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Far-Right Activist ‘Tommy Robinson’ Linked to Russian State Propaganda Network
In February 2020, far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as ‘Tommy Robinson,’ traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg. During his visit, he gave interviews to Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT and met with figures connected to Russian nationalist movements, raising questions about his Russian ties.
Byline Times can now reveal that years before that trip, Robinson was hired as a “goodwill ambassador” for an unregistered charity fronting a secretive Russian propaganda network working directly for President Vladimir Putin’s administration. This network also has connections to a sanctioned Russian state-linked oil giant.
The unregistered charity – the MMBF Trust – operates as part of a network centered around the London Post, an innocuous-looking website that appears to cover UK gambling regulations and London restaurant reviews. Despite its benign appearance, sources describe it as a “black PR” operation – a coordinated disinformation campaign designed to manipulate public opinion while concealing its true sponsors.
Robinson’s appointment to the unregistered charity was first reported by anti-extremism organization Hope Not Hate in 2017. Last year, Press Gazette revealed surprising Russian links to the London Post. Byline Times has now uncovered further details about the suspected funding behind the website, including cryptocurrency payment trails to Russian “black PR” agents and connections to major Russian state enterprises.
The site’s Russian backers operate through a company called Moscow Media Group (MMG). Its subsidiary, MMG Brainstorming, has publicly advertised its work for Putin’s presidential office, the State Duma, the Federation Council, and various Russian government ministries and agencies. Moscow Media Group also maintains ties to a wide range of Russian state-backed energy and infrastructure enterprises, including the sanctioned Russian oil company Gazprom Neft.
The Unregistered Charity Front
The public face behind the London Post is Zimbabwean-English film producer Matthew C. Martino, also known as Mathetes Chihwai. Martino runs the UK-based Matthew Martino Benevolent Fund (MMBF Trust), which claims to support filmmakers and people working in performing arts.
However, the organization has neither registered with the UK’s Charity Commission nor provided any notable support to filmmakers. In 2017, the MMBF Trust gained attention when the London Post announced Tommy Robinson as its new goodwill ambassador.
According to the announcement, Robinson – co-founder of the English Defence League and a convicted fraudster whose disinformation recently fueled the 2024 Southport riots involving unprecedented racist violence – was hired to help oversee a £100,000 arts grant program scheduled to launch in February 2018.
While the specific nature of Robinson’s work for the MMBF Trust remains unclear, evidence suggests the charity functioned primarily as a front to provide legitimacy to a Russian-backed propaganda operation.
The 2Trom Network Connection
The London Post is part of a media consortium of ostensibly British news organizations operating under an entity called 2Trom News Group. Although incorporated in the UK in November 2018, it appears to have been initially set up in Gibraltar. Other publications in the 2Trom network include websites such as Brit Daily, Northern News UK, and the Hertfordshire Herald.
Public information about 2Trom News Group’s shareholders is limited: a Russian, Viktor Tokarev, who is also a director; and British executive Lewis Drazen, based in Witham. Matthew Martino – who hired Robinson as an ambassador for the MMBF Trust – is the most visible person linked to 2Trom as one of its directors.
Archived versions of the London Post website confirm that the MMBF Trust initially supported the website. Little more can be gleaned about Martino himself, other than that he owned MMBF Limited, which he renamed in 2019, and is listed as a property developer on a US real estate platform.
The Kremlin Connection
According to 2Trom’s website, another owner of the company behind the London Post alongside Martino is the Moscow Media Group (MMG). Russian corporate records and archived webpages show that MMG consists of a group of Russian communications companies owned by Igor Kuzin, with direct ties to the Kremlin.
These records also reveal that Kuzin is affiliated with several marketing companies, including MMG Brainstorming. According to a cached version of MMG’s website, the Russian PR group’s specialties include marketing, “information campaigns,” “reputation management,” “government relations communications,” and advertising.
Archived webpages further reveal that MMG Brainstorming – which lists Kuzin as a partner and head of strategic marketing – confirms its work on “implementation of large special projects, including in co-operation with the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the State Duma, the Federation Council, and various ministries and agencies.”
Kuzin has additional high-level Russian connections. As CEO of Moscow-based software development company Enginr, Kuzin employs Russian IT consultant Vasily Maveev, who simultaneously works for “Smart Analytics Russia,” a major Russian government contractor based in Perm – a long-standing hub for Russian state-linked defense, heavy engineering, chemicals, and energy industries.
