Pekka Kallioniemi Profile picture
Feb 14 21 tweets 11 min read Read on X
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce the Russian disinformation network “Doppelgänger”. Doppelgänger is an influence and hybrid operation spreading Kremlin propaganda via AI-generated fake news websites and social media sites, especially X.

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Doppelgänger is a massive influence operation that was initially exposed back in 2022. Their modus operandi is to create near-identical copies of large, legitimate Western news outlets to spread anti-Ukraine, anti-Western and anti-NATO narratives.

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The operation, overseen by Putin’s top aide Sergei Kiriyenko (who’s reportedly communicated with Elon), uses Russian firms like Social Design Agency (SDA) to create fake news sites that mimick legitimate media like The Washington Post, The Guardian, Bild and Fox News.

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These fake sites publish pro-Russian propaganda disguised as real news, complete with stolen trademarks, journalist bylines, and nearly identical website designs. The sites use slightly altered web addresses, tricking readers into believing they’re legitimate.

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After publishing fake news, Doppelgänger amplifies the content using thousands of social media accounts, forums, and even email campaigns. The goal is to make the disinformation seem organic and credible. Much of this activity has been automated with generative AI.

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Doppelgänger’s core narratives range from anti-Ukraine content to allegations of “elite governments” neglecting their own people, claims that the sanctions against Russia are ineffective, calls for peace negotiations and calls to end weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

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One major narrative pushed by Doppelgänger is that Western aid to Ukraine is a waste, that it goes in the pockets of corrupt officials, or that it fuels global instability. This aligns perfectly with the Kremlin’s goal of weakening Western support for Ukraine and Zelenskyy.

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Doppelgänger’s reach extends far beyond websites. The group uses fake social media profiles posing as Americans and other Western citizens to share links to their content, amplifying the impact. The campaign also buys targeted social media ads to push these narratives.

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FBI investigators found records of strategy meetings where Kiriyenko (who, again, was allegedly in contact with Elon) and other Kremlin officials directed the operation, prioritizing anti-Ukraine, pro-Kremlin messaging and efforts to undermine NATO and Western governments.

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In addition to the US, Doppelgänger also runs influence campaigns targeting Germany, France, Israel, and Mexico, with the intent not only of indirectly shaping US politics through diaspora communities, but also pushing pro-Kremlin policies within these countries.

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EU & US officials along with cybersecurity firms, like Meta’s Threat Intelligence team, have been actively taking down Doppelgänger-linked websites, but new domains & accounts pop up constantly, keeping the operation alive. Today, the campaign is bigger than ever before.

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Russia’s disinformation machine also adapts quickly. After being exposed, Doppelgänger shifted their focus to X, Telegram, WhatsApp, and fringe platforms where fact-checking is minimal or non-existent.

Today, their favorite and preferred platform is of course X.

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Another key tactic the group uses is “information laundering”. Russian state media outlets like RT and Sputnik amplify Doppelgänger’s stories, making them seem more credible. But they’re also spread by large, often conspiracy theory and MAGA related social media accounts.

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Doppelgänger is by no means a new operation – it was first reported on in Aug 2022, and since then, there have been over 20 reports and hundreds of articles about the group.

Yet, Doppelgänger perseveres, which just shows how difficult it is to combat this problem.

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Doppelgänger’s operations often peak around major geopolitical events like NATO summits or Ukraine aid votes, when public opinion is most vulnerable to manipulation. Recently, they’ve been spreading disinformation around the German elections taking place on 23 Feb 2025.

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Russian bots are flooding X with disinformation on a daily basis ahead of the election. The strategy is the same as before: use of fake news sites and AI-generated content to undermine trust in Western institutions and sway public opinion in favor of Russia.

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German authorities have identified over 100 sites that were inactive for months but are now spreading Kremlin-aligned bullshit. These sites are carbon copies of real media, blending generic and false content to mislead voters on issues like Ukraine and domestic politics.

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The campaign focuses on X, as almost none of its moderation policies are enforced, and there is no effective bot detection in place. Previous exposés have shown that Russians prefer X due to its inability – or its leadership’s lack of motivation – to combat bots & trolls.

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Perhaps due to this campaign, German courts recently ordered X to hand over all election-related data. This order will be the first real test of the effectiveness of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which aims to shift more responsibility onto big tech giants.

