let's stop Russian fakes

The Kremlin's Doppelganger project continues to operate

Between 28 December 2024 and 5 January 2025 alone, Alliance4Europe analysts identified 288 tweets belonging to the russian Doppelganger project. During this period, information criminals spread 24 fake articles in French, German, Ukrainian and Hebrew.According to Alliance4Europe's report, all but one of the articles contain a link to a russian IP address linked to a British legal entity.

It belongs to a citizen of Ukraine. Analysts note that this requires a more detailed investigation.
The information about the incident was shared with the administration of Platform X, reputable media and European governments. However, it can already be stated that despite repeated warnings and instructions on how to track such activities, the Doppelganger operation continues to operate on Elon Musk's platform.
Read more about the Doppelganger international disinformation project here: https://euvsdisinfo.eu/?s=Doppelganger

The Kremlin is trying to influence the upcoming presidential election in Poland

The task of the influence group, which was prepared by russia's Main Intelligence Directorate, is to spread fakes and organise bot farms. This group has already been exposed by Polish intelligence services. This was reported by the head of the Ministry of Digitalisation Krzysztof Gawkowski.

He explained that it is about spreading disinformation and recruiting people to create content to destroy the cohesion of the political scene in Poland. "Russia is waging a cyber war with Poland, not a cold war, but a warm one. We are the most attacked country in the European Union", Gawkowski added. The first round of the presidential election in Poland is scheduled for 18 May.

Europe launches large-scale campaign to block pro-Kremlin Telegram channels

The restrictions apply to media outlets such as "ria novosti", "izvestia" and "rossiyskaya gazeta, as well as federal TV channels: "russia 1", "channel one", "ntv" and "russia today". However, an analysis by Insight News Media has revealed dozens of other russian propaganda channels on Telegram that are not affiliated with official russian media.

These channels continue to operate and spread russian disinformation in different languages.

Content analysis has revealed a wide network of channels spreading kremlin disinformation in English. Among them are specially created pro-russian English-language channels targeting audiences in the EU and the US. The russians use a similar approach to other foreign audiences, including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In addition, analysts note the active work of the russian Embassy in Bolivia on the Telegram platform. Please pay attention to the information channels on Telegram.

The US imposes new sanctions for interference in the electoral process by Iranian and Russian intelligence services

On 2 January, it became known that the United States had imposed sanctions on two groups linked to Iranian and russian intelligence services, namely, large-scale disinformation campaigns against Americans ahead of the 2024 presidential election."The governments of iran and russia have targeted our electoral processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns", said Bradley Smith, the US government's representative for terrorism and financial intelligence.

russia is represented on this list, in particular, by the Centre for Geopolitical Studies, which oversaw the creation, financing and dissemination of disinformation about American candidates, including deepfake videos. According to the investigation, this centre used artificial intelligence to quickly create fake videos and fake news sites, and also ordered American web companies to create pro-russian content.

Tehran is represented by the Cognitive Design Production Centre, which is a subsidiary of the iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard (listed as a foreign terrorist organisation in the United States). This centre has been working since at least 2023 to foment political tension in the United States.US intelligence agencies accuse the iranian government of seeking to encourage protests in the United States by hacking the accounts of current and former high-ranking officials, including members of Donald Trump's team. US officials involved in combating foreign disinformation claim that the number of information attacks by foreign groups during the last election period almost doubled compared to previous elections.

Chinese government-linked hackers launch cyberattack on the US Treasury Department

So, China is beginning to use russia's methods against its opponents. So far, there is no confirmation of cooperation between the kremlin and Chinese intelligence services in this area, but it is only a matter of time. The targets of the attackers were the Office of Economic Sanctions, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Office of the Secretary of the Treasury.

According to the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/01/01/treasury-hack-china/), Chinese companies are of the greatest interest to China, against which Washington may impose restrictions. In addition, this cyberattack demonstrates China's desire to obtain intelligence on its main competitor in the struggle for global power and influence. It is noted that the documents accessed by the hackers were not classified, and the extent of the damage caused by the cyber intervention is currently being assessed by experts.

Kremlin increases spending on censorship and suppression of independent journalism

In 2024, the kremlin introduced artificial intelligence-based censorship methods, continued its crackdown on independent journalism, tightened VPN blocking, prevented access to content on international platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook), and decided to invest more than $660 million over five years in digital control infrastructure designed to block russian citizens' access to independent information. This amount is almost 50 times the budget of russian media in exile, according to the latest report by The Fix, which is part of the JX Fund, a fund to support journalists in exile created by RSF in cooperation with the German Rudolf Augstein and Shopflin foundations.

