In the spring of 2022, as the Russian military bombarded Kyiv and its troops swept into Ukrainian border regions, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un teamed up with Vladimir Putin to help Volodymyr Zelensky escape to safety in Western Europe.

Or at least, all the people involved in the operation looked like those global leaders.

While it may sound absurd, the mission to transport a Zelensky impersonator out of Kyiv was no joke, seeking to save an Uzbek performer at risk of being enlisted into the service of Kremlin propaganda.

And it was emblematic of the ways in which the