Don't trust Wikipedia!
OK, how about this, then: My wife and I
independently know about this. My family is from Eastern Europe and my grandparents experienced all of this first hand. My grandma's brother was a proud bolshevik (until he...wasn't.) My grandma and her brother recounted found memories of calling people "tovarishch" in earnest, at first, then ironically, with a hidden sneer, later. Yes, they really were that old (and I guess that makes me pretty old, too.)
My wife grew up in PRC. Their equivalent is 同志 (in Pinyin, TongZhi.) I just now asked her, and she knew the phrase and it's intended usage immediately, of course.
Question: when does "friend" not imply "friendship?"
Answer: When you are politically required to call total strangers that.