In 2023, several different online influence campaigns covertly or financially linked to Prigozhin were active, and their activity did not stop even when, after his death in August, the Russian government liquidated the propaganda groups most openly associated with Prigozhin, the publication writes, citing “Google Mandiant Intelligence “.
While none of these campaigns have gained significant traction on the Internet, analysts say the continued activity of these groups shows that Russia is able to increase its influence in the run-up to the US election.
Russian disinformation tactics have changed since 2016, according to disinformation researchers and Western officials. While earlier efforts were mainly focused on attracting a large audience to content on social networks, now the focus is on creating websites that pretend to be legitimate news sources. Some newer methods also include paying actors to post fake videos accusing, for example, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of drug use.
But traditional social networks remain the focus of Russian trolls who try to create inauthentic accounts on various platforms, experts say. At the same time, Google has not been able to determine who manages Prigozhin’s assets after his death.
