Part 2 The Tactics and Techniques of Terror: М.К.У.’s Nihilistic National Socialism
Part one of this series is available here
Bottom line up front of М.К.У. Tactics and Ideologies
Who
М.К.У. (Maniac Murder Cult)- A violent extremist group that recruits members who are interested in extreme violence, animal abuse, murders, and school shooters. It is led by Egor Krasnov, and has a hierarchical structure including active, inactive, and elite members.
What
Activities and Ideology - М.К.У. engages in various violent and criminal activities such as direct action operations (murders, beatings, arson, terrorism), cyberattacks, recruitment, agitation, and bioterrorism. They use secure communication methods and have a scoring system called “Murder Points” to evaluate productivity. Their ideology combines National Socialism and Satanism, heavily influenced by the Order of Nine Angles (O9A).
When
Timeline - М.К.У. has been active as early as 2017 to present day, claiming responsibility for over 50 murders and 150 offline acts of ideologically motivated criminality.
Where
Geographical Focus - The group's content and communications are primarily in Russian, with some machine-translated English content. They have shifted to global recruitment strategies, and seek to inspire individuals to action; particularly from networks like 764 and Com.
Why
Purpose and Motivation - М.К.У. aims to mobilize offline violence, embracing a hybrid ideology of National Socialism and Satanism to attract the most nihilistic, misanthropic, and sadistic individuals. Their primary goal is to inspire and mobilize others through recorded and shared violent acts, drawing on the extreme nature of O9A’s ideology and accelerationist tactics.
М.К.У. Tactic, Techniques and Procedures
The first tactic is recruitment. Any prospective member must pass a vetting process. This includes a set of test questions that must be answered immediately with detailed responses. If these answers are satisfactory, the prospective member must proceed to direct action and carry out an operation with video or photo documentations of the activity.
There are four categories of activities that М.К.У. will consider for the vetting process:
- Direct Action Operations: murders, beatings, arson, acts of terrorism.
- Cyberattacks and Coding: programmers that can create malicious codes, programs or create websites, swatting, doxing, hacking.
- Recruitment/Agitation: searching for and recruiting new participants online, stickering/flyering, graffiti, creating propaganda and multimedia for the group.
- Bioterrorism: the creation of biological weapons, chemicals and poisons.
Another tactic they implement is that of secure communications. They are instructed to only use anonymous and secure methods of communication for internal communications such as Xabber, Element, Matrix, Threema, Protonmail, and Wire. A member may only communicate directly with the leader or his first or second in command. An initiate of the group should not discuss their status as a member of М.К.У. in order to reduce any attention on themselves and the organization.
Leadership of М.К.У. have implemented a scoring system called “Murder Points” to evaluate the productivity of each group member. They must achieve a minimum of 300 murder points per month. Excess points get rolled over into the next month. Those who fail to meet the minimum receive disciplinary action. Only those in command can assign points for any given action. Different activities are scored differently.[1] Similarly, only those in command can impose disciplinary action, the severity of which depends on the failure. For example, when a member fails to meet the minimum murder points without a legitimate reason, they will for a first violation be fully isolated from the community and cannot communicate with anyone for two weeks. A second failure to meet the minimum will lead to an expulsion of the group. The first offense sanctions have two roles: 1) isolate the individual (whom is usually already isolated from peers in the real world) and force them to use this time to obtain the points needed and 2) this reinforces the reality that М.К.У. is about real-world actions, which is the only way to meet the minimum score. Violating the operational security of the group, snitching, leaking internal documents and information, staging manhunts are all punishable by death.
Finally, there are three levels that one can achieve in М.К.У. The levels are 1) inactive (those who do not earn enough murder points and/or are not productive enough) 2) active (members of the group who constantly earn the required number of monthly points), 3) elite (those who have performed brutal murders or criminal activities that have gained significant media coverage).
