyov's eight privileged, Western-educated kids - born to three different women - dying on the front line in Donetsk. "It's always the lower echelons of society that get fed into this propaganda mill and then go to fight and die,' he adds. Sandpit comes as the Kremlin ramps up efforts to target children - both Russian and Ukrainian - with state propaganda. At Russia's Victory Day parades, prams are turned into cardboard tanks and babies are dressed in tiny army uniforms. Youth groups like Yunarmiya, along with school visits featuring war veterans, actively expose kids - even as young as preschool age - to the world of weaponry and military culture. While boys are targeted with militaristic messaging, girls are fed pro-natalist narratives, pushing them toward motherhood and care-giving roles, says Dr McCallum. Teenage girls are reportedly paid as much as £1,000 to have babies in more than 10 regions across Russia, including Oryol and Yaroslavl in the west, and Kemerovo in Siberia. A TV show previously called 'Pregnant at 16' - intended to discourage teenage pregnancies - was rebranded as 'Mama at 16' in January. Each episode now opens with the more optimistic phrase "I'm expecting a child" instead of the former "I'm pregnant". The channel that airs 'Mama at 16' also broadcasts similarly themed shows like 'Supermum', 'Maternity Ward Days', 'Call Me Mum' and 'Mama at 45'. Its website reads: 'Yu is a reality show network about the most important things for a young woman: family, children, mother-in-laws, mums, friends and, of course, love.' 16 Russian President Vladimir Putin and leading TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov Credit: East2West 16 Who is Vladimir Solovyov? VLADIMIR Solovyov is a leading TV presenter and pro-Putin propagandist. Born in 1963 to a Jewish family in Moscow, he has hosted the prime-time show Evening with Vladimir Solovyov on state channel Russia-1 since 2012. Known for his staunch support of Putin's policies, Solovyov has been a vocal advocate for Russia's war in Ukraine. On the eve of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Solovyov was sanctioned by the EU and banned from entering its member states. Solovyov at the time said: "Today is the day that a righteous operation was launched for the de-Nazification in Ukraine." In August 2022, following proposals by some EU countries to ban tourist visas for Russians, Solovyov even suggested missile strikes on Berlin, Paris, London and Brussels. At school, children face mandatory weekly lessons called 'Conversations about Important Things', where patriotism is drilled in and dying for the Motherland is glorified. The course was introduced in September 2022 - eight months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In September 2023, new history textbooks were distributed across Russian schools that glorify Russia, omit criticism of Stalin and portray the West as aggressors. Children are taught that Ukraine is a 'Nazi state' and that Russia's invasion is justified - no different to Putin's claim that it's 'a question of life and death, the question of our historic future as a people'. Dr McCallum explains: 'A central element of Russian propaganda is that Russia and ethnic Russians were the sole victors over Nazism and that Ukraine is an artificial Nazi state. "But this doesn't gel with the reality of a Jewish president [Zelensky] and support from European countries." 16 Russian children enrolled in the Youth Army are seen trying on gas masks Credit: Reuters 16 The Kremlin is trying to boost support for its military among children Credit: Reuters 16 Solovyov is a leading figure on Russia's state-run TV, where he regularly calls for the destruction of the West Credit: East2West More Russians are rejecting Putin's propaganda Contrary to popular belief, the majority of Russians do not rely solely on state-controlled TV. Dependence on state TV dropped sharply from around 90 percent to just over 60 percent from 2013 to 2021, according to the Atlantic Council. Meanwhile, over 85 percent of Russians are said to have internet access. Despite increased Kremlin censorship, independent platforms like YouTube and Telegram remain accessible in Russia. Many people also use virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions. The majority of Russians still back the war in Ukraine, according to the latest 2025 surveys from Levada Center, Statista, and VCIOM. But the data reveals a growing appetite for peace talks. Younger generations, in particular, show lower support for the conflict compared to their elders. However, experts warn that public surveys on Russian support for the war should be taken with a pinch of salt, as censorship and fear of repercussions can dictate people's responses. Over 500 Russian teenagers have been arrested at anti-war rallies since 2022, according to human rights group OVD-Info. One of them, Arseny Turbin, was just 15 when he was arrested and accused of joining the Freedom of Russia Legion - a group made up of Russian citizens fighting alongside Ukraine. He was also charged with distributing leaflets critical of Vladimir Putin and the war. Arseny was sentenced to five years in a youth detention centre in November last year - where he remains to this day. 16 A classroom of Russian children in Moscow 16 A Russian boy examines an AK-74 Kalashnikov assault rifle at a military exhibition 16 A Russian military officer accepts flowers from a girl during Victory Day parade Credit: AFP 16 The reality show 'Mama at 16' has been criticised as encouraging girls to become teen mums
