How the Kremlin 'Fakes' Elections in Western Countries: FBI Report

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has published a major report detailing how the Kremlin attempts to influence elections in Western countries, according to BILD newspaper. The over 200-page report outlines how Russian authorities are trying to interfere in elections across Western nations, including Germany.

The documents provide comprehensive insights into the Russian disinformation campaign known as “Doppelgänger,” which the Kremlin initiated back in 2022. Under the “Doppelgänger” project, fake news websites are created to resemble the pages of well-known media outlets. The team working on the project replicated the design of the BILD and WELT websites, filling them with Russian propaganda and fake news, which in turn has fostered a positive image of the Russian Federation while casting a negative light on NATO and Western countries.

Specifically, the fake German-language materials aimed to weaken Germany's relations with its Western allies. Numerous bots associated with “Doppelgänger,” posing as EU citizens, claimed that the United States and the United Kingdom were attempting to drag Germany into the Ukraine war.

The propaganda content was distributed using paid targeted advertising to reach specific groups of people. According to the FBI, the “Doppelgänger” project is being carried out by Russian companies closely linked to the Russian government.