М.К.У. Handbooks
М.К.У. has published three ideological and instructional “handbooks”, not only for their own group, but instructional documents that were shared into other Telegram TVE networks like 764, Com, Terrorgram, accelerationist milieus, etc. The first edition released in 2020 was 52 pages, the second edition was 54 pages long and released in 2022, and the third edition is 122 pages released in 2023. There is a progression and evolution in the tactics, techniques, and procedures used, as well as an ideological evolution that is promoted in these instructional manifestos. As of the third edition, the alliances between М.К.У., Satanic Front, National Socialist Order of the Nine Angles and No Lives Matter are mentioned.
Also circulating are short instructional М.К.У. guides on how to plan and carry out a manhunt, as well as how to use and choose a bladed weapon. The majority of the content is found in Russian. Since 2022, the content is also found in English; however, the English content appears to be machine translated. This echoes the pattern seen in М.К.У. chats and channels where content is published in Russian followed by a machine translated version in English.
In terms of recruitment targets, the handbooks seek out those who identify as sociopaths, murderers and school shooters.
However, it is not until the third edition of the handbook that we see a direct call to school shooters to carry out attacks in association with М.К.У. They still make an ideological appeal based on national socialist racial premises, even though this is not always the main driver for school shooters.
The third edition of the handbook also contains a personal biography of the founder of М.К.У., Egor Krasnov, which was not found in the prior two editions of this handbook. This biography makes up most of the new material found in the third edition. In the third edition of the handbook they claim that М.К.У. has been active between 2017 and 2023, and has been responsible for 50+ murders and 150+ “actions”—all the while hinting that there are a large amount more that is not public and won’t be.
М.К.У. ideological dimensions
In both their English and Russian language publications, there are two cornerstones to the М.К.У. ideology as they describe it: National Socialism and Satanism. When they describe their national socialism in their publications, what they are discussing is neofascist accelerationism. Regarding Satanism, what they mean is they borrow their esoteric beliefs from the Order of Nine Angles. What they promote is a hybridized ideology, as they perceive that it is the combination of both that makes them “true national socialist warriors.” Esoteric Hitlerism (a form of mystical Hitler and Nazi worship) specifically the worship of Hitler and Himmler, dominates their ideological tropes, as well as the conspiracy theories present in the М.К.У. milieus.
The М.К.У. ideology is guided by what they call the dark triad, which is Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism. Their objective is to be the most nihilistic, misanthropic and sadistic threat actors. Though they borrow the aesthetics from O9A, they do not appear to delve deeply into the esoteric practices of the Seven-Fold Way found in the majority of O9A literature. Rather than the spiritual practices, the appeal is that the O9A ideology is one of the most extreme an individual can adopt. It is the perceived extreme nature of the O9A ideology that is attractive to this set of threat actors. In reality, the main ideology of М.К.У. is misanthropic and nihilistic violence; they clearly state that they are not in the digital spaces for ideological debates or weak act of propaganda. Everything they do has to be aimed towards the goal of mobilization off-line action. This fact is the key point to understand about the М.К.У.
Since it is their desire to mobilize individuals’ to offline violence, М.К.У was unsurprisingly attracted to the 764 network. It is the same reason that they were attracted to other accelerationist threat actors in North America that hold esoteric beliefs and practices. М.К.У. borrows heavily from O9A not only in its aesthetics, but its political ideology and its tactics, techniques, and procedures. М.К.У. does borrow some esoteric elements from O9A, however, their religious ideological commitment is performative in nature for the aesthetic of the group, but the esotericism does not feature prominently in the means to achieve their accelerationist goals.
One of the key elements that М.К.У borrows from the Order of Nine Angles is that of insight roles. The encouragement of insight roles can be seen in М.К.У's publications as well as within public communications.
An insight role is when an adherent infiltrates an organization (police, military, government, jihadist organization, religious group, antifascist, BLM, etc.) for a period of time. According to O9A literature, this serves a dual purpose. The infiltration can destabilize that organization, or leverage the organization's influence and mobilize it to attack a common enemy. The experience of performing a role is also intended to create a type of internal magick, as the Seven-Fold Way encourages adherents to choose a role that is most opposite their natural character, in order to develop a deeper understanding of how others think and function.
