The Russian propaganda program “Doppelgänger” imitates well-known media websites. According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, it also relies on established media.
What is real here and what isn’t? Photo: Konstantin Kokoshkin/Kommersant/Polaris/Laif
At first glance, the portal seems harmless. “Bavarian Lion” is the name of the blue and white news site. It publishes reports on budget discussions, gun bans and the future of VW. However, when you read articles with comments without author names, it becomes clear that a certain story prevails here, playing into the hands of Russia.
“Kiev’s ban: how Ukraine alienates its allies” read the headlines of August. Ukraine must take care of its own finances, and the economic and social burdens in the country are noticeable. Annalena Baerbock on foreign policy says: “The failed approach is worsening Germany’s geopolitical isolation.”
The website does not reveal who is behind the “Bavarian Lion” and there is no imprint. However, according to a technical report from the Foreign Ministry, it is centrally controlled by the “Doppelgänger”, an illegal Russian information program that has been trying to influence public opinion in Western countries since the massive attacks by President Putin in February 2022.
“The Bavarian Lion” is just one of more than 16 German-language websites that have been set up since March 2023. They are called “Work Stoppage,” “Visit Purpose” or “Pied Piper.” Some of them are now offline again. There are also English-language sites, such as “Recent Reliable News.” Last Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department seized 32 domain names attributed to the “Doppelgangers.” What they have in common: They are intended to reinforce the Western narrative of Russia, to influence the war in Ukraine and to destabilize liberal democracy.
According to the US military agency Cyber Command, “Doppelgenger” is primarily aimed at portraying Ukraine in a negative light, for example, by denying the Bucha massacre and spreading the Kremlin narrative about war by creating fear in Europe. The message: Sanctions against Russia will ruin life there economically. And: Ukraine is corrupt and ruled by Nazis.
Clone site of well-known media
At first, the Kremlin relied on clone sites of well-known media to spread these stories. In Germany, they imitate the media. mirror, painting or South German newspaper After that international Fox News, Washington Post or Le Parisien.
In January, the Foreign Ministry said that over a four-week period around 2023/2024, more than 50,000 fake social media accounts published a million German-language tweets aimed at creating a climate for a western course in Ukraine. Many of the posts link to fake pages with shortened URLs. Different domain endings are also used to disguise the fakes. Headlines for “Spiegel.ltd” read: “Russia cannot be ignored”. Or for “Welt.pm”: “Russia cannot be ignored”.
Problems out of control
“Given the intensity and scope of the Doppelganger campaign, it can be assumed to be one of the largest information campaigns in the world,” the Foreign Ministry said in response to TAZ questions.
Screenshot: Nicholas Potter
But social media platforms are not in control of the problem. A new report by research organizations Cemas and Alliance4europe states that Russian vilification by “doppelgängers” continues to be particularly prevalent on X (formerly Twitter). The organizations assessed more than 1,300 pro-Russian posts on the platform in June. These contributions would have reached a total of more than 4.5 million people by the end of the month. Only one of the accounts reported by the authors was suspended, the authors said.
“worry”
From Cemas to Taz Julia Smirnova is worried that “two years later, Russian actors will continue to spread propaganda on social media platforms. She is a specialist who has the right information and studies the “Doppelgängers”. “This is on behalf of the Kremlin. But the actions of the platforms are not enough to stop this campaign.”
However, according to a recent report from the Bavarian Office for Constitutional Protection from February 2024, Russia has been using not only clone sites and its own pseudo-news sites, but also the existing media in Germany. In the report with the subtitle “Inside Details”, right-wing extremists are mentioned, which can be downloaded from the authorities’ website. small magazineConspiracy Portal Thoughts Page or people close to AFD German Courier It is listed as a “media outlet disseminating news that fits the Russian story.” What is explosive is that the authorities include it in this category. Berlin newspaper and friday Phone. She doesn’t give a case.
It’s not a big surprise
at Berlin newspaper It’s no big surprise. On the anniversary of the victory over Nazism in May 2023, publisher and owner Holger Friedrich and his editor Michael Maier attended a reception at the Russian embassy in Berlin. The pair made no secret of it, and Maier wrote a blog post about the visit, during which the Russian ambassador published a personal letter from Putin to veterans.
In April of this year, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Oleksii Makeiev asked: “Is @berlinerzeitung the new Radio Moscow?” For example, a teaser appears in a guest article that has become a subject of criticism: “Exactly two years ago, Russia clearly formulated its security interests. The West’s reaction was a big mistake.” Or the phrase: “Contrary to Western representations, Ukraine and Russia agreed that the planned expansion of NATO was the reason for the war.” Russian propaganda story: the West was actually to blame for the war.
Controversial personnel decisions
The company also has had some controversial staff decisions: Katerina Alexandridi has been vice president since October 2023. Berlin newspaperFrom 2014 to 2022 she was in the Russian propaganda video agency. Mercilessly Employment. Lea Fabbrini has been an online CVD since July 2023 and until February 2022. Mercilessly Worked. And since the beginning of this year, Thomas Fasbender has been leading the newly established “geopolitics” department. Until the Russian aggression against Ukraine, he was still a commentator on the Russian propaganda channel RT De.
Tomasz Kurianowicz, editor-in-chief of Taz, speaks to Taz’s inquiries. Berlin newspaperIn response to a statement posted on his website on September 9, he falsely claims that his paper will be named in the 2023 State Department annual report on protecting the Constitution. Kurianowicz rejects the label as “untrue,” “defamatory,” and “slanderous.” “Not every comment that advocates negotiations should speak for the Kremlin,” he says.
Legal Advisor Berlin newspaper In response to Taz’s query, he wrote: “As we understand it, the report suggests that some of the content of our editorial contributions is being misused by unknown third parties simply to serve the Russian narrative.”
“Committed to free discourse”
at friday The critical line of Russia is less recognizable. Articles by certain authors with headlines like “Volodymyr Zelensky: the hero of war becomes an obstacle to peace” always catch the eye. But the newspaper also repeatedly provides a platform for Ukrainians who sharply criticize Russia’s war of aggression. Philip Grassmann, editor-in-chief fridayHe responded to Taz that he could not understand the reference to the newspaper in the internal office to protect the Constitution.
“You can’t conclude from online data analysis that an article is being pushed by bots,” he says. “We believe we are committed to free political discourse, not to any particular story.”
“Content-related misunderstandings”
In response to a TAZ query, the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution stated that there had been a “misunderstanding of the content” in the public acceptance of the report. This is now being corrected. friday and Berlin newspaper It is one of more than 350 websites whose content is distributed by LookAlikes. “The content in question is clearly intended to support the Russian story from the actor’s point of view.” But the authorities do not suggest that such media be approved.
It is not clear how effective Russian information programs really are. “The actors of Doppelgänger are interested in trying different strategies. And they have also changed them since 2022,” says disinformation expert Julia Smirnova. “They were able to reach millions of people in Europe. But the reach is not the same as the impact or the effectiveness.”
