Putin’s ‘troll factory’ in St Petersburg has launched an attack on Boris Johnson
Security officers warn that Putin’s saboteurs could enter Britain, and Russian trolls are reported to be targeting Boris Johnson from an old arms plant in St Petersburg.
The Russian president’s regime is attempting to affect public opinion on social media and in the comments sections of major media sources, according to research financed by the UK government.
It was discovered that online operatives were instructing followers to target Western newspapers and politicians in order to generate support for the invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Johnson’s, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s, and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s social media accounts are among them.
The disinformation campaign appears to have targeted bands and performers such as Daft Punk, David Guetta, Tiesto, and Rammstein.
Activities were discovered on Twitter and Facebook, but were concentrated in particular on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, where influencers are paid to reinforce pro-Kremlin narratives.
It comes as senior MI5 officers have warned that the threat of Russian saboteurs infiltrating the UK to carry out assaults on important infrastructure and politicians has grown.
On Russian official television, a politician threatens Europe with nuclear war.
‘There is a serious concern that officers or agents attached to Russia’s security services may attempt to enter the UK and target strategic locations,’ one security source told The Express.
Researchers also discovered that a Telegram channel dubbed ‘Cyber Front Z,’ with the letter Z denoting Russian support for the war, played a crucial part in the misinformation network.
Its headquarters are said to be in rented premises in the Arsenal Machine-Building Factory in St Petersburg, which produces military equipment and technologies.
According to researchers, the group appears to have taken cues from QAnon conspiracy theorists and the Islamic State terror group.
The troll farm is said to recruit and hire salaried workers openly, justifying the work as ‘patriotic activity’ in support of the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine.
According to the findings, one major activity is ‘brigading,’ which involves directing discussion on social media and in newspaper comments sections toward preferred viewpoints.
Manipulation of polls in Western media has also been reported, including skewing the findings of a poll on whether or not sanctions against Russia are supported.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: ‘We cannot allow the Kremlin and its shady troll farms to invade our online spaces with their lies about Putin’s illegal war.
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‘The UK Government has alerted international partners and will continue to work closely with allies and media platforms to undermine Russian information operations.’
The researchers behind the project were identified by the Foreign Office due to worries about their safety as a result of their critical work of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration.
