--- title: "Former Head of Russian Space Program Shares Bizarre Meme Involving Ukraine, Darth Vader Skull" description: "Rogo-zing He may not be head of Roscosmos anymore, but former Russian space agency head Dmitry Rogozin is still posting like he did when he filled that position. In a post to his Telegram channel (which for many Russian public figures and citizens alike is the social network of choice because, among other reasons, it's […]" date: "2022-10-20" modified: "2022-10-20" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/roscosmos-rogozin-ukraine-meme" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "dimitry rogozin" - "Roscosmos" - "Russia" - "the digest" --- # Former Head of Russian Space Program Shares Bizarre Meme Involving Ukraine, Darth Vader Skull ![He may not be head of Roscosmos anymore, but former Russian space agency director Dmitry Rogozin is still posting like he did when he filled that position.]() *\Image: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images\* ## Rogo-zing He may not be the [head of the Russian space agency]() Roscosmos anymore, but that hasn't stopped Dmitry Rogozin — an outspoken member of Russian president Vladimir Putin's "inner circle" — from taking potshots at his international counterparts, the West, and Ukraine. In [a Telegram post](), the brash politician shared a strange meme that appears to accuse Ukraine of fascism and posit their invaders as the good guys. "Stand on the light side," the meme, which features a person in a spacesuit standing on the Moon in front of a Russian flag, reads. Under the fictional cosmonaut's boot is a disembodied, Darth Vader-like helmet with regalia similar to that of the [far-right Azov Battalion militia](), a controversial unit of the National Guard of Ukraine. ![]() ## Preposterous Propaganda The group that now goes by "Azov Regiment" reportedly [changed its logo]() to distance itself from far-right, neo-Nazi connotations earlier this year. Pro-Russia pundits including Rogozin and other members of the Kremlin have used the group's fascist symbolism to reframe the invasion as an anti-fascist crusade, something that has repeatedly been criticized as [an exploitation and misrepresentation of the invasion](). Naturally, that nuance isn't going to be highlighted by the likes of Rogozin, who has continued posting nationalistic commentary [on his Telegram channel]() since the [dismissal from his post]() as head of Roscosmos in July. ## Unhinged It's a truly confounding meme that is as incoherent as it is inflammatory. Besides, the likelihood of Russia landing a cosmonaut on the surface of the Moon is looking increasingly unlikely, given the fact that the country and its space program have [burned many bridges]() with its international allies, especially since the invasion of Ukraine. In short, it's exactly the kind of unhinged and grossly misrepresenting piece of propaganda we expect from Rogozin. **More Russia:** *[Russian Cosmonaut Runs Over Elderly Colleague]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()