A Russian plan to manipulate Europe’s most influential people by flooding social media with Kremlin lies has been unveiled in bombshell documents.
The secret campaign, known as ‘Doppelganger’, used influencers, AI and bot accounts to spread Putin’s propaganda to a huge online audience.
The goal of the operation was to influence British and European politicians, discredit the US and Nato, and reduce support for Ukraine, according to documents from Russian psychological warfare meetings.
Details of the 277-page plan were revealed in court after the US government indicted two Russian citizens and seized 32 internet domains related to a plot to influence the 2024 American election. The plot is said to have been in place for at least the past two years.
Published by Politico, the memo explains how the goal of the plan was to trigger emotional reactions on social networks.
This included leaving comments on posts from popular accounts that focus on politics and economics. One example listed in the affidavit is ‘Americans are such scumbags!’ — a remark that would inevitably sow division and spark heated debate.
Putin’s ‘Doppelganger’ project by numbers
The Russian propaganda campaign came complete with KPIs. According to the affidavit filed in US court, the plan was to achieve the following through influencer, bot and AI posts:
- 1,000 comments per day, per country
- 30,000 comments per month, per country
- 60,000 comments per month for France and Germany combined
Fake news was a core part of the Russian strategy, which relied on copycat domains spreading false articles and videos made to look like they came from legitimate sources.
Germany was identified as being particularly vulnerable to this kind of Russian interference, according to the court filing.
Meanwhile, another bombshell report has shed new light on Vladimir Putin’s personal life.
A new report from the Dossier Centre claims the Russian president has two secret sons with former Olympic gymnast, Alina Kabaeva.
According to the organisation, which tracks the criminal activity of various people associated with the Kremlin, the children live like princes in lavish homes far from the public eye.
The report also claims the boys annoy their iron-fisted father with their adoration for Disney characters.
It’s long been rumoured that Putin shares a family with Kabaeva, 41, whom he allegedly became engaged to in 2008 – though this has never been confirmed.
In its latest release, ‘Succession’, the Dossier Centre reports that Putin and his gymnast lover share two sons: Ivan Putin, 9, and Vladimir Putin Jr, 5.
Like millions of kids, the pair reportedly love Disney characters: ‘Ivan prefers Disney cartoons and, to the displeasure of his parents, plays pretending to be their characters.’
‘They have to play mostly alone or with adults, who are constantly around Putin’s sons. They only see their parents late at night,’ the report added.
The children are said to be heavily guarded and have not been shown to the public. They travel on yachts and business jets, according to the report, and no birth records of either child are available.
The boys reportedly live in palaces owned by their father — many of which were gifted to their mum Alina. One of them allegedly has a gold toilet brush.
The Dossier Centre explained: ‘They are guarded by FSO [Federal Protective Service] officers, with nannies, governesses and professional trainers by their side around the clock.
‘The brothers have little contact with their peers and see little of their parents, but they appreciate the rare moments they manage to spend with their father.’
Who is Alina Kabaeva?
The alleged first lady of Russia is a member of the Russian Duma who was once a champion gymnast.
Originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the 41-year-old found fame in rhythmic gymnastics, earning 2 Olympic medals, 14 World Championship medals, and 21 European Championship medals.
Kabaeva met Putin between 2006-2007, and it’s believed they got engaged one year later. Putin was still married to his first wife, Lyudmila, at the time, though it’s believed they lived apart by then.
The pair divorced in 2013, with the controversial announcement made on camera for Russian media.
Kabaeva is believed to split her time between the lavish residence situated between St Petersburg and Moscow, and the penthouse in the Royal Park residential complex in Sochi.
How many children does Putin have?
If the report from the Dossier Centre is accurate, Putin has a total of four children: Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, from his first marriage; along with Ivan and Vladimir Putin with Alina Kabaeva.
Putin’s eldest daughter Maria, 39, works as an endocrinologist, while Katerina, 37, is an accomplished dancer. She also heads up Innopraktika, Russia’s National Intellectual Development Foundation.
Putin regularly lectures Russians on the importance of large families.
‘Motherhood is an exquisite purpose for women,’ he said on International Women’s Day.
He added that having a family was ‘the most important thing for any woman, no matter what career path she chooses or what professional heights she attains’.
Putin continued: ‘If two people produce only one [child], the population decreases. Even if two, it stays horizontal.
’And in order to ensure the growth of the people and the population, it is a minimum need for a family to have three children.
’And for this to happen, the family must be born early [when the parents are still young].’
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