The U.S. government, on September 4, 2024, indicted two Russian citizens and seized over 30 internet domains linked to efforts to influence American elections. The FBI’s court filings revealed that the Russian operation also targeted politicians, businesspeople, journalists, and influencers in Germany, France, Italy, and the U.K.
The Kremlin’s campaign aimed to create division, discredit the U.S., and weaken support for Ukraine.
The documents, obtained by the FBI, include memos and minutes from Russian psychological warfare meetings, detailing strategies to manipulate public opinion through social media and fake news. The operation, overseen by the Russian “Social Design Agency” under Sergey Kiriyenko, involved creating doppelgänger domains mimicking Western media outlets and using cryptocurrencies for funding.
Germany was identified as a particularly vulnerable target due to its economic dependence on Russia.
The Russian documents outlined plans to discredit the U.S., Great Britain, and NATO, and to create internal conflicts in France and Germany through false narratives and fake content.
Shongjog 