According to a report by the BBC, individuals in Russia who support the war in Ukraine, known as "Z-Bloggers," are capitalizing on the conflict by earning significant advertising revenues through their social media coverage.

These influencers regularly share graphic content such as drone strike videos and make false claims about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Alongside this, they promote various products and services, ranging from cryptocurrency to fashion items.

What sets these "Z-Bloggers" apart is their alignment with the pro-war sentiment in Russia, often symbolized by the letter Z. They frequently accompany Russian military units and share footage from the front lines, encouraging young Russians to join the military.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, these pro-war influencers have amassed millions of followers on Telegram, a social media platform that gained popularity in Russia after President Vladimir Putin banned Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This surge in Telegram's user base has resulted in a corresponding increase in its advertising market.

War influencers have seized an opportunity to monetize their social media presence by selling advertising space to companies eager to reach their youthful audiences. To gauge their pricing, members of the BBC's Global Disinformation Team posed as hotel owners interested in advertising on these influencers' channels.

Among those contacted were Alexander Kots, a veteran correspondent turned war influencer with over 600,000 followers on his personal Telegram channel. He indicated that a single post on his channel would cost between 48,000-70,000 roubles (£440-£680), depending on how long the ad remained at the top of his Telegram feed. Another prominent figure, Semyon Pegov, widely known as WarGonzo, with more than 1.3 million followers, quoted a significantly higher rate of £1,550 per post.

These top war influencers typically feature at least one advertisement per day, potentially earning them substantially more than Russia's average monthly wage of 66,000 roubles (£550).

Additionally, an advertising agent associated with Wagner-linked channels quoted a rate of £260 per ad for Grey Zone, a Telegram channel with exclusive access to Wagner and over 600,000 followers. This reveals the considerable income potential for war influencers and their collaboration with advertisers seeking to reach their substantial and engaged audiences.

To advertise on Alexander Simonov's channel, a correspondent associated with the Ria Fan website, which was founded by the late mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, an agent quoted a rate of £180 per post. Another Ria Fan reporter, Alexander Yaremchuk, who has a smaller following, offered lower rates at £86 per post.

Among the Z-bloggers, there is a range of experience in war reporting. While some, like Alexander Kots, have significant backgrounds in reporting for state-run media, others like Maryana Naumova lack formal training.

Naumova, a former powerlifter, underwent a reporting course on a Wagner mercenary base and now hosts her own show on national TV.

The BBC attempted to interview prominent war bloggers, but Alexander Kots was the only one who agreed to speak. He described himself as a participant in an information war, emphasizing his role in this context.

Kots acknowledged that Russia's propaganda efforts relied to some extent on individuals like him. He mentioned having a direct channel for conveying information to the Ministry of Defence, emphasizing that much of this communication occurred behind the scenes.

The BBC's Global Disinformation Team delves into the world of social media influencers profiting from the dissemination of war propaganda.

The expanding market for content produced by Z-bloggers is fueled by a continuous supply of exclusive videos. These videos attract a wide-ranging audience, encompassing not only domestic pro-war viewers but also Western and Ukrainian analysts seeking to gain insights into the true events unfolding within the Russian military ranks.

However, it has come to light that some of the videos shared by these pro-war bloggers are indeed fabricated. In a notable instance last March, prominent influencers, including Alexander Kots, circulated a dashcam video that purported to depict two Ukrainian soldiers stopping a car with a woman and a young child.

In the video, the armed individuals insult the woman for speaking Russian and issue threats. The Z-bloggers argued that this video exemplified how Ukraine treated civilians.

However, through geolocation, it was determined that the video was captured in Makiivka, a town near Donetsk, an area occupied by pro-Russian proxy forces since 2014. This finding raised questions about the authenticity of the video, as it would have been impossible for a uniformed Ukrainian soldier to operate in this occupied territory.

Furthermore, the use of dashcams is illegal in Ukraine, a measure implemented after the full-scale Russian invasion to maintain secrecy around troop movements. Additionally, the vehicle displayed a different cross emblem than that used by Ukraine's armed forces, further raising suspicions that the video may have been staged.

This incident is just one among several fake videos disseminated by Z-bloggers to rally support for the war among young Russians, and there is mounting evidence to suggest that their efforts are achieving their intended impact.