Pro-Kremlin trolls target news website comments, researchers say

A major operation to influence public opinion saw comments posted on Western media articles in support of Russian interests, according to new research.

Cardiff University’s Crime and Security Research Institute found 32 prominent media websites across 16 countries were targeted including Mail Online, the Express and the Times.

The comments were fed back into Russian-language media outlets as the basis for stories, researchers said.

The tactic was spotted this year.

But the operation is believed to have been escalating since at least 2018 and recently focused on the Western withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Sometimes those posting were accused by others on the site of being Russian trolls but in most cases they did not respond.

These comments were then picked up by Russian media organisations who took the original news story and used the comments to construct a Russian language news story with a particular slant suggesting “The British think X or Y”.

These were published to suggest extensive support among Western citizens for Russia or President Vladimir Putin or for a particular policy.

These would be published in Russia, but also other European countries, particularly Bulgaria. These would then be further amplified on social media platforms, including Telegram.

Agencies