Russia conducts large-scale information campaigns against Ukraine and West - ISW
Photo: Russian authorities are actively using information campaigns against Ukraine and the West (Getty Images)
The Kremlin is conducting large-scale information campaigns against Ukraine and the West on social media to promote its interests, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The ISW referenced a leak of documents detailing Russia's extensive information operations through social media platforms.
On September 17, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, banned Russian state media outlet Russia Today (RT) and other affiliated organizations for activities related to foreign interference.
Additionally, on September 13, the US State Department announced sanctions against individuals and entities connected to RT. The department accused them of participating in information operations, covert influence campaigns, and military procurement efforts for the Kremlin aimed at countries in Europe, Africa, North, and South America.
The report notes that Radio Liberty's Schemes investigative project analyzed thousands of leaked documents obtained by German and Estonian media. These documents describe the operations of the Russian company Social Design Agency (SDA), which the US Department of Justice recently identified as part of the Kremlin’s comprehensive malicious influence operations known as Doppelgänger.
According to the Schemes project, the agency disseminated fake official documents, including fabricated orders from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, which were used to discredit Ukraine’s military-political leadership and demoralize its Armed Forces.
Moreover, SDA created fake documents purportedly from European government institutions, fabricated news articles allegedly from European media outlets, and anti-Ukrainian memes, which were widely spread on social media.
"ISW continues to assess that Russia is continuing its efforts to develop capabilities to use information operations on social media platforms to trigger kinetic activity and conduct election interference, destabilization measures, and sanctions evasion schemes," the ISW states.
Countering Russian information warfare
In early September, the US imposed sanctions on several individuals and organizations, including Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT, citing interference in US presidential elections.
On Tuesday, September 17, Meta blocked Russian state media outlets RT and Rossiya Segodnya on its platforms, accusing them of conducting covert online operations.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that RT works directly with Russian intelligence services.
