Austrian intelligence revealed the existence of a Russian disinformation campaign aimed at spreading fake news on Ukraine and has started an investigation into a Bulgarian town suspected of espionage. According to the management of the state protection and intelligence (DSN), evidence of a “large Russian disinformation campaign in the country” were found, as confirmed today by the Vienna government and reported by the Financial Times.
The espionage network and the role of the Bulgarian town
The investigations reconstructed the modus operandi of a cell at the service of the Russian intelligence, activated a few weeks after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The goal was to orchestrate an extensive disinformation campaign in German -speaking countries, with particular attention to Austria.
“The diffusion of false narratives, fake news and manipulators content compromises trust in our institutions and threatens social cohesion,” said Undersecretary Joerg Leichtfried. The DSN identified the details of the operation after the seizure of data storage devices in a raid conducted in December in the home of the Bulgarian woman.
The infiltration and the tactics used
The suspected admitted that he had collaborated with the cell, who presented himself as a Filraino group but actually tried to guide public opinion against President Volodymyr Zelensky. The network operated both online and offline, and the woman would have documented the activities carried out, transmitting the materials to accomplices in Russia and the United Kingdom. According to the Austrian government, the Russian secret services may have entrusted them with the task of spreading these contents also in Germany and Austria.
“In light of the global situation and threats to our freedom, the DSN protection skills must be enhanced,” added Leichtfried.
Political implications for Austria
The investigation is part of a delicate political context for Austria. Last month, the centrist parties formed a new coalition government after a period of political uncertainty. The agreement averted the risk of a government led by the far right, after the Freedom Party (FPO), known for its philorusive positions, had obtained almost 29% of the votes in the last parliamentary elections.
