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In connection with allegations of espionage against a Bulgarian citizen, investigators from the Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence (DSN) identified an extensive russian disinformation campaign in Austria, the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior said in a statement.
A Bulgarian national is suspected of spying for russia and of being largely responsible for conducting a disinformation operation directed from there. The purpose of this covert campaign was to manipulate public and political opinion to the detriment of Ukraine and to the advantage of russia.
“The spread of false narratives, fake news, and manipulative content undermines trust in our institutions and endangers social cohesion,” responded State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried. The spread of disinformation has the potential to influence elections, promote political instability, and endanger democratic society. “We must not allow opinion formation in politics and the public to be controlled from outside. We Austrians prefer to form our own opinions.”
The DSN learned of this intelligence operation through the analysis of data storage devices obtained during a search of the Bulgarian suspect’s home in December of last year. Immediately initiated investigations revealed that a cell working for the russian intelligence service had become active just a few weeks after the start of russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This cell was planning a broad disinformation campaign in German-speaking countries, with a focus on Austria, in early 2022.
The direct goal of this disinformation cell was to use targeted actions in the context of the war to negatively influence public opinion against Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, thereby generating – at a higher level – pro-russian sentiment. To achieve this, they resorted to both online media activities and offline activism, such as stickers or graffiti. The visual and content design of these activisms was intended to create the impression that pro-Ukrainian activists were the authors and creators.
Since the beginning of its war of aggression against Ukraine, russia has been deliberately using disinformation campaigns. The spread of false information is intended to manipulate public opinion to Ukraine’s detriment. The placement of propaganda material at symbolic locations such as memorials or monuments with Jewish or russian connections is intended to sow doubts about Ukraine’s democratic values. In this context, such disinformation and campaigns represent a significant factor in russia’s hybrid warfare.
