The Kremlin’s Rybar media group has launched a “TEXASvsUSA”, a channel on X that aims to exploit tensions surrounding undocumented migration at the Texas border, and “promote societal division” in advance of the 2024 US Presidential election.
The US Department of State‘s Rewards for Justice Program offers up to 10 million dollars for information that leads to the identification or localization of foreign individuals or entities who are involved in US election meddling through a Russian military blog channel, Rybar.
Since 2016, Russia has been involved in US elections, mainly through hacking and social media manipulation. Russian campaigns have been largely focused on disinformation to influence public opinion and undermine trust in American democratic institutions. This has deepened polarization. Russia was also accused by the European Union of interfering with June’s elections for the European Parliament.
According to Rewards for justice, Rybar’s actions are intended to “sow division, promote social discord, incite racial and partisan discord, and encourage hatred and violence” in the United States.
Rybar LLC, an organization that was previously funded by Yevgeniy Prgozhin, founder of the Wagner Private Military Group is now receiving funding from Rostec. Rostec is a Russian defense industry organization sanctioned by US Treasury in June 2022.
Rybar uses Rostec’s connections to “boost Russia’s military capability and advance pro-Russian, anti-Western narratives.”
The organization is allegedly responsible for social media channels like #HOLDTHELINE or #STANDWTHTEXAS that promote Russian government interests within the United States.
Rybar has created the “TEXASvsUSA channel” on X in advance of the 2024 US Presidential election. The channel aims to “exploit issues of undocumented migrants crossing the Texas border.”
The report lists several individuals who were involved with Rybar’s operation:
* Vladimir Sergeyevich Berkutov (TEXASvsUSA),
* Aleksandr Klimovich Kan, Head of Video Department
* Tatyana Petrovna Kosterova (Foreign Language Resources Head),
* Olga Sergeyevna Kuznetsova (Rybar Regional Manager),
* Maksim Vitalyevich Matveyev Matveev (Designer and Lead of Content Team),
* Aleksandr Igorevich Minin, Chief Content Officer (TEXASvsUSA),
* Valentina Valeryevna Minina (TEXASvsUSA),
* Mikhail Sergeyevich Zvinchuk, Director of Rybar
* Valeriya Vladimirovna Zvinchuk (Rybar Creative Director)
In September, the US Government reported that Moscow had spent millions of dollars in order to influence the upcoming Presidential Election, creating dozens of domains allegedly for “covert dissemination of Russian government propaganda.”
The US also imposed sanction on the Russian state controlled outlet RT, and its chief editor Margarita Simonyan for allegedly trying to interfere in the upcoming elections of 2024.
The Institute for the Study of War has previously assessed Rybar’s attempts to expand its international influence, including support for Iraqi efforts backed by Iran to gain greater control of the Iraqi information domain.
Five key tactics were identified in a book entitled Russia, Disinformation and the Liberal Order as part of Russia’s strategy for influencing the 2024 US elections:
Local influencers can be used to your advantage
Fake news sources
* Exploiting social divisions
Denial and sonspiracy theories
* Humor as disguise
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