CNN
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Three years after it seized control of Mariupol following a brutal 86-day siege, Russia is using a more subtle power to keep its grip on the Ukranian port city: social media influencers.
A CNN investigation found that residents of the occupied city, including schoolchildren, are being trained in new media programs and “blogger schools” with ties to the Russian state.
Though their follower counts and overall reach pale in comparison to celebrity influencers, experts say that the Kremlin needs local voices to effectively promote life under Russia’s rule.
“Just look what Russia is getting up to in Mariupol,” Pavel Karbovsky, a…
