BTN News: The Insider has found hacked emails from Russia’s foreign spy agency, the SVR. These emails show a plan called “Project Kylo.” This plan aims to confuse people in Western countries with false information and spread fear.
The Main Points from the Leaked Emails
The documents show that the SVR wants to spread lies about important topics in the West. They pretend to be from radical Ukrainian and European groups to make people emotional. The campaign now uses new internet platforms instead of old media like RT and Sputnik.
What Is “Project Kylo” About?
Project Kylo is made to be hidden and not traced back to Russia. The goal is to make people in the West angry at their governments for supporting Ukraine. The main emotions they want to create are fear, panic, and horror.
The Leader Behind Project Kylo: Mikhail Kolesov
Mikhail Kolesov is a 45-year-old officer in the SVR who worked in Afghanistan. He is the main person behind Project Kylo. In May 2022, Kolesov wrote a document called “Propaganda.” This was for a private meeting led by anti-Western senator Alexei Pushkov. Important people from Putin’s team and psychological warfare experts were there.
Changing the Propaganda Strategy
Kolesov suggests a more aggressive strategy for propaganda. He wants to move away from old pro-Russian messages. One idea is to create a fake NGO to start protests in the West. Another idea is to post fake ads that look like news, leading people to controlled resources. A radical idea is to act like they support Ukraine to make supporting Ukrainian refugees seem silly.
Using the Refugee Crisis
The plan used over 24 real websites to post false stories like “How Ukrainians Are Stealing Germany’s Wealth.” These sites are part of a larger Russian operation. This includes social media accounts posting exciting slogans that link to fake news.
How They Work Together and Technical Details
Kolesov shared his ideas with another SVR officer, Mikhail Kulemin. They worked on over ten versions of the Project Kylo document from May 2022 to September 2023. The final version, dated January 9, 2023, explained hiring teams in different countries and making a fake website to spread false information. Videos would be cut into short clips for TikTok. Special software would put links into the target audience’s media.
Related Cyber Operations by Microsoft
Microsoft found a secret cyber operation called “Storm 1679.” This included fake videos from Euronews and France24, and false security warnings to scare people from going to the Paris 2024 Olympics. It’s not clear if this is the same as Storm by the SVR, but it shows a big effort to influence millions in the West.
Financial and Moral Aspects
The documents say the SVR’s plan costs about $3 per user each month. There are no moral or ethical concerns in the plan. The goal is to create mass protests in NATO countries and spread content in the enemy’s media.
Hiring and Implementation of the Plan
By March 2023, Kolesov and Kulemin got many job applications from people with intelligence skills and foreign languages. This shows they are ready for a large-scale plan.
Kolesov has two profiles. His public profile says he is a department head at Peacemaker, a Russian think tank. His private profile shows he has worked for the SVR for 19 years and won many awards. He is an expert in propaganda campaigns.
Conclusion
Project Kylo is a big secret effort by Russian intelligence to confuse people in the West with lies and fear. This plan is now exposed, showing the ongoing problems in fighting against foreign influence campaigns.
