Two Russians accused of working with the Kremlin on an illegal operation to spread propaganda and meddle in U.S. elections have been indicted. The U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday that Russian nationals Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva have been charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and to commit money laundering. The announcement came in a meeting of the DOJ's Election Threats Task Force, Scripps News reports. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva are employees of the Russian state-controlled media outlet RT — formerly Russia Today — and engaged in a multimillion-dollar scheme to spread Russian propaganda in the U.S. and exploit voters. “The Justice Department has charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging,” Garland said in a statement. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country’s free exchange of ideas in order to covertly further its own propaganda efforts.”
RT is a television station that for years could be easily found on American cable systems before it was closed in the U.S. in 2022. DOJ claims Russia continued to use RT through a series of social media accounts to spread disinformation. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the scheme included using "fabricated influencers, and fake profiles to covertly promote AI-generated false narratives on social media." The DOJ said it was in the process of seizing 32 internet domains related to the alleged Russian scheme and indicting individuals accused of illegally operating in the U.S. on behalf of the Russian government. This latest announcement comes a little less than two months after intelligence officials warned that Russia remains a "preeminent threat" in terms of foreign influence on U.S. elections, noting that they are beginning to see Russia target specific types of voters. In addition to Russia, U.S. officials are also watching Iran and China, which together make up the intelligence community’s “big three” in foreign election influence activity.
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