Jeanne Cavellier, Head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Department at RSF (Reporters Without Borders):"What Russia is building is not just a national censorship machine - it is a laboratory of digital repression that seeks to become a model for other countries. Independent Russian media outlets in exile are the last line of defence against the Kremlin's large-scale propaganda operation. Abandoning them as they face increasingly sophisticated tools of repression risks creating an unprecedented information blackout.

RSF calls on European states to provide financial and logistical support, and on international donors to step up their support, as well as on tech giants to stop caving in to Kremlin pressure and ensure fair access to their platforms".russia leads the world in terms of the number of takedown requests sent to international platforms such as Google (https://surfshark.com/research/study/governments-google-removal-requests) and TikTok, with most of these requests justified on the grounds of ‘national security’. The most frequently censored topics include the number of russian casualties in the war in Ukraine, war crimes of russian soldiers, russian intelligence operations and kremlin disinformation campaigns.

Why the Russian Orthodox Church is considered a covert spy network around the world?

What has long been obvious to the Ukrainian public about the nature of the russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is gradually becoming clear to the European establishment. The ROC is used not only as an instrument of soft power, but also as a real spy network.The OSINT agency Molfar has conducted a study from open sources, analysing 11 European countries. In the first part, we talk about 5 of them - Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

One of the examples is a russian church in Västerås, Sweden, which is suspiciously close to numerous strategic facilities. A few kilometres from the church, there is a plant for the production of nuclear fuel cells - Westinghouse Electric.

The distance between them is only 4.22 kilometres. Another strategic facility, the Västerås flygplats airport, is even closer, almost 500 metres away. A combined heat and power plant and the headquarters of the energy supplier Mälarenergi AB are located 6 kilometres from the church. And almost 5 kilometres away is the ABB Metallurgy metallurgical plant. Until 2024, the rector of the church served as CEO of NC Nordic Control AB, a Swedish company owned by russian developer pavel gerasimov (Gerda group). gerasimov owns a large number of church projects in Sweden, while he is also involved in a drug trafficking case.We recommend that you read the full study here.

Kremlin intelligence services are trying to ‘colonise’ the Bluesky social network

Bots from the large disinformation network "Matryoshka", run by the kremlin's intelligence services, have already reached the Bluesky social platform and started posting fake videos there. The posts simply duplicate those previously posted on the X platform. 

For example, in one of them, a girl posing as a member of the Imperial College London's Centre for Climate Care criticises European leaders' decision to allow Ukraine to strike russia with long-range missiles.In another fake video, a graduate of the University of Warwick (UK) is credited with saying that russia is right and Ukraine is not a victim. It seems that Bluesky will soon have to look for effective means to counter russian propaganda. Otherwise, the platform risks becoming a breeding ground for fakes.

Oleg Yasinsky designer of the Russian disinformation network in Latin America

Infobae has published an investigation into how the Telesur correspondent and RT columnist has set up a structure with local collaborators who replicate narratives in favour of moscow and against the West to Spanish audiences. With his clear Spanish and smiling face, Yasinsky sends each of his reports to Telesur, Chavismo's network in Latin America. In the russian media, he is presented as a ‘Ukrainian-Chilean’.Oleg Yasinsky is the head of the disinformation network that the kremlin is building in Latin America. The ‘Yasinsky Network’ has started to operate mainly in Chile, Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina, where Yasinsky has more contacts.  Yasinsky is the main regional link in a much broader chain of disinformation with a global reach. It is part of a mega-structure in the russian capital that has three command centres: The Social Design Agency (SDA), the Internet Development Institute and Structura National Technologies.

These corporations are under sanctions from the European Union and the United Kingdom.Yasinsky managed to create his own network of small media outlets and collaborators (‘loyal contacts’) in Latin America. Among the media outlets that give the greatest impetus to his instructions is the long list available to Infobae: Presssenza, El Ciudadano, Summary Latinoamericano, Desinformemonos, Telesur, Estrategia, Barão de Itararé, Peoples Dispatch, Clacpi, Dialogues do Sul, Liberación, In Pirqa, Colombia Informa, La Pluma, VeritasPress, Critical Sociology, Globatium, Malaga al Día and Luis Emilio Recabarren. 

