Austrian authorities revealed a Russian disinformation campaign targeting Ukraine and promoting pro-Russian attitudes in German-speaking regions. This operation was linked to a Bulgarian woman detained in December for espionage, whose role included disseminating false narratives and coordinating with Russian intelligence. The campaign utilized tactics such as nationalist graffiti to misattribute anti-Ukrainian sentiments to pro-Ukrainian activists, aiming to manipulate public perception during the war in Ukraine that escalated in 2022. The investigation highlighted a concerted effort by Russia to influence opinions within Europe against Ukraine's leadership.
The direct goal of this disinformation cell was to use targeted actions in the context of the war to negatively influence public opinion against Ukraine ... thereby generating - at a higher level - pro-Russian sentiment.
The investigation showed that a cell working for Russian intelligence was set up shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Collection
[
|
...
]