InformNapalm intelligence community gains new evidence of Russian influence worldwide through corruption and economic projects

The volunteer intelligence community InformNapalm has released a new study based on correspondence between Russian politicians and their aides that reveals evidence of Russia's influence on various aspects of international politics through economic relations with friendly countries and individuals.

InformNapalm obtained the information from Ukrainian hackers from the CyberResistance group and supplemented it with its own verified findings and video evidence.

The investigation focuses on various aspects of Russia's international influence through corruption, energy leverage, and economic and other projects.

Russia's infiltration into Europe's energy sector

Although Russia's ability to use gas as a weapon is diminishing, the case of Serbia shows how dangerous and comprehensive Russian infiltration into the energy sector can be.

The case in question concerns NIS, Serbia's formerly state-owned oil company. The Serbian government now holds about 30% of its shares.

Russian state-owned energy corporation Gazprom has been the controlling shareholder of NIS since 2012, with a stake of over 50%.

Lately, NIS has been expanding into the markets of neighbouring countries – Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Slovenia.

The company produces crude oil, generates energy, and retails fuel through its own network of petrol stations.

The investigators gained access to correspondence between Serbian government officials and people connected to them, revealing multi-million-dollar corruption within the company and the kind of "muddying of the waters" typical of senior Russian executives.

Serbian officials are aware of instances of national chauvinism and segregation, since the Russians at NIS receive disproportionately higher salaries than the Serbian staff, and there have been mass dismissals of Serbs from the once-Serbian state-owned company.

Mention is also made of "irreparable environmental damage in Vojvodina" caused by the company's business operations, and of other consequences of the "Russian world" that arrived at the formerly state-owned Serbian company along with the Russian executives. [The Russian world is the Russian neo-imperial geopolitical and ideological doctrine of the Putinist era – ed.]

At the same time, the documents revealed details of corruption in Serbia's efforts to achieve lower gas prices.

The documents exposed senior Serbian officials’ dissatisfaction with the implementation of a high-speed rail project after the Russians took the project on despite lacking the necessary technology.

Media influence campaigns

The investigation revealed new details of Russia's project to influence the global media landscape.

In September 2022, the media worldwide was flooded with reports that since 2014, Russia had spent US$300 million on influencing politicians and government officials in over two dozen countries. A press release from the US Department of State was sent out to the editors of leading media outlets, but details were thin on the ground.

What little information was available revealed that countries in the Balkans, Africa and South America were affected.

In particular, the use of the Institute for International Integration Studies, a non-profit Russian organisation, was noted. This institution was used to cover up a global campaign of external influence to promote Russia's foreign policy goals.

Through these operations, aimed at influencing the course of international affairs, the perpetrators worked to weaken the US’s partnership with its European allies, undermine Western sanctions, and facilitate Russia's illegal actions aimed at destroying Ukraine's sovereignty.

The Institute's website openly states that it is engaged in lobbying and helping businesses expand their operations in certain countries.

But the correspondence written by those close to Kremlin officials shows that any such business is driven solely by the Kremlin's interest.

"Lobbying" means bribing experts, journalists and politicians in the target country in order to sway public opinion in favour of Russian interests.

One example presented by the investigators is a document containing a detailed plan for a media campaