On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the United States government struck down Kremlin-led disinformation operations. Two Russian citizens accused of participating in a sophisticated and well-coordinated operation were formally indicted, and over 30 Internet domains were seized. But the real bombshell dropped by the FBI does not only concern the United States: within the 277-page dossier presented to the court, chilling details emerge about a massive psychological operation aimed at destabilizing Europe. German, French, Italian and British politicians, businessmen, journalists and influencers were all in the Kremlin’s sights, involved in a campaign designed to sow chaos, discredit America and undermine support for Ukraine.
At the center of this operation, according to the dossier, was Sergei Vladilenovič Kirienko, defined by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as Vladimir Putin’s “domestic policy curator” and described by many as “the right-hand man” of the Russian president. Kiriyenko, along with a number of loyal allies, had orchestrated a complex plan to destabilize Western public opinion through targeted disinformation campaigns. “We need to highlight who caused the deterioration of relations,” Kiriyenko reportedly said during one of the secret meetings, according to notes by Ilya Gambashidze, another key Kremlin aide. Gambashidze was deeply involved in the operation, carefully documenting discussions with Kiriyenko and other members of the Russian government. Gambashidze’s notes offer a disturbing glimpse behind the scenes: detailed meetings, propaganda strategies, and discussions on manipulating public narratives.
According to the submitted documents, the Social Design Agency (SDA), founded and headed by Gambašidze himself, and the Structura National Technology, under the direction of Nikolai Tupikinwere two of the main tools used to influence and manipulate the European public. The disinformation attacks were not limited to the creation of fake news. The campaign included the creation of fake websites that mimicked legitimate news outlets such as the Washington Post and the BBC, with articles written specifically to manipulate perceptions of events. In particular, Vladimir Tabak, head of ANO Dialog, an organization closely linked to the Kremlin, played a central role in the creation of these fake media outlets.
One of the key documents, an internal SDA memo, outlined a disturbing strategyto: “We need to discredit the United States, Britain and NATO. Only then can we weaken their support for Ukraine.” The coordinated actions between SDA, Structura National Technology and ANO Dialog had one goal: to spread narratives that discredited the West and supported Russian interests. The use of cybersquatting domains (websites that replicate those of real news outlets in every way) was one of the main methods used to achieve this goal. For example, one of the fake sites ‘washingtonpost(.)pm’ appeared almost identical to the real Washington Post homepage, complete with logos, photographs and articles supposedly written by real journalists. However, the content was anything but journalism. “The Biden administration must recognize that support for Ukraine is a mistake”read one of the articles published on this fake site, pushing an anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian message.
Among the most sophisticated strategies of the Russian operation was the involvement of social media influencers. But it was not just about using prominent figures. The SDA had developed an intricate network of fake social media profiles, some of which impersonated ordinary American or European citizens. The goal was to infiltrate discussion threads on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter (now X), and YouTube, distributing comments and links to cybersquatting. “Using fake profiles to post in comments, pretending to be American or European is essential”an internal SDA document explained. This distribution method allowed the Russians to hide the origin of their campaigns and make users believe they were being exposed to genuine opinions from local citizens.
One particularly ambitious project, called ‘The Good Old USA Project’, had as its main goal to influence the American electorate ahead of the 2024 elections. The project focused on six key US states, using a combination of “false stories disguised as news events” and of “social media comments” to push the narrative that “The United States should focus on internal problems rather than spending resources in Ukraine.” It was a carefully planned campaign, aimed at exploiting the divisions in American society. Behind every move of this vast operation was Sergei Kirienko, the mastermind behind the entire propaganda machine. Gambashidze’s notes reveal that Kirienko was deeply involved in every step of the process, offering advice and suggestions on how best to manipulate narratives. In a meeting on April 16, 2022, Kirienko made it clear that one of the key strategies was to “create a nuclear psychosis” to put the West on the defensive. This wasn’t just random disinformation: it was a plan designed to manipulate the emotions of the Western public into supporting Russia’s positions. “The US is preparing Europe for a major war against the Russian Federation. It is a war for peace,” Kirienko said during a strategic meeting.
Another of the main players involved in the operation was Sofia Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian presidential administration, who regularly attended meetings. Her expertise in information technology and communications infrastructure made her a key ally for Kirienko. Gambašidze’s notes often cite her as the one who relayed Kirienko’s directives to the various teams, ensuring that strategies were implemented correctly. While the United States was a major target, Europe was far from safe. The operation specifically targeted Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. One of the meetings described in the dossier revealed that “Germans are more dependent than the French”prompting the Russians to focus on them to influence their political perceptions. In another meeting, members of the operation discussed how “complement real facts with false ones” to further confuse public opinion. Among the strategies proposed was even the idea of creating a false story about an American soldier who had raped a German woman, exploiting the already fragile relationship between the United States and Germany.
The seizure of domains and the indictment of Russian citizens are just the beginning of a larger battle against Russian disinformation. As the FBI has made clear, this operation was only part of a larger and more ambitious plan to destabilize the West. The Kremlin-orchestrated disinformation campaign involved hundreds of websites, social media accounts, and influencers, all of which were used to sow discord and undermine trust in democratic institutions. As the world prepares for the 2024 US elections, it is clear that the information war has only just begun. The Kremlin, through figures such as Kirienko, Gambašidze, Tupikin, and Zakharova, has demonstrated that it is prepared to do anything to manipulate global public opinion and advance its interests. The question now is: will the West be able to protect itself from this increasingly insidious threat?
