Russian intelligence is operating a systematic program to launder pro-Kremlin propaganda through private relationships between Russian operatives and unwitting US and western targets, according to newly declassified US intelligence.

US intelligence agencies believe that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) is attempting to influence public policy and public opinion in the West by directing Russian civilians to build relationships with influential US and Western individuals and then disseminate narratives that support Kremlin objectives, obscuring the FSB’s role through layers of ostensibly independent actors.

“These influence operations are designed to be deliberately small scale, the overall goal being US [and] Western persons presenting these ideas, seemingly organic,” a US official authorized to discuss the material told CNN. “The co-optee influence operations are built primarily on personal relationships … they build trust with them and then they can leverage that to covertly push the FSB’s agenda.”

The campaigns have sometimes been effective at planting Russian narratives in the Western press, according to the intelligence. Maxim Grigoriev, who heads a Russian NGO, made multiple speeches to the UN presenting a false study that claimed the humanitarian group the White Helmets – which operates in Syria – was running a black market for human organs and had faked chemical attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with whom Russia is allied. Those claims eventually found their way into a television report on the far-right OANN in the United States, according to open-source materials provided by the official.

But the official stressed that the Western voices that eventually became mouthpieces for Russian propaganda were almost certainly unaware of the role they were playing.

“At the end of the day, this unwitting target is disseminating Russian influence operation, Russian propaganda to their target public,” the US official said. “Ultimately, a lot of these are unwitting people — they remain unaware who is essentially seeding these narratives.”

The intelligence provides several examples of Russian civilian “co-optees” doing the bidding of the FSB.

One man, Andrey Stepanenko, founded a media project in 2014 that sponsored journalists from the US and the West to visit eastern Ukraine and learn “the alleged truth” about what was happening in the region. In fact, the FSB directed his efforts and “almost certainly financed the project,” according to the declassified intelligence.

CNN was not able to locate Stepanenko to ask for comment.

The US official also cited Natalia Burlinova, the founder of a Russian NGO who routinely coordinated FSB-funded public diplomacy efforts aimed at influencing Western views. In 2018, she visited, had meetings and hosted events at multiple US think tanks and universities in New York, Boston and Washington – work that was funded by the FSB, according to the intelligence. Her conduct was already public: She was indicted earlier this year on charges of conspiring with an FSB officer to act as an illegal agent of Russia inside the United States, although she remains at liberty in Russia.

Burlinova in an email to CNN denied that her US trips in 2018 were financed by the FSB.

“All travel expenses were financed by a grant that we previously received from the Presidential Grants Fund, the main grant operator of Russia,” she said. “The FSB of Russia did not give me any money for the trip.”

The official declined to offer specifics to back up the intelligence community’s assertions that the FSB is funding this kind of operation but noted that once officials were able establish FSB backing, it is easy to trace the narratives they are pushing in open-source materials.

“Once you’re aware of who these people are and their association with the FSB, by nature of what they’re doing, they have very, very public personas,” the official said. “And so I would just say it’s not really difficult to kind of follow the strings.”

The US official declined to say whether Russia has used these same tactics to try to influence US elections.

The FSB does use similar tactics to influence political opinion within Russia, according to the intelligence. In one instance, a Russian media figure named Anton Tsvetkov organized protests outside of embassies in Moscow — including the US Embassy — at the FSB’s behest. The protests pushed Russia’s narrative of the war in Ukraine, “promoting the ‘Ukrainian Nazi’ narrative and blaming the U.S. and its allies for the deaths of children in the Donbass,” while hiding the Russian government’s role, according to the declassified intelligence.

“The purpose of those protests really was … designed to sell it to the Russian people,” the US official said.

    • jeffw@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Yes, Trump supporters, but plenty on the left parrot the talking points too. I was banned from a leftist space on Reddit for saying Russia operates troll farms and targets Americans.

      The justification? I was parroting US propaganda.

        • Nowyn
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          1 year ago

          They are as much leftist as I am. They are just authoritarian left who somehow have forgotten Russia is not even nominally leftist outside some propaganda. I disagree as liberal socialist with them as much as I do with right-wing people, but we can’t deny that their economic policies are usually actually leftist. But it is important to note, that they aren’t common at least where I am.

      • Izzgo@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        I have an extra left wing sister in law. Around here she would likely be called a tankie. She regularly posts memes about how awful war is and how everyone should refuse to go and then there would be no war. She especially makes those posts when Ukraine goes on the offence (even in its own country). Oddly though, she NEVER makes those posts in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

        • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I have an extra left wing sister in law. Around here she would likely be called a tankie. She regularly posts memes about how awful war is and how everyone should refuse to go and then there would be no war. She especially makes those posts when Ukraine goes on the offence (even in its own country). Oddly though, she NEVER makes those posts in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

          Useful idiots.

      • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yes, Trump supporters, but plenty on the left parrot the talking points too. I was banned from a leftist space on Reddit for saying Russia operates troll farms and targets Americans.

        I mean, maybe Jimmy Dore, but he’s hardly a leftist.

        • Brudder Aaron@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          “Do you like waffles, or pancakes?” “Pancakes I guess?” “Oh so you hate waffles then?!”

        • asteriskeverything@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I mean I understand and there are definitely idiots on both sides. I chalk it up to the person in infancy of being woke and feel like they have all the answers, with all the passion of it being new and none of the experience to temper things for reality. Very black and white.

          However both suck and I won’t support either is an opinion most politically active people are going to scoff at because by choosing none, you’re supporting the worst sides of both. The reason that homophobic was thrown around is based on the fact that if someone does not care enough that Republicans are actively seeking out legislation to harm and ostracize members of the LGBTQA community to vote Democrat then you’re essentially in support. Same goes with women’s rights and race issues. It’s a shame that people resort to name calling, ANYONE would dig in their heels and not even consider listening as soon as they are insulted like that. It’s unhelpful at best and harmful always.

          I’m glad you’re educating yourself and supporting your sister! I’m not trans but familiar enough with it, if you have any questions or to just sort of talk about it with someone not directly impacted and thus you don’t have to worry about my feelings or whatever, feel free to message me.

            • asteriskeverything@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Thanks for your hard work for sanders! He is my dream pick for president. If you mean politically I do disagree that things are deeper than they appear (in the context of one side wanting to control or harm certain groups) but if you meant interpreting comments on social media then yeah, I can agree there for sure.

              And yeah I meant feel free to DM!