Just a few days ago Andrew Takhistov, an 18 year old from East Brunswick, was arrested in a federal sting operation where he allegedly solicited an undercover federal agent to blow up two different electrical substations in Central NJ (CNJ). Takhistov is now facing one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct, which could result in a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $125,000 fine if convicted. Idavox covered Takhistov’s arrest and charges in depth, more about the specifics can be read here.

Since the release of the federal complaint, Takhistov has been positively identified as a very active neo-nazi that has been a part of the Tristate (NYC, PA, NJ) nazi scene for at least the last two years. Takhistov who goes by the Telegram handles “Cossack” and “Taraz”, is highly dedicated, holding membership in WLM NJ/PA, S14, NJEHA, Atlantic Nationalist Club, and Embrace Struggle, among running his own projects dubbed “White Legion” and “Defend Europe” respectively.

Takhistov first became involved with the tristate nazi scene when he was 16 years old, starting off virtually and connecting with group leaders like S14’s Mark Kauffman and NJEHA’s Dan D’ambly. He quickly became immersed and began to get involved in-person during 2023. Throughout 2023 and 2024 Takhistov was a regular presence at actions and became closer with older more senior members and leadership.

With Takhistov’s further entrenchment he began to reveal more information about himself in public Telegram chats. Specifically, Takhistov discussed his Ukrainian heritage and nationalism at length, often going on long diatribes.

During this time Takhistov attempted to move his project, White Legion, offline into the real world but had limited success. Largely White Legion functioned as a showy propaganda group claiming to do physical conditioning and supporting nationalists in Ukraine. This is also verified by the press release from the federal government about his arrest.

Other than a few propaganda based photo ops across CNJ White Legion was not involved in or planned any independent actions, nor did it become its own individual group focused on recruiting or centralized goal like S14 or NJEHA.

In early 2024, Takhistov began to get more involved in nazi accelerationist ideology, reposting pictures from Injekt Division, a nazi accelerationist crew similar to Atomwaffen Division, and other Terrorgram channels. Takhistov also expressed his desire to go and fight in Ukraine and assist fellow nazis in propelling the country towards national socialism. It was at this juncture he created his other project/Telegram channel “Defend Europe”.

Takhistov used this new Telegram channel to produce Ukrainian nationalist/fascist content. He centered Defend Europe around his supposed journey to Ukraine and claimed he was shipping out soon to help fight against the Russian invasion and push for a national socialist Ukraine. Takhistov’s Defend Europe content read more as a LARP fantasy than something that he was actually doing, given the way he went about posting and bragging.

Throughout 2023 and 2024 as Takhistov was engaging in nazi accelerationist activities, he began to connect more with those on Terrorgram, and ended up connecting with an undercover federal agent. Takhistov was essentially catfished by the federal government in early 2024 when he was trying to organically connect with other NJ-based neo-nazis. Takhistov met up with the federal agent several times, with other currently unidentified NJ neo-nazis.

This massive security blunder led to Takhistov being entrapped by the feds in a plot to blow up two different electrical substations in CNJ. The federal agent that Takhistov was in contact with from Terrorgram pushed for a way to get further involved, joining Takhistov and other nazis for a March 2, 2024 action in New Brunswick, NJ. Takhistov and the federal agent met up a few times after this and discussed different tactics used by national socialists, including electrical substation attacks. Takhistov told the agent that he had a trip booked for July 2024 to visit Ukraine and intended to join up with a pro-Ukraine Russian fascist volunteer group fighting against Russia. The agent asked for more details locally and Takhistov passed them off, noting that the agent could plan on doing an attack when Takhistov was over in Ukraine. For several months after that Takhistov sent the agent guides on industrial sabotage, further information on local electrical substations, and details on how to make homemade weapons. Takhistov, the agent, and another unidentified NJ nazi, then went around and scouted out different electrical substations, with the agent providing in-depth insight on how to access the buildings.

While the federal briefing detailed that Takhistov was arrested at Newark International Airport on his way to Ukraine, it is unclear if Takhistov was accepted into any kind of formal fascist volunteer force. Despite Takhistov’s bravado that he was set to join a group of pro-Ukrainian Russian fascist separatists fighting against Russia it has not been confirmed that Takhistov had solidified plans prior to his arrest. It is more likely that Takhistov intended to forge concrete connections on the ground once he got to Ukraine and try to meet up in-person with the group in an effort to join.

The federal government is famous for trying to entrap the far right, the far left, religious groups, and everyone in between often trying to convince individuals to engage in illegal activities. In this case, Takhistov was duped by the feds to help plan an attack on CNJ infrastructure to be theoretically executed by the federal agent. By no means is this a defense of Takhistov, he is nazi scum who was dumb enough to contact random accounts on a highly surveilled platform (Terrorgram) and got wrapped up in a would be terrorism plot. It is important however to acknowledge that it was the state who pushed the alleged crime and Takhistov.

S14 members: With addition of Andrew Takhistov, 9 of your people have been identified and doxxed including Alex Chubbuck, Benjamin Ryder, Jackson Bradley, Paul Minton, Daisy McGowan, Mathew Bair, Mark Kauffman, and Sara Sheaffer. If you continue to operate, more of your members will be exposed and the pressure will increase. You will be held responsible for the nazi filth that you are.