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To conclude: Doppelgänger isn’t the only Russian disinformation operation, but it’s one of the most dangerous due to its scale and sophistication. Their goal is simple: stop any support for Ukraine, erode trust in Western institutions and polarize societies.

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You can now pre-order the 2nd edition of “Vatnik Soup — The Ultimate Guide to Russian Disinformation”! This updated version, featuring pre-order extras, will be released on the 15th of February 2025.

Pre-order your copy here:

kleart.eu/webshop/p/vatn…

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More from @P_Kallioniemi

Jul 1
In today’s Wumao Soup, I’ll introduce how and where the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) online propaganda and influence operations work. Due to China’s massive population and advances in AI, CCP-aligned online content has become increasingly visible.

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Like Russia’s troll farms, China has its own troll army: the “50 Cent Party” or “Wumao” refers to state-linked online commentators who are reportedly paid ¥0.50 per post to steer discussions away from criticism and amplify CCP narratives on social media.

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Back in 2017, a research paper estimated that the Wumao produced almost 500 million fabricated comments annually to distract readers and shift topics. In that sense, Wumao operates very similarly to the Russian “Firehose of Falsehood” model:

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Read 21 tweets
Jun 26
In today’s Vatnik Soup and the “Degenerate Russia” series, I’ll show you the brutal reality of Russian war crimes, in particular the horrific tortures and sexual abuses of children, women and men.

Buckle up, this one is not for the faint-hearted.

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For over a decade now and as part of their “firehose of falsehood” propaganda strategy, Russia has been spreading false narratives targeted at right-wing/conservative audiences, portraying russia as a bastion of Christian, traditional,family values.

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In the previous “degenerate Russia” series we discussed Russia’s insanely high divorce rates, rampant domestic violence, high murder rates, thriving neo-Nazi culture, corruption of the Orthodox Church, and their massive demographic problem:

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Read 26 tweets
Jun 24
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll explore how Russia is working with Iran, and how the recent Israel–US strikes on Iran could affect the war in Ukraine. Iran has been one of Russia’s key allies in their genocidal war, but in reality the partnership is deeply one-sided.

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Historically, Russia/USSR has been involved in numerous wars in the Middle East, invading Afghanistan for nearly a decade and desperately trying to keep Syria’s authoritarian leader, al-Assad, in power before his eventual downfall.

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While initially supportive of Israel, the Soviet Union quickly pivoted to backing its enemies, fueling antisemitism, terrorism, and chaos in an already tense region. At times, this meant near-open war, like when Soviet Air Force MiG-21s were shot down by Israel over Egypt.

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Read 22 tweets
Jun 20
In today’s Vatnik Soup REBREW, I’ll re-introduce a Latvian politician and former MEP, Tatjana Ždanoka. She’s best-known for her history in the Communist Party of Latvia, for her pro-Russian politics in the country, and her connections to Russian intelligence.

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Based on Ždanoka’s speeches and social media posts, she has a deep hatred towards the people of Latvia. The reason for this can only be speculated, but part of it could be due to her paternal family being killed by the Latvian Auxiliary Police,…

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…a paramilitary force supported by the Nazis, during the early 1940s. Ždanoka became politically active in the late 80s. She was one of the leaders of Interfront, a political party that supported Latvia remaining part of the USSR.

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Read 23 tweets
Jun 16
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce the main themes of Russian disinformation on TikTok. Each day, there are thousands of new videos promoting pro-Kremlin narratives and propaganda.

It’s worth noting that Russians can only access European TikTok via VPN.

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There is currently a massive TikTok campaign aimed at promoting a positive image of Russia. The videos typically feature relatively attractive young women and focus on themes of nationalism and cultural heritage.

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Ironically, many of these videos from Moscow or St. Petersburg are deceptively edited to portray Ukraine in a false light — claiming there is no war and that international aid is being funneled to corrupt elites.

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Read 11 tweets
Jun 8
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about Finland and how pro-Kremlin propagandists have become more active in the Finnish political space since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For the first time since 2022, they’ve gained some political power in Finland.

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Russia’s political strategy in countries with Russian-speaking minorities (such as Finland and the Baltics) is typically quite similar: it seeks to rally these minorities around issues like language and minority rights, and then frames the situation as oppression.

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At the same time, Russian speakers are extremely wary and skeptical of local media, and instead tend to follow Russian domestic outlets like Russia-1 and NTV, thereby reinforcing an almost impenetrable information bubble.

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Read 17 tweets

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