Hmm, I was thinking root servers based on language like "The Russian Alfa Bank was the first to contact the newly renamed host". Only root server logs could let you determine that.

But, in http://gdd.i2p.xyz/logs/ns1_cdcservices_com.log I see lookups for a non-toplevel-domain. So maybe it's not root servers. If not, and if it's just a bunch of big DNS server operators (8.8.8.8 and so on), then they're overstating their case some.