VIENNA — Austrian authorities stated Monday that they uncovered a Russian-steered marketing campaign geared toward spreading disinformation about Ukraine following the detention in December of a Bulgarian girl accused of spying for Russia.
Austria’s home intelligence company unearthed proof of the operation because it analyzed gadgets present in a search of the lady’s house, the Inside Ministry stated in an announcement. It stated the investigation confirmed that a couple of weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a cell working for Russian intelligence was arrange and deliberate a large-scale disinformation marketing campaign in German-speaking international locations, significantly Austria.
The group was lively on-line but additionally used stickers and graffiti with content material comparable to far-right symbols and nationalist statements meant to appear like pro-Ukrainian activists had been answerable for them, in accordance with the Inside Ministry.
The Bulgarian suspect, whose title wasn’t launched, is believed to have performed a big function within the effort and acted as an intelligence contact, the ministry stated, including that she has admitted working for the cell, significantly in 2022.
A yr in the past, Austria’s greatest espionage scandal in many years erupted with the arrest of a former Austrian intelligence officer, who was accused amongst different issues of handing over cellphone information of former high-ranking Austrian officers to Russian intelligence and serving to plot a housebreaking at a distinguished journalist’s condominium.
The ex-officer, who was later launched from custody, is suspected of getting offered delicate info to Jan Marsalek, a fugitive fellow Austrian wished on suspicion of fraud for the reason that collapse in 2020 of German payment company Wirecard, the place he was the chief working officer. The arrest warrant stated chat messages offered by British authorities hyperlink Marsalek on to Russia’s FSB intelligence company.