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Desperate Putin brainwashing TODDLERS with cartoons starring baby Trump to indoctrinate kids ‘as early as possible'
TWISTED Putin's brainwashing programme has plunged to new depths with a dystopian propaganda cartoon aimed at toddlers. The animated kids' show uses toddler versions of world leaders to plant pro-Putin and anti-Western sentiments before kids can even walk or talk. 16 Sandpit features animated versions of Putin, Trump, Macron, Musk, Erdogan and Kim (top left to bottom right) Credit: Telegram 16 A gentle, wide-eyed Putin with a bear and a ship symbolising the Black Sea Fleet Credit: Telegram 16 Putin's propaganda machine targets children to boost support for his faltering war Credit: Alamy Putin's The producers say its aim is to "instil patriotism from an early age" and teach Russian infants to "discuss geopolitics". A 30-second trailer posted on Solovyov's Telegram account shows toddler versions of At one point, Kim tells Macron he shouldn't be allowed to hang out with the others because 'you're always with your grandma' - a jibe at the Read more about Putin When Trump asks why their call is taking place on a Russian video app, Putin fires back with a jab at Western technology: 'Because your Skype cut out, that's why.' Speaking to The Sun, Dr Alasdair McCallum, a Russian propaganda expert at Australia's Monash University, says: "The Sandpit cartoon is taking things to new extremes. "You have these quite bizarre AI-generated cartoons aimed at toddlers. "The aim is to indoctrinate from as early as possible - before they can even walk.' Most read in The US Sun Dr McCallum thinks the message in the trailer couldn't be more obvious. He explains: 'The idea is that Russia is strong and the West is weak, so Trump, Macron and Musk are depicted as goofy and incapable of making strong decisions, whereas the little toddler version of Putin is very strong and composed.' Inside Putin's chilling 10-year plot to build army of West-hating 'child zombies' to prepare for war with Nato Putin, whose face appears kind and calm, is shown wearing a crisp white judo uniform. Next to the Russian president sit a teddy bear, a symbol of national identity, and a black toy ship, representing the Russian Navy's Meanwhile Kim, who is Towering missiles also loom in the background of the dictator's room - which, with its lack of windows, resembles a bunker. And to drive the point home further, Kim's email address - BigBadaBoom@ - is a blatant nod to explosions, paired with the mock domain of North Korea's capital. Erdogan, whose email address is LuxuryTurkey@ is also portrayed in a wildly exaggerated style. Wearing the traditional fez, the Turkish president appears against an ornate, Ottoman-inspired backdrop. While presidents like Erdogan and Macron show cracks of anxiety, Trump and Musk grin smugly. The businessman-turned-president sits in a gaudy room, while the Tesla CEO appears fixated on his toy car. The cartoons even have their own avatars: Putin is a bear with a red star, Kim is a mushroom cloud and Trump is the pope blessing worshippers. Many of the references will sail right over kids' heads, Dr McCallum admits, but he says they serve the additional aim of shocking the rest of the world. He explains: 'A lot of Russian propaganda has a kind of shock element to it. "This is why you often see extreme messages about the amount of nukes they could drop on Britain.' He believes the timing of the show's launch is far from a coincidence. UK intelligence revealed in early June that 16 Sandpit aims to 'instil patriotism from an early age', according to its producers Credit: Telegram 16 A missile-mad Kim Jong-un is shown holding a toy rocket Credit: Telegram 16 A distressed Macron is teased over his older wife Brigitte, who is called his 'grandma' Credit: Telegram 16 Putin has ramped up propaganda aimed at children Credit: AP "They need to replenish that manpower, they have to try to indoctrinate them early,' says Dr McCallum. But he finds it hard to imagine any of Solovyov's eight privileged, Western-educated kids - born to three different women - dying on the front line in Donetsk. "It's always the lower echelons of society that get fed into this propaganda mill and then go to fight and die,' he adds. Sandpit comes as the Kremlin ramps up efforts to target children - both Russian and Ukrainian - with state propaganda. At Youth groups like Yunarmiya, along with school visits featuring war veterans, actively expose kids - even as young as preschool age - to the world of weaponry and military culture. While boys are targeted with militaristic messaging, girls are fed pro-natalist narratives, pushing them toward motherhood and care-giving roles, says Dr McCallum. Teenage girls are reportedly A TV show previously called 'Pregnant at 16' - intended to discourage teenage pregnancies - was rebranded as 'Mama at 16' in January. Each episode now opens with the more optimistic phrase "I'm expecting a child" instead of the former "I'm pregnant". The channel that airs 'Mama at 16' also broadcasts similarly themed shows like 'Supermum', 'Maternity Ward Days', 'Call Me Mum' and 'Mama at 45'. Its website 'Yu is a reality show network about the most important things for a young woman: family, children, mother-in-laws, mums, friends and, of course, love.' 16 Russian President Vladimir Putin and leading TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov Credit: East2West 16 Who is Vladimir