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Russian disinformation campaign “Doppelganger” has developed sophisticated tactics to spread anti-Western and pro-Kremlin narratives across Europe, according to recent intelligence reports. The operation employs multiple deceptive strategies to infiltrate mainstream information channels and target audiences in several European countries.
At the core of Doppelganger’s playbook is the creation of convincing clones of established media outlets. These fake websites impersonate respected publications such as Le Monde, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, and Fox News through “typosquatting” – registering domain names with minor spelling variations on alternative domain extensions like .ltd, .online, and .foo. Despite often containing content with poor language quality, these sites are designed to appear legitimate at first glance.
The operation extends beyond media impersonation to include fake government websites. Targets have included the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Germany’s Interior Ministry, and even NATO itself. These counterfeit sites announce fabricated government policies, such as new taxes to support Ukraine, dramatic military budget increases, or warnings about alleged Ukrainian criminal activity entering European countries.
Doppelganger has also created dedicated anti-Ukrainian websites featuring animated cartoons that portray President Volodymyr Zelensky, his family, and the Ukrainian government as corrupt puppets controlled by international conspirators who allegedly murder their own citizens.
Complementing these efforts are pro-Russian websites like “War On Fakes,” established shortly after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Despite mimicking fact-checking methodology, the site works to counter factual reporting about Ukraine’s defense. Another site, initially called “Reliable Russian News” before rebranding as “Recent Reliable News” (RRN), continues to publish content aligned with Russian propaganda narratives critical of Western nations.
The operation has even featured interviews with Western figures sympathetic to Russian positions. A notable example involved French MEP Thierry Mariani, whose interview was removed after French authorities exposed RRN’s Russian origins in June 2023.
Doppelganger’s activities have recently expanded into potential hybrid operations. In November 2023, blue Stars of David appeared on buildings in Paris, creating confusion about whether they represented pro-Israeli or antisemitic sentiment. VIGINUM, France’s digital interference protection service, identified a network of over 1,000 bots on X (formerly Twitter) linked to RRN that amplified images of the incident.
Meta’s Q2 2024 Threat report revealed a distinct coordinated inauthentic behavior network claiming to have been hired by Russian intelligence to participate in the Paris Stars of David operation. This network has been attributed to individuals previously connected to the Internet Research Agency, Russia’s notorious troll farm.
For distribution, Doppelganger employs multiple techniques, including networks of fake profiles on Meta platforms. One network, dubbed the “German Odettes,” featured profiles of women all named “Odette” claiming to work for Netflix. These profiles systematically pushed Doppelganger content in comment sections of established Facebook pages to directly engage regular users.
Similar coordinated networks operate on X, replying to tweets and promoting Doppelganger content. Internal documents from Struktura (a Russian entity behind the operation), obtained by the Washington Post, revealed that operators track performance metrics across Facebook, YouTube, Telegram, and TikTok.
The operation frequently purchases advertisements through Meta’s platform using thousands of disposable “burner” Facebook pages that are abandoned after a single ad campaign. To evade detection, Doppelganger implements sophisticated operational security measures, including geofencing that restricts content visibility to specific regional audiences and multiple redirection URLs to bypass platform restrictions on known Doppelganger domains.
The comprehensive nature of this operation highlights Russia’s continued investment in information warfare targeting Western democracies, with tactics evolving to overcome platform security measures and exploit social divisions across Europe.
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8 Comments
This highlights the importance of media literacy and fact-checking in an age of rampant online misinformation. Consumers need to be vigilant about verifying the sources of information, especially around sensitive geopolitical topics like the conflict in Ukraine.
Absolutely. The proliferation of these cloned websites is a stark reminder that we can’t always trust what we see online, even from seemingly reputable sources. Critical thinking is key.
While it’s disturbing to see the level of sophistication in these tactics, I’m glad the EU DisinfoLab was able to identify and expose the ‘Doppelganger’ network. Shining a light on these operations is an important step in mitigating their impact.
Yes, transparency and public awareness are crucial. Hopefully, this report will help readers be more discerning about the information they consume online, especially around sensitive geopolitical topics.
The creation of fake government websites is a particularly worrying aspect of this disinformation campaign. Spreading fabricated policies and announcements could sow real confusion and undermine public trust in institutions. Combating this will require a multi-pronged approach.
Interesting to see how sophisticated disinformation campaigns can get. The ‘Doppelganger’ network’s tactics of cloning legitimate media sites and government websites are quite clever, if concerning. I wonder what other techniques they’re employing to spread pro-Kremlin narratives across Europe.
Yes, the use of ‘typosquatting’ to create fake sites that closely mimic real outlets is a particularly insidious tactic. It speaks to the level of coordination and resources behind this disinformation effort.
This is a clear example of the ongoing battle against disinformation and the lengths bad actors will go to in order to mislead the public. Vigilance and critical thinking are essential, both for individuals and institutions, in order to combat these threats.