What does the russian agent ask of the editors and journalists of these media?- To create a public opinion in Latin America that Ukraine and the Ukrainian people are not as they are portrayed by the Western media, and that not all Ukrainians support the (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy regime and NATO;- To convey to Ukraine and the countries of the former Soviet Union that the voices of Latin Americans, Europeans and Ukrainians living abroad support a ‘brotherly’ people, a peaceful and friendly Russia/Ukraine.’In addition to publishing in local media, Yasinsky is also trying to create NGOs in different countries in support of the ‘other Ukraine’. Infobae's sources add that the processes are being managed from Chile, where Yasinsky usually spends a lot of time and the country where he has the most contacts (as well as a passport of that country). Read more about the investigation here.

Russia is stepping up its efforts in the information space against Ukraine and its allies

This operation is coordinated at the highest level of the kremlin and is aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian leadership and sowing distrust in the international media. This is stated in an article by the Polish media outlet Nowiny Polskie.The kremlin's main goal is to undermine international support for Ukraine, as well as the credibility of Ukrainian officials among Western partners. 

russia is seeking to make it more difficult to receive military and economic assistance. Propaganda tactics include taking phrases out of context, producing forged documents and photographs, and manipulating publications in foreign media.

A group led by the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the russian Presidential Administration, sergei kiriyenko, is behind these actions. Another likely partner is artemy lebedev's studio, which creates convincing visual and textual propaganda materials that are in line with kremlin narratives.The consequences of this disinformation campaign go beyond Ukraine. Western democracies have been known to take a number of countermeasures in response, including sanctions against disinformation organisers, labelling fake news and refuting propaganda through fact-checking initiatives. Be careful, too.

russia intensifies blackmail, sabotage, cyberattacks in the eu

russia's subversive activities in the West have become systematic. In the last year alone, russians have stepped up their subversive activities in Europe, from cyberattacks to assassinations, with the obvious aim of creating chaos and an atmosphere of fear. In March, perpetrators hired by russian military intelligence set fire to warehouses belonging to Ukraine in Leyton, east London. moscow has also been accused of a series of arson attacks across Europe, from Polish shopping centres to a German factory. 

And as British cabinet minister Pat McFadden recently warned, russia has expanded its cyberattack campaign. For example, the attacks on Czech railways this year or the regular waves of false bomb threats. Such sabotage and campaigns of cyber and proxy attacks are aimed at dividing and demoralising Europeans, as well as trying to convey to Europeans the sense that continued support for Ukraine is having a negative impact on their lives and security. But the issue is not Ukraine, it is the fact that the kremlin wants to continue its criminal activities with impunity.

Romanian intelligence has data on Russian interference in the presidential election

Documents on interference in the presidential election are released in Romania. Intelligence suggests that the kremlin is behind the crime, but local analysts point to the contrary.During the election campaign, identical messages were actively spread on social media and influencers were involved. The operation itself was carried out from ‘external locations’ to circumvent restrictions.

According to the BBC, this is stated in the investigation documents released by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
Intelligence officers also found that one TikTok account paid $381,000 to users who campaigned for a pro-russian candidate in just one month, starting on 24 October. In addition, data for accessing election websites were stolen from genuine users and published ‘on the platforms of cybercriminals originating from russia.

TikTok is suspected of criminally ignoring fake accounts before the Romanian elections

The social network's CEO is being summoned to the European Parliament to explain the role of the platform in the Romanian presidential election. A Politico article quoting the head of the liberal group Renew Europe, Valerie Haier, states that TikTok's management must prove the platform's transparency and compliance with the Digital Services Act.

According to Keita Kili, coordinator of the Bulgarian-Romanian Digital Media Observatory, the platform had a ‘significant impact’ during the first round of elections, as TikTok's rule banning paid political advertising was ‘largely ineffective’.
It is worth noting that the far-right and pro-russian candidate Kelin Georgescu won the first round of the election. He had no party support and was not among the favourites in opinion polls.

Russian cybercriminals target European and American users

The russian-controlled RomCom group, known as Storm-0978, Tropical Scorpius or UNC259, exploited vulnerabilities in Mozilla and Windows products to carry out the hacking attacks.According to cybersecurity researchers from ESET, the criminals' goal was to gain hidden remote access to computers to install malware on them.

ESET also found that the number of potential victims of the RomCom cybercrime campaign between 10 October and 4 November 2024 ranged from one victim to 250 per country.
In 2024, RomCom carried out cyberattacks on government agencies, the defence and energy sectors in Ukraine, the pharmaceutical and insurance sectors in the United States, the legal sector in Germany, and government organisations in Europe.