Solovyov? VLADIMIR Solovyov is a leading TV presenter and pro-Putin propagandist. Born in 1963 to a Jewish family in Moscow, he has hosted the prime-time show Evening with Vladimir Solovyov on state channel Russia-1 since 2012. Known for his staunch support of Putin's policies, Solovyov has been a vocal advocate for Russia's war in Ukraine. On the eve of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Solovyov was sanctioned by the EU and banned from entering its member states. Solovyov at the time said: "Today is the day that a righteous operation was launched for the de-Nazification in Ukraine." In August 2022, following proposals by some EU countries to ban tourist visas for Russians, Solovyov even suggested missile strikes on Berlin, Paris, London and Brussels. At school, children face mandatory weekly lessons called 'Conversations about Important Things', where patriotism is drilled in and dying for the Motherland is glorified. The course was introduced in September 2022 - eight months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In September 2023, new history textbooks were distributed across Russian schools that glorify Russia, omit criticism of Stalin and portray the West as aggressors. Children are taught that Ukraine is a 'Nazi state' and that Russia's invasion is justified - no different to Putin's claim that it's 'a question of life and death, the question of our historic future as a people'. Dr McCallum explains: 'A central element of Russian propaganda is that Russia and ethnic Russians were the sole victors over Nazism and that Ukraine is an artificial Nazi state. "But this doesn't gel with the reality of a Jewish president [Zelensky] and support from European countries." 16 Russian children enrolled in the Youth Army are seen trying on gas masks Credit: Reuters 16 The Kremlin is trying to boost support for its military among children Credit: Reuters 16 Solovyov is a leading figure on Russia's state-run TV, where he regularly calls for the destruction of the West Credit: East2West More Russians are rejecting Putin's propaganda Contrary to popular belief, the majority of Russians do not rely solely on state-controlled TV. Dependence on state TV dropped sharply from around 90 percent to just over 60 percent from 2013 to 2021, according to the Meanwhile, over 85 percent of Russians are said to have internet access. Despite increased Kremlin censorship, independent platforms like YouTube and Telegram remain accessible in Russia. Many people also use virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions. The majority of Russians still back the war in Ukraine, according to the latest 2025 surveys from Levada Center, Statista, and VCIOM. But the data reveals a growing appetite for peace talks. Younger generations, in particular, show lower support for the conflict compared to their elders. However, experts warn that public surveys on Russian support for the war should be taken with a pinch of salt, as censorship and fear of repercussions can dictate people's responses. Over 500 Russian teenagers have been arrested at anti-war rallies since 2022, according to human rights group OVD-Info. One of them, Arseny Turbin, was just 15 when he was arrested and accused of joining the Freedom of Russia Legion - a group made up of Russian citizens fighting alongside Ukraine. He was also charged with distributing leaflets critical of Vladimir Putin and the war. Arseny was sentenced to five years in a youth detention centre in November last year - where he remains to this day. 16 A classroom of Russian children in Moscow 16 A Russian boy examines an AK-74 Kalashnikov assault rifle at a military exhibition 16 A Russian military officer accepts flowers from a girl during Victory Day parade Credit: AFP 16 The reality show 'Mama at 16' has been criticised as encouraging girls to become teen mums Putin's plot to brainwash schoolkids By Sayan Bose Since launching the full-scale invasion of At the heart of this campaign are the so-called "Three Pillars" of propaganda that the Tactics like compulsory patriotic education and drastic changes in Russian Russia experts say that the regime - convinced it is at war with the West - needs support from its citizens more than ever. Experts argue that by indoctrinating a new generation of patriots, the Kremlin aims to push anti-Western ideology and stop young people from turning against Putin's regime. Mikhail Komin, a Russia expert from the European Council on Foreign Relations, told The Sun: "Since the invasion of "So now he is brainwashing the children from kindergarten up to the youth studying in universities. "The Russian regime believes that a real rivalry with the West, a war with Nato has now begun and the whole world is watching it so Putin is trying to control as much population as he can." Dr Maxim Alyukov, a King's College Russia program research fellow, said Putin views children as a potential threat to his iron-fist regime. He told The Sun: "By shaping students' views early, the government hopes to influence their political attitudes and 'inoculate' them before they reach adulthood, become interested in politics, and potentially become an audience for the opposition. "Children are often used as a pretext for justifying more repressive measures. Framing repressive measures as necessary for the protection of children tends to receive less public resistance. "Many repressive policies, such as anti-LGBT measures, internet censorship and many others, were introduced in Russia using children as a justification."
