Reports from credible news outlets and intelligence agencies

Leaked Docs Reveal Kremlin's Disinformation Campaign Backing Far-Right EU Parties, Shared by Elon Musk

Sep 17, 2024, 10:30 AM

Leaked documents from a Kremlin-controlled propaganda machine have revealed a significant campaign to back far-right parties in EU elections and spread disinformation to undermine Ukraine. The data leak provides insight into the Social Design Agency (SDA), one of Russia's most active disinformation operators targeting US, French, German, and Israeli societies. The documents expose the identity of Ilya Gambashidze, who launched massive disinformation campaigns and troll farms targeting Ukraine, Poland, Israel, and the US, aiming to destroy trust in democracy and elections. The leaked internal files show that in the first four months of 2024, the SDA's influence operations generated 33.9 million comments and produced 39,899 content units on social media, including 4,641 videos and 2,516 memes. Notably, some of the memes, including one mocking Ukrainian President Zelensky, were shared by Elon Musk, who unknowingly boosted the Kremlin's disinformation campaign. The investigation, dubbed #FactoryofFakes, highlights the extensive reach and impact of these operations.