Russians are training new propagandists in Africa

Russian intelligence services in the Malian capital, Bamako, have organised so-called "journalism schools" for future fake newsmakers, and promised the best of them jobs. According to Le Monde, 60 Malian "journalists" are being trained by the "African Initiative" and "Agence de presse", both controlled by the kremlin's intelligence services.

The article notes that the selection of the ‘students’ was carried out by a Malian journalist and influencer with pro-russian views, Robert Dissa, who had previously visited moscow and the temporarily occupied Mariupol. In addition, the lecture involved the russian Mikhail Pozdnyakov, the head of the French editorial office of "Agence de Presse".

Russia regularly transfers weapons to third countries for acts of aggression

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that about 70 percent of the weapons found in the possession of the Hezbollah terrorist group during Israel's military operation in southern Lebanon were russian-made. According to the markings on some of the samples, the weapons came from Syria. One of the missiles had a label in russian stating that it had been transferred to the Syrian Ministry of Defence. 

As IDF experts found out, some of the russian weapons were manufactured in 2020 and sent to southern Lebanon. Other samples, according to the markings, were produced in the 1980s. putin, when providing weapons to Assad, knew full well that they could fall into the hands of Hezbollah. But this eloquently confirms the kremlin's strategy of increasing chaos in all regions of the world. Earlier, we wrote about an investigation that confirmed russian arms supplies to the Yemeni Houthis, as well as the kremlin's strategic cooperation agreement with North Korea.

Viktor Orbán continues to manipulate the issue of Russian energy carriers

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called for a review of the European Union's sanctions against russia over energy prices. Similar calls from a number of European politicians at various levels are regularly published by the russian media.In this way, kremlin propaganda tries to convince European communities that refusal from russian energy carriers will primarily affect ordinary Europeans. They will "suffer", "freeze", and "pay more". 

But the truth is that no European country that has refused to cooperate with Gazprom has seen prices rise. The underground storage facilities are full and Europe will get through the next winter without any problems. Only those few countries that did not want to give up russian gas after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine have problems and have additional difficulties with supplies and payments. That is why Orban's calls for a review of sanctions are not viable. 

The Kremlin's anti-Israel rhetoric is reinforced by the arming of Jerusalem's opponents

In parallel with the spread of anti-Israel "truth" in the world, moscow is actively helping Israel's enemies with military means. The Wall Street Journal published an investigation (https://www.wsj.com/world/russia-provided-targeting-data-for-houthi-assault-on-global-shipping-eabc2c2b?st=HtmFp4) that in early 2024, russia provided the Yemeni Houthis (a Shia-Zaydi terrorist paramilitary group operating in Yemen) with satellite data that they used to attack Western ships in the Red Sea.

At the end of September, Reuters reported that russia may hand over Yakhont anti-ship missiles to the Houthis, and Iran is mediating the negotiations. In turn, UN experts in their reports repeatedly talked about attempts to smuggle russian Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, AKS20U assault rifles, etc. to Yemen. 

Iran, which hates Israel, was involved in this scheme.It will be recalled that moscow never officially condemned the attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023. On the contrary, two weeks after the attack, russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning the militants. And this despite the fact that among the hostages of Hamas were citizens of the russian Federation.The kremlin claims leadership in that part of the Global South that denies Israel's right to exist. And it seems that the anti-Israel policy of the russians will only deepen. In September, putin ordered the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between russia and Iran.

Kremlin cybercriminals are attacking government websites and companies in Belgium

Finland and the USA record large-scale operations of influence on the part of the Kremlin

Russia is trying to bring Poles and Ukrainians into conflict against the backdrop of a natural disaster

Kremlin cybercriminals are attacking government websites and companies in Belgium

Russian special services are recruiting Europeans with pro-Russian views to Telegram

Russia has created a network of influence on events in several countries in Meta

A blogger from the USA spread pre-election fakes for Russian money

Agents of the Russian special services were detained in Poland

The information war waged by the Russian Federation against the West reached Canada and Japan

"Reporters Without Borders" is launching a project to analyze the impact of propaganda and disinformation in the world

Russia bribed more than 130,000 citizens of Moldova to prevent its accession to the EU

Russia intensified its information war against Moldova

Russia's ally has stepped up phishing cyberattacks against high-ranking US and Israeli officials

Polish special services neutralized a group of cyberspies controlled by Moscow, and Norway is preparing for sabotage

Western investors in big Russian business

In the Baltic countries and Poland, 8 sabotage attempts by Russia were recorded

The Czech Republic has detected a number of hybrid attacks from Russia

The Russian Orthodox Church is expanding its sphere of influence