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Baby Trump and Musk feature in Russian propaganda cartoon for toddlers
Baby-faced versions of Donald Trump and Elon Musk feature in a new Russian propaganda cartoon for toddlers. Animated characters of the US president and the Doge boss are to appear in a new children's television show on geopolitics launched by one of Russia's most infamous propaganda agents. Called Sandpit, the show is designed to 'instil patriotism from an early age' and teach Russian pre-school children to 'discuss geopolitics', according to Vladimir Solovyov, the cartoon's creator. Mr Solovyov has been sanctioned by the European Union and Britain for spreading disinformation that undermines Ukraine's sovereignty. A trailer for the show features animated versions of Mr Trump alongside Mr Musk, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Kim Jong-un and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, all as children, meeting on a video call. While Mr Trump is depicted in his trademark navy suit and a red tie with cockatiel blonde hair, Putin is wearing a white judo outfit, a sport in which he has a black belt, and is seen staring at a black toy ship – possibly representing his Black Sea fleet. Mr Musk, meanwhile, is pictured playing with a toy Tesla Cybertruck, while Kim clings tightly to a model rocket, in a nod to his military ambitions. In the 30-second trailer, released on Telegram, Kim suggests that Mr Macron should not be allowed to hang out with the other leaders on a holiday in Istanbul because 'you are always with your granny', in a nod to the French president's wife, Brigitte, who is 25 years his senior. After Mr Trump enquires why they are speaking on a Russian video platform, Putin replies: 'Because your Skype is dead, that's why.' Microsoft closed down the former video-conferencing platform earlier this month. Beneath their screens, the world leaders are represented by a string of avatars. Mr Trump is depicted as the pope, blessing worshippers, in reference to Mr Trump sharing an image of himself as the pontiff in the wake of Pope Francis's death. Putin's avatar is a bear wearing a Russian hat with a red star, while Kim is depicted as a mushroom cloud. SolovyovLive, Mr Solovyov's production company which financed the project, called the show 'an ambitious step into the future, where political awareness starts in infancy. The new studio from the SolovyovLive team opens the door to the world of big politics for young audiences.' 'Where else can kids discuss geopolitics with the same ease as conflicts over a shovel in the sand?' it said. 'SolovyovKids is when patriotism is instilled from an early age, and analytical thinking develops even before first grade. It's time to rethink children's television.' The release of the show comes amid a renewed push by the Kremlin to impress Putin's world view on schoolchildren. In January, history textbooks were released likening Russia's war effort in Ukraine to the Soviet struggle against the Nazis and claimed the invasion was 'a question of life and death, the question of our historic future as a people'. A Russian drone manufacturer with links to Putin's daughter this week published the country's first textbook on operating drones, as the Kremlin pushes to train one million drone operators by 2030. Mr Solovyov has been condemned by Ukrainian authorities for spreading pro-Russian propaganda since Putin's full-scale invasion. The Russian television presenter has claimed Ukrainians 'serve Satan' and are ruled by 'fascists'. He has also falsely claimed British intelligence services staged the 2022 massacre of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, alleging they chose the town because its name sounds like 'butcher'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
