The UK government announced new sanctions against three Russian agencies and three senior figures on 28 October 2024, targeting organizations involved in spreading disinformation and attempting to destabilize Ukraine.
Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office reports that the Social Design Agency (SDA), funded directly by the Russian state, along with its partner company Structura, has been conducting interference operations designed to undermine democracy and weaken international support for Ukraine.
“Putin is so desperate to undermine European support for Ukraine he is now resorting to clumsy, ineffective efforts to try and stoke unrest,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said per the UK government press release.
The sanctioned PR agencies include the Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technologies, and ANO DIALOG. The individuals targeted are Ilya Andreevich Gambashidze (SDA founder), Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tupikin (SDA CEO and Structura owner), and Andrey Naumovich Perla (SDA Project Director).
According to UK officials, these organizations are responsible for operating the Doppelganger network, which spreads fake posts, counterfeit documents, and deepfake material through at least 120 websites spoofing existing news and government platforms.
The US, Canada, France, European External Action Service (EEAS), Germany and Australia joined the UK in condemning SDA’s activities globally.
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