М.К.У's literature states: “David Myatt was one of the first man to think of using his enemy for his own goal after the great Führer himself.” For М.К.У., an insight role is a tactic, technique or procedure, whereas in O9A, it is also an esoteric experience and a key step of progression in the Seven-Fold Way.
М.К.У. also worships and seeks to emulate the 2011 Oslo and Utøya attacker, 2019 Christchurch attacker, the Unabomber, the Zodiac Killer, and the Racist Killer. Of note, what М.К.У. states in their writings is that there would be more attackers if they were all recorded and disseminated online, as it was with Christchurch. This is why М.К.У. pushes for all their members to record and share their violent and criminal activities, as a way to inspire and mobilize others to follow in their footsteps. This an important ideological dimension, as well as a tactic for М.К.У., which likely explains why the 764 network is attractive to them as a recruitment pool, as it is also a community that records and indiscriminately shares all of their activities.
Conclusion
The operational and ideological framework of М.К.У. reveals a deeply disturbing blend of nihilism, misanthropy, and extremism. By combining the violent tenets of National Socialism and Satanism, specifically influenced by the Order of Nine Angles (O9A), М.К.У. has crafted a hybrid ideology that appeals to the most extreme and disenfranchised elements of society. Their structured recruitment process, secure communication protocols, and rigid scoring system based on violent acts underscore their commitment to real-world actions rather than mere ideological posturing.
The group's meticulous approach to recruitment, which involves rigorous vetting and a demand for documented criminal activities, ensures that only the most committed and dangerous individuals are inducted. Their use of secure communication methods such as Xabber, Element, and Protonmail reflects a sophisticated understanding of operational security, aimed at evading law enforcement and maintaining the secrecy of their activities. The implementation of a scoring system, known as “Murder Points,” not only incentivizes violence but also creates a competitive environment where members strive to outdo each other in brutality, further entrenching their extremist behaviors.
The publication and dissemination of detailed handbooks and instructional guides highlight their strategic approach to spreading their ideology and tactics. These documents, now available in both Russian and English, serve as a manual for aspiring attackers, offering practical advice on everything from planning attacks to choosing weapons. The third edition of their handbook, which includes a personal biography of their founder Egor Krasnov, not only serves to inspire new recruits, but also legitimizes their activities by providing a narrative of their historical actions and successes.
М.К.У.'s glorification of notorious attackers such as the 2011 Oslo and Utøya attacker, the 2019 Christchurch attacker, and the Unabomber underscores their admiration for acts of extreme violence. By pushing for the documentation and dissemination of their own violent acts, they aim to inspire and mobilize a new generation of extremists. This tactic of using media to amplify their actions creates a feedback loop where each new act of violence serves to recruit and radicalize more individuals.
Understanding the tactics, techniques, and procedures of М.К.У. is crucial for developing effective countermeasures. It is imperative for law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and community organizations to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying and dismantling these networks. This includes monitoring online platforms where they recruit and share propaganda, as well as implementing robust deradicalization programs for individuals at risk of being influenced by their ideology.
In conclusion, the threat posed by М.К.У. is a stark reminder of the evolving nature of extremist groups in the digital age. Their ability to combine ideology, operational security, and a structured approach to violence makes them a formidable adversary. As we continue to analyze and confront these threats, it is essential to adapt our strategies and remain committed to countering the spread of their dangerous ideology. Through a combination of intelligence, prevention, and community engagement, we can work towards mitigating the impact of such extremist groups and safeguarding our societies from their influence.
[1] Here are some examples of how points are accorded by leadership, based on their own writings: “Murder = 200 murder points: Filming the murder of an enemy on video. The number of points can be more or less, depending on the quality of the filming, the brutality of the murder, and the professionalism of the actions carried out. Beating = 100 murder points: Filming a beating on video. The number of points can be more or less, depending on the quality of the filming, the brutality of the beating, and the professionalism of the actions carried out. Agitation = 50 murder points: Photo documentation with agitation inscriptions, stickers, leaflets in public places, screenshots of online agitation. The number of points depends on the amount of work done and the number of participants attracted.