U.S. Alerts On Russian Covert Influence Campaigns Globally, Including In South Caucasus

The United States on Friday unveiled its latest findings suggesting that RT, formerly Russia Today, was fully integrated into Russia’s intelligence operations globally, prompting Secretary of State Antony Blinken to accuse the Kremlin-backed outlet of "functioning like a de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus," and "meddling in the sovereign affairs of countries around the world," TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

'"I’ve instructed U.S. diplomats around the world to share the evidence that we’ve gathered on RT’s expanded capabilities and the ways it’s being used to target individual countries and the information ecosystem that we share," the top U.S. diplomat told reporters at the State Department.

“Each government, of course, is going to decide how it responds to this threat, but we urge every ally, every partner, to start by treating RTs activities as they do other intelligence activities by Russia within their border,” Blinken said.

A key finding from the new U.S. intelligence is that, for more than a year, the Russian government quietly embedded an intelligence-gathering unit within RT focused on influence operations globally, prompting the Western officials to describe the media outlet as "arm and mouthpiece of the Kremlin abroad."

The activity goes beyond propaganda and covert influence operations to even include military procurement, according to U.S. officials. "RT’s leadership had direct, witting knowledge of this enterprise," Blinken said. "Thanks to new information – much of which originates from RT employees – we know that RT possesses cyber capabilities and is engaged in covert information and influence operations and military procurement."

U.S. officials believe that the operations were administered by RT deputy editor-in-chief and head of international broadcasting for Sputnik's Anton Anisimov, and had avoided detection by importing small orders of weaponry and supplies.

That shopping list, according to the State Department fact sheet, includes sniper rifles and suppressors, personal weapon sights, body armor and tactical clothing, night vision equipment, drones, radio equipment and diesel generators.

New evidence also linked some of the equipment — particularly recon drones — directly to China-based entities. U.S. findings also allege that RT is facilitating production in coordination with the Russian Defense Ministry.

"Russian weaponization of disinformation to subvert and polarize free and open societies extends to every part of the world," Blinken said as he announced new sanctions against RT's parent company, Rossiya Segodnya, its director, and one other entity and two individuals, in response to the allegations.

Aside from these alleged activities, RT has also become a clearinghouse for a set of covert influence activities in "country after country after country," State Department official Jamie Rubin, who runs the Department's Global Engagement Center, told reporters after Blinken spoke.

"There’s an example in Argentina, where they’re trying to affect government policy.  There’s a threat in the South Caucasus, where they will use these tools to affect governments there.  There are examples in France.  There are examples in Germany," Rubin said.

Blinken also detailed how the Kremlin-backed media outlets have targeted countries in Europe, Africa and North and South America.

In particular, he said that RT leadership had coordinated directly with the Kremlin to target the October 2024 elections in Moldova, where Russia has been accused of waging a hybrid war to exert greater influence. They have “attempted to foment unrest in Moldova, likely with the specific aim of causing protests to turn violent,” Blinken said.