How Moscow’s agents are manipulating the German debate on the Ukraine war (translation in comments)

3 comments

1. *- translation, part 1-*

   The website initially looks like a normal news portal. There are sections such as “Germany” and “EU”, a column with exchange rates and stock market values. If it weren’t for these articles.

   “How Ukrainians are robbing Germany of economic prosperity” is the headline of a shrill text. There is talk of German cities being “flooded” with Ukrainian refugees.

   The article follows a perfidious plan.

   German authorities attribute the platform on which the text appeared to a large-scale Kremlin influence campaign: more than two dozen manipulative websites, mostly without an imprint or indication of origin, are currently spreading pro-Kremlin narratives on a grand scale. In addition, there are hundreds of thousands of fake accounts on social media that post photo tiles with slogans and often link to the misleading pages.

   The messages posted there sound like reports from an emergency zone:

   “Germany is sinking into homelessness.”

   “Even bread is becoming a luxury good.”

   And again and again, slightly varied, this thought crops up: “It’s time we started looking after our own citizens instead of pumping money into the Ukrainian war.”

   ## Insight into the engine room of Russian operations

   For months, the German government and security authorities have been warning about the Kremlin’s escalating attempts to exert influence on the internet. Moscow does not always spread outright lies. Rather, it is about distorting debates with half-truths, reinforcing polarizing positions, undermining trust in institutions and the media, and furthering the division of society. This is what the East German state security service once called subversion.

   Research by SPIEGEL and the investigative portal “The Insider” now provides a deep insight into the motives, strategies and goals of those responsible – it is an insight into the engine room of Russian information operations. A data leak from the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR makes it clear what Vladimir Putin’s agents want to achieve in the West and what they are relying on: emotions.

   The aim is to create “fear” in Europe, according to a paper published by SVR. This must be the new “leitmotif” of the efforts. The aim is to arouse fears of an uncertain future, of an unpredictable fate for one’s own children and future generations. The subconscious of the target audience must be overwhelmed by “cognitive attacks” with “panic and horror”. One of the target countries is Germany.

   The starting point of this new strategy, which according to the documents began shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is surprising. Intelligence analysts were frustrated to discover that they had not yet stood a chance in the information war for minds. The agents were clearly dissatisfied with the public perception of the war in Ukraine, which Russia tried to play down as a “special operation”. The Kremlin took a similar view.

   Alexei Pushkov, an influential Russian foreign policy expert, therefore called a crisis meeting at the end of May 2022 with the martial title: “The role of information in the great confrontation with the West”. The focus was to be on internet platforms in particular, “in the new reality”.

   Pushkov is responsible for “information policy and interaction with the media” in the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament. He invited various heavyweights to his “round table”: Mariya Zakharova, for example, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, notorious for her abusive remarks about Western politicians. An important advisor to the Ministry of Defense and expert in psychological warfare was also present, as were representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Office and leading media people loyal to the regime. Photos show a large group in a windowless conference room, with a small table monitor in front of each participant.

   ## The agent and his “Propaganda.doc”

   Western internet platforms are “involved in the information war against Russia”, according to Pushkov. We are facing a propaganda war and urgently need to develop new countermeasures.

   Discussions focused on fines and blocking Western platforms, but above all on a new “information strategy for Russia”. It was about the “ability to project one’s own approaches and assessments to the outside world”. This is exactly what was already being worked on in secret, as the research now shows.

   Three days before the crisis meeting, a certain Mikhail Kolessov had emailed the document “Propaganda.doc” to himself, apparently in preparation for the meeting. According to a CV, the stocky man with a bald head and bushy eyebrows works as a department head for a think tank with the beautiful name “Peacemaker”.

   But Kolessov also secretly runs a 40-strong department in the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR, for which he has been working since August 2001. Kolessov is experienced and has traveled widely, including being stationed in Kabul for a time. One version of his CV describes him as a specialist in international “propaganda campaigns”. In 2019, he was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, second class. His documents also include an ID card for the FSB domestic intelligence service.

   Internal emails and documents from his mailbox show how, over the course of the following months, Kolessov’s initial ideas evolved into a comprehensive SVR strategy paper for the information war with the West. The agent discussed and coordinated the concept with representatives of other Russian secret services.

   The result was a kind of disinformation doctrine, a planning document for the new generation of Russian influence operations. Moscow wants to weaken the West both on the internet and with staged protests on the streets of European countries. The plan looks like a blueprint for what Western intelligence services have been warning about ever more vehemently for months – and what can be observed on the internet and in several EU countries.

   *- continued in reply to this comment -*

2. A worthy read.

   We need more awareness of this shit among the masses who are not seeking to be informed or read lengthy posts, and also coordinated counter-operations.

   Sitting passively and watching it happen will inevitably end with Russia throwing every lowball they can imagine until something works and their bootlickers such as AfD are elected into power positions.

   The best counter to Russian manipulation is, afaik, to double-check all your decisions and make sure unity and resources of the anti-Russia coalition are prioritized. Weapons to Ukraine, upholding of territorial integrity and so on. It costs something, yes, but appeasement of Russia now would cost way more in the future. This is their moment of vulnerability and we must not allow them out of it on their preferred terms, equipped with the lesson that Western unity breaks easily when Russia keeps pushing and manipulating it.

3. Heard so much about the trump russia bs already. Who cares about the lying western media anymore =) 🙂