Putin’s silent war - Hybrid attacks in Europe | DW Documentary

Key Concepts:

• Russian disinformation and influence operations
• Hybrid warfare
• Psychological manipulation
• Doppelganger campaigns
• Exploitation of societal vulnerabilities
• Subcontracting of operations
• Information warfare
• Destabilization of democratic societies

1. Natural Gas Blackmail and Shift to Indoctrination:

• In February 2022, Putin believed the West wouldn't react to the Ukraine invasion.
• Europe was dependent on Russian natural gas, with Germany sourcing over half its supply from Russia.
• Nord Stream 2 pipeline was decommissioned after the invasion.
• Russia's attempt to use natural gas as blackmail failed, leading to a shift towards indoctrination and information warfare.
• The goal is to manipulate reality and confuse opponents by spreading false information.
• Digital technology and social networks have amplified the reach of disinformation.
• The Kremlin aims to blur the lines between right and wrong, hindering effective responses.

2. Case Study: Roman Melkare - Attempted Manipulation of a Journalist:

• Roman Melkare, a defense journalist in Paris, was targeted by Russian agent Sergey Solomazov in 2014.
• Solomazov, posing as a Russian embassy worker, sought to expand his network and asked personal questions.
• French authorities identified Solomazov as a Russian agent.
• Solomazov attempted to influence Melkare by pushing official Russian positions and seeking information.
• The approach involved psychological manipulation, starting with small favors and escalating to requests for sensitive documents.
• Solomazov's ultimate goal was to obtain documents from a NATO department, which Melkare refused.

3. Case Study: Sergei Solomazov in Slovakia - Bribing a Journalist:

• After his assignment in France, Solomazov was sent to Slovakia, where he was monitored by counter-espionage agencies.
• Slovakian authorities caught Solomazov bribing journalist Bohos Gabbar in the summer of 2021.
• Gabbar was paid to publish pro-Russian articles on his online platform, "lavravi" (Main News).
• The aim was to make the Slovakian government less pro-Western and more pro-Russian.
• Gabbar was arrested, charged with spying and corruption, and sentenced to 1.5 years in jail in Spring 2024.
• The arrest led to the breakup of a network aimed at destabilizing Slovakia.
• Cash seizures were made at the homes of suspects, including Gabbar.
• Solomazov corrupted soldiers, academics, and politicians.

4. EU Response and the Slovakian Election:

• The Slovakian defense minister alerted European partners to Russian infiltration in March 2022.
• The EU expelled Solomazov and over 250 other Russian agents working under diplomatic cover.
• Despite the expulsions, Russian disinformation influenced the Slovakian election on September 30, 2022.
• A pro-Russian party, advocating for halting arms supplies to Ukraine, won the election.
• Prime Minister Roberts acknowledged the shift, and Slovakia announced it would block Ukraine's NATO application in October 2024.

5. The Star of David Graffiti Incident in Paris:

• In the fall of 2023, hundreds of Stars of David were sprayed onto buildings in Paris.
• A witness saw two individuals, later identified as Galina and Alexander from Moldova, spraying the graffiti.
• A third individual photographed the graffiti and disappeared.
• Viginum, a French authority monitoring foreign digital influence, detected unusual bot activity amplifying the visibility of the photographs.
• 1,095 bots were activated to promote the images on social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter).
• The incident is suspected to be a Russian propaganda operation aimed at exploiting tensions following the Hamas attack on Israel.
• The goal was to distract from the war in Ukraine, sow discord, and weaken democratic societies.

6. Investigation into the Star of David Operation:

• Galina and Alexander claimed they were hired for the operation and identified Anatoli Pzenko as their contact.
• Pzenko, a businessman from Moldova, claimed he was contacted by a man named "Davided" from a mysterious Jewish organization.
• Pzenko claimed the idea originated from "Davided" after the Hamas attack.
• He provided no evidence of "Davided's" existence or the organization.
• Pzenko admitted to hiring Galina and Alexander and providing them with €3,000.
• He refused to disclose the operation's aim or whether Russia was involved.

7. Anatoli Pzenko and Transnistria Connection:

• Pzenko has ties to Transnistria, a pro-Russian separatist region in Moldova occupied by Russian forces.
• Transnistria is considered a "talent incubator" for the Kremlin, providing access to individuals willing to carry out destabilizing operations.
• The use of Moldovan citizens reduces suspicion from European intelligence services.

8. Operation Doppelganger:

• Operation Doppelganger is a large-scale Russian disinformation campaign identified in September 2022.
• It involves creating fake websites that are clones of genuine European media outlets.
• The fake websites publish pro-Russian or anti-Ukrainian articles, often adjusted to fit actual reporting.
• The goal is to spread uncertainty about the war, promote narratives such as "winter is coming" due to gas shortages, and undermine support for Ukraine.
• The campaign also targets governments, creating fake reports and documents.
• The operation is well-organized, financed, and constantly evolving.

9. Kremlin's Strategy and Medvedev's Threats:

• The Kremlin views information warfare as a crucial tool to compensate for its military inferiority compared to NATO.
• Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev threatened to make the West's life a "permanent nightmare" by blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
• He urged people to exploit vulnerabilities and target Europe.

10. Conclusion:

• Russia is employing a targeted campaign of manipulation to destabilize Europe without direct military confrontation.
• The outcome is uncertain, but the seeds of division have been sown, benefiting populist movements.
• The Kremlin is intensifying its offensive, mobilizing resources for strategically placed missions and exploiting nostalgic sentiments.
• New methods of hybrid warfare are being tested, requiring closer cooperation between European intelligence services.
• The Kremlin is building a system of low-cost mercenaries to carry out acts of sabotage.