UK claims Russia using 'sick troll factory' to promote misinformation on Ukraine war

“Sick Russian troll factory” based out of an old arms factory in St Petersburg are “plaguing” social media by targeting world leaders and promoting the “propaganda” of the Vladimir Putin administration, claimed UK Foreign Office on Saturday, citing research. British Foreign Office stated that the online operatives were found to be ordering followers to target the western media outlets and politicians. The research cited by the office was funded by PM Boris Johnson-led government.

UK Foreign Office said, “The research exposes how the Kremlin’s large-scale disinformation campaign is designed to manipulate international public opinion of Russia’s illegitimate war in Ukraine, trying to grow support for their abhorrent war and recruiting new Putin sympathisers.”

“Sick masterminds of the operation are believed to be working overtly from an old factory in St Petersburg, with paid employees, and internal working teams,” it added.

The “troll factory” is suspected to be linked to the founder of the Internet Research Agency, Yevgeny Prigozhin. This same agency was accused of interfering in the 2016 US Presidential election which saw the victory of ex-POTUS Donald Trump. The IRA headquarters is allegedly located in St Petersburg’s Arsenal Machine-building Factory, which is a company that manufactures military equipment and technology.

The targets of the “cyber soldiers” based in Russia are spread in countries including the UK, South Africa and India, the Office said. The Guardian stated that the targets were social media accounts of UK PM Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and the European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. 

It has also been revealed that Russia used Telegram “to actively recruit and co-ordinate new supporters who then target the social media profiles of Kremlin critics - spamming them with pro-Putin and pro-war comments. Targets include the senior UK ministers’ social media accounts, alongside other world leaders.”

UK Foreign Secy calls it an ‘insidious attempt’

In a statement decrying Russia’s “troll factory” following the research, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stated, “These are insidious attempts by Putin and his propaganda machine to deceive the world about the brutality he’s inflicting on the people of Ukraine. This evidence will help us to more effectively identify and remove Russian disinformation and follows our decisive action to block anyone from doing business with Kremlin-controlled outlets RT and Sputnik”.

Earlier on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russian forces will ‘demilitarise’ and ‘denazify’ parts of its neighbouring nation, Ukraine. What followed was the bombing of major Ukrainian cities with citizens still finding shelter in other places except for their homes. The war has now continued for over two months but no ceasefire agreement has been reached. The West including US and UK has stood in strong support of Ukraine with several officials even travelling to Kyiv amid the clashes with Moscow's forces. 

Image: AP