Russia’s Covert Disinformation Network Expanded Beyond Troll Farms, Investigation Finds

Long before the Kremlin’s modern influence campaigns drew global attention, Russia’s best-known online operation was the St. Petersburg troll factory associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin. Since 2022, however, a far more sophisticated structure has been operating alongside that model, according to an investigation by independent news outlet The Insider based on internal correspondence and communications with the Kremlin.

The project, reportedly overseen by Sergei Kiriyenko, deputy chief of staff of the Russian presidential administration and one of the key architects of Russia’s domestic political system, was designed to promote Russian narratives from within what Moscow classifies as “unfriendly” countries. Rather than distributing content openly identifiable as Russian propaganda, the operation sought to circulate fabricated stories disguised as authentic reporting, including material appearing on or imitating Western news platforms.

Initially known as the “Matryoshka” network, the initiative was entrusted to Ilya Gambashidze, a former adviser to outgoing Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy and a political chatbot developer active since 2020. Operational oversight was placed under Aleksandr Kharichev, who heads the presidential administration’s Directorate for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes and supervises disinformation activities related to Ukraine, while Sofia Zakharova managed communications infrastructure and digital development targeting Western countries.

According to documents examined by The Insider, the operation bears little resemblance to the Internet Research Agency established under Prigozhin. Instead of low-paid workers recruited through advertisements and tasked with posting hundreds of comments during 12-hour shifts, the newer structure reportedly employs hundreds of highly educated specialists, including graduates of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and employees connected to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, all operating under the authority of the presidential administration.

Employees reportedly describe themselves as “ideological soldiers” and “social architects.” Their work involves producing content in multiple languages while collaborating with specialists in deepfakes, “augmented reality,” and so-called “special reports.” Sets were reportedly built in Russia and furnished to resemble locations in Italy, Germany, or the United Kingdom, complete with actors, props and professional production equipment. Additional filming was planned inside target countries, followed by extensive post-production work using computer graphics.

The agency’s strategists also relied on artificial intelligence to identify politically sensitive issues in individual countries and tailor influence campaigns accordingly. In Italy, for example, internal proposals called for circulating fabricated reports claiming that properties seized from Russians were being handed over to Ukrainian refugees, with local governments covering maintenance costs. Another proposal suggested paying Italian bloggers to produce sketches highlighting supposed economic damage caused by sanctions against Russia. Internal communications emphasized that audiences should not identify Moscow as the source, noting that the campaign should appear to originate from an Italian political party.

The network’s activities extended beyond content production. Bot systems were used to amplify stories and imagery across social platforms, including photographs connected to the appearance of Stars of David painted on buildings in Paris in November 2023, an incident investigators linked to Russian operatives. Other campaigns promoted false stories about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that were later echoed by prominent public figures, including Elon Musk and JD Vance.

Among the most successful narratives identified by investigators were allegations involving luxury purchases by the Ukrainian president and his family. One recurring claim centered on supposed yachts owned by Zelensky. In December 2023, then-Ohio Senator JD Vance appeared on Steve Bannon’s podcast and questioned whether social welfare programs were being cut while a member of Zelensky’s government could purchase an even larger yacht.

Weeks earlier, Komsomolskaya Pravda had published a story alleging that Zelensky owned a yacht, citing purported documentation from the “Mediterranea Association of Yacht Brokers.” The story was quickly republished by DC Weekly, a disinformation website financed by former U.S. Marine John Mark Dougan, who now lives in Russia. Within two weeks, the claim had been cited publicly by Republican Senator Thom Tillis, Vance, and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who later distanced herself from it. Investigators found that records of those remarks were compiled and forwarded to the Kremlin.

Internal correspondence traced the origins of the broader campaign to July 2022, when Kiriyenko developed plans for a coordinated propaganda effort targeting five European countries. The proposal was presented to Gambashidze, Zakharova and an individual identified as “Stas,” believed to be Stanislav Starostin, who later joined the operation.

The campaign’s objectives included discrediting the United States, the United Kingdom and NATO; promoting Moscow’s version of events regarding the war in Ukraine; and persuading Germans to oppose what the documents described as ineffective sanctions policy. Germany was identified as the primary focus during the project’s initial phase. By June 2022, activities were already underway in Germany, Italy and Britain.

A separate initiative targeting Ukraine emerged in early 2023 under the codename “Uganda.” Documents indicate that Kiriyenko defined four strategic goals: undermining Ukraine’s political and military leadership, deepening divisions among elites, weakening military morale, and negatively affecting civilian life.

Kharichev’s role expanded significantly in June 2024, when he assumed responsibility for the newly created Directorate for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes. The position effectively made him the Kremlin’s chief ideological coordinator after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier in his career, Kharichev served in Russia’s radiation, chemical and biological protection forces, focusing on what documents describe as moral and psychological support. He later joined the presidential administration after Vladimir Putin entered the Kremlin and held a series of government positions.

Investigators also linked the network to disinformation campaigns surrounding corruption allegations in Ukraine’s military procurement system. During 2023, websites associated with the operation spread false claims that then-Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and his family had purchased luxury properties in Cannes, Dubai and Madrid.

The same infrastructure was reportedly used to promote allegations that First Lady Olena Zelenska had spent large sums on Cartier jewelry in New York. The story first appeared through anonymous X accounts, resurfaced months later on a little-known Instagram account, and was subsequently amplified by prominent Russian propagandists on X and TikTok. British politician George Galloway later repeated the allegations, followed by American journalist and RT contributor Max Blumenthal, who has roughly 860,000 followers on X. The claims were then cited by Candace Owens, whose audience on the platform exceeds 7.8 million followers. One of her posts declared: “We want nothing to do with Zelensky. You rob from our people while your wife squanders tens of thousands of dollars shopping in Paris. Disgusting.”

The operation’s distribution network relied heavily on counterfeit news sites that mimicked legitimate media outlets. Internal documents indicate that the Agency for Social Design and a group of affiliated companies known as “Structure” spent hundreds of dollars daily promoting links to those websites. Coordinated comments directing users toward fabricated stories were posted beneath articles from genuine media organizations and distributed across Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.

After two years of activity, Gambashidze argued in a report prepared for the Kremlin that the project had become “the only way” to influence public opinion in target countries through content that appeared native to local audiences rather than being openly labeled as Russian propaganda.

A promotional video reviewed by investigators quoted him describing the effort as a strategic information war. “Our narratives are embedded in the worldview of Western citizens,” he said. “We strongly believe in final victory because we have carefully prepared our information attacks and understood the objectives of the project. The battlefield is the minds of people on planet Earth.”

Additional internal guidelines encouraged the production of German-language videos portraying Ukrainians as admirers of Nazi heroes and content suggesting that Ukrainians received preferential treatment compared with other refugees in Germany and Italy. One proposed video for Germany featured a Syrian character claiming Ukrainians had joined ISIS to fight Russians and Jews in Europe. A separate concept designed for Britain called for a Syrian character in London linked to ISIS threatening violence against Ukrainians.

The documents also outlined plans to create online communities dedicated to everyday grievances and complaints. Organizers believed users would initially gather around discussions of daily frustrations before gradually introducing political themes, including rising prices, immigration tensions and disputes involving refugees.

The Insider reported that Gambashidze’s access to Kiriyenko developed through his repeated participation in foreign trips alongside Russian lawmakers Leonid Slutsky and Pyotr Tolstoy, including visits to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In October 2024, Gambashidze received the Medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” for his work as an expert at EISI, a think tank associated with the Russian presidential administration.

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