The specter of Russian manipulation now reappears at every stage of democratic life in the West. “We are in a very important election year, particularly in the United States. “That is why the question of Russian interference is becoming a topic of debate and is being raised as a real security issue.”explains to World Maxime Audinet, researcher at the Strategic Research Institute of the Military School (Irsem). He is co-author with Colin Gérard, doctor in geopolitics, of a very in-depth study, titled “Under the Radars”, dedicated to the changes in the ecosystem of Russian information influence since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Published on October 7 in the journal . NetworksThe 40-page article analyzes and maps a system that is constantly changing and equipped with increasing resources.
Faced with the blocking of Russian media aimed at Europe and the United States (RT, ex-Russia Today and Sputnik) from 2022, the actors of pro-Moscow information influence “They are resorting to more stealthy and clandestine practices to spread their stories to Western audiences,” the article states. In most cases, these campaigns are “outsourced by public authorities to companies specializing in public relations and digital marketing”. Companies attempting to bribe Western influencers to spread pro-Kremlin language to a broader audience. The message is like this “bleached” since the Russian origin and propaganda intention are hidden from the public.
Another manipulation tactic observed by researchers involves impersonating reputable Western media websites through “typo-squatting,” that is, using a nearly identical domain name. This operation called “Doppelgänger” (“double” in German) is attributed to three Russian influence businessmen (Vladimir Tabak, Ilya Gambachidze and Alexeï Goreslavski), all paid by the S Center, the information influence cell of the Russian presidential electoral administration. . Operating through individuals allows the Russian State “gain flexibility” and of “deny all responsibility”the authors point out.
The article is illustrated by an organizational chart of the Russian information influence system, which allows one to see at a glance the overlap of the state and private structures mobilized. Even if the authors emphasize that the entire system is dominated by the Russian state, it appears that a third of the actors operate in the private business sphere. A sphere long dominated by Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who benefited from a personal connection to Vladimir Putin, until he fell from grace and died in the unexplained crash of his plane in August 2024.
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