KLEINER, Jan, Petra MLEJNKOVÁ and Miloš GREGOR. Night Wolves Motorcycle Club: A Long Way from Advocates of Democracy to Kremlin Propagandists. Online. In MARTON, Péter, THOMASEN, Gry, BÉKÉS, Csaba, RÁCZ, András. The Palgrave Handbook of Non-State Actors in East-West Relations. Neuveden: Palgrave Macmillan, 2024, p. 1-10. ISBN 978-3-031-05750-2. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05750-2_26-1.
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Basic information
Original name Night Wolves Motorcycle Club: A Long Way from Advocates of Democracy to Kremlin Propagandists
Authors KLEINER, Jan (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Petra MLEJNKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Miloš GREGOR (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution).
Edition Neuveden, The Palgrave Handbook of Non-State Actors in East-West Relations, p. 1-10, 10 pp. 2024.
Publisher Palgrave Macmillan
Other information
Original language English
Type of outcome Chapter(s) of a specialized book
Field of Study 50601 Political science
Confidentiality degree is not subject to a state or trade secret
Publication form electronic version available online
WWW URL
Organization unit Faculty of Social Studies
ISBN 978-3-031-05750-2
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05750-2_26-1
Keywords in English Night Wolves Motorcycle Club; Russia; Sharp power; Propaganda; Anti-Western discourse
Tags International impact, Reviewed
Changed by Changed by: Mgr. et Mgr. Petra Mlejnková, Ph.D., učo 119477. Changed: 17/6/2024 14:17.
Abstract
This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the Night Wolves Motorcycle Club (NWMC), examining how it has evolved from an antiestablishment counterculture group into a Kremlin proxy spreading Russian nationalist propaganda and supporting Russian military interventions, especially in Ukraine. Through a systematic literature review, the chapter analyzes NWMC’s impact on East-West relations and specific states. The findings show that while NWMC’s provocative cross-border activities, paramilitary involvement, and ties with far-right groups have increased tensions, its overall influence remains limited. The chapter traces NWMC’s changing relationship with the Russian government from its initially critical views to becoming vocal supporters and participants in foreign policy. It details NWMC’s participation in Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the ongoing Donbas conflict, and influence operations in the Balkans. Scholars view NWMC as one of many Kremlin tools for propaganda and foreign interference, albeit with marginal societal impact. The chapter examines the restrictions and sanctions imposed on NWMC by Western states and explores the group’s establishment of European chapters for advancing Russian interests abroad, eliciting security concerns. Ultimately, it argues that, while problematic, NWMC acts predominantly as a symbolic and localized disruptor rather than having major geopolitical ramifications.
Links
MUNI/A/1488/2023, interní kód MUName: Aktuální problémy politologického výzkumu X.
Investor: Masaryk University, Current Issues in Political Science Research X.
PrintDisplayed: 22/8/2024 13:55