The UK sanctions Russian firms for propaganda campaign aimed at weakening European support for Ukraine

The UK has taken a bold stand against Russian propaganda by sanctioning three firms and their leaders for a campaign aimed at weakening European support for Ukraine. The sanctioned firms include the Russian state-funded Social Design Agency (SDA), partner company Structura National Technologies, and PR firm ANO DIALOG. These firms, collectively known as the “Doppelganger” disinformation campaign, attempted to undermine democracy and international support for Ukraine.

The UK’s action follows a similar move by the U.S. in September to counter the influence of these firms on the presidential election and U.S. views of Ukraine. The U.S. officials have applauded the UK’s sanctions as a step in the right direction.

Not only did the campaign target the U.S., but the UK revealed that SDA also tried to incite protests in several European countries. Despite Russia’s investment in these interference activities, they struggled to gain traction online, resorting to buying social media views.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized that Putin’s attempts to sow unrest through misinformation would not succeed. The sanctioned firms and individuals are accused of operating a vast online network spreading fake posts, counterfeit documents, and deepfake material to distort the truth about Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

The UK has vowed to work with social media platforms to counter these deceitful tactics. France first exposed the campaign in June 2023, leading to European sanctions. The U.S. has welcomed the UK’s actions, highlighting the importance of a fact-based information environment and the need to combat foreign malign information operations.