Smart Analytics Russia’s clients include key Russian state bodies and state-controlled enterprises: Gazprom Neft (subject to US, UK, and EU sanctions), Russian Post, Zarubezhneft, the Analytical Centre for the Government of the Russian Federation, Federal State Statistics Service, and FSK EES.
In effect, Tommy Robinson was appointed an ambassador for a propaganda operation with direct commercial ties to Vladimir Putin’s administration and Russia’s sanctioned state oil industry.
The Orthodox Church Pipeline
The individuals behind the London Post network have their own direct links to Putin’s inner circle. Kuzin’s partner in MMG Brainstorming, Alexander Chernavsky, is deeply integrated within the Russian Orthodox Church, which has repeatedly been criticized for helping to launder propaganda and for its close affiliation to the Kremlin.
Chernavsky is also the director of the Mission for the Revival of Traditional Values of the Russian People and heads a group named the Military Orthodox Mission.
In 2012, Kuzin and Chernavsky met with longtime Putin associate Vladimir Vinokurov, then Consul General in San Francisco, at Fort Ross, California. About a decade later, Chernavsky presented the Order of Nicholas II to Maria Zakharova, Director of Information at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who has been sanctioned by the United States and the EU for her role in Russian government propaganda.
The Black PR Operation
Between benign stories on the London Post are articles that stand out for their political nature. These include incendiary allegations that Georgian billionaire Tamaz Somkhishvili was behind anti-government protests in Tbilisi last year, and accusations of corruption against Anatoly Loktionov, former Vice President of Russian oil company Rosneft.
A source linked to a businessman targeted by the London Post told Byline Times that the article attacking him had been commissioned by a business rival who paid a Russian agent named Mikhail Sakulin in cryptocurrency. The source described Sakulin as a “black PR” operative who takes payments to place disparaging articles across dozens of websites.
Cryptocurrency payments linked to these campaigns have been traced to wallets owned by Sakulin. Digital currencies allow money to flow across borders beyond the reach of banking regulators and sanctions enforcement, making them ideal for covertly sponsoring extremist movements and disinformation networks.
Russia has openly embraced cryptocurrency as a tool to circumvent Western financial oversight. In 2024, Vladimir Putin signed legislation recognizing digital currencies as property and backing payment systems designed to evade sanctions.
Tommy Robinson’s connection to a crypto-funded propaganda network fits this pattern. The evidence indicates that when he was announced as an ambassador at the MMBF Trust, he also became an ambassador for a Russian state propaganda operation masquerading as British journalism.
Tommy Robinson, Matthew Martino, Igor Kuzin, and Alexander Chernavsky did not respond to requests for comment.
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12 Comments
The details about Tommy Robinson’s ties to a Russian-linked charity and propaganda network are quite troubling. This underscores the importance of investigating potential foreign interference in domestic politics.
Agreed, these kinds of revelations highlight the need for robust oversight and safeguards against malign foreign influence, especially in sensitive areas like politics and media.
This investigation provides important insights into how Russian disinformation networks may be targeting the UK. The details around the MMBF Trust and its ties to the London Post website are particularly alarming.
Agreed, this report highlights the need for greater transparency and scrutiny of organizations and individuals with potential links to foreign propaganda efforts. Maintaining the integrity of our information ecosystem is vital.
The revelations about Tommy Robinson’s connections to a Russian-backed propaganda network are extremely concerning. We must remain vigilant against the threat of foreign interference in our domestic affairs.
Absolutely. Uncovering these kinds of connections is an important first step, but the real challenge is developing effective policies and tools to counter the spread of foreign disinformation and its impacts on our society.
While I’m not surprised to see these kinds of allegations, it’s still concerning to see the extent of the connections between far-right figures and Russian propaganda operations. We must remain vigilant against these threats to our democracy.
Absolutely. Uncovering these kinds of links is crucial, but the real challenge is addressing the underlying vulnerabilities that allow foreign actors to exploit them in the first place.
This report raises serious concerns about potential Russian influence operations targeting the UK. It’s critical to scrutinize any links between public figures and foreign propaganda networks, even those with seemingly benign activities.
Absolutely, we need to be vigilant about foreign disinformation campaigns trying to sow discord. Transparency and accountability are key when it comes to these types of connections.
This report raises important questions about the extent of Russian influence operations targeting the UK. While the details around Tommy Robinson’s ties to a Russian-linked charity are troubling, we need to approach this issue with a clear-eyed, fact-based approach.
Agreed. Investigating and addressing foreign interference in our domestic affairs requires a measured, evidence-based response. We must be vigilant, but also ensure that our actions are guided by the principles of transparency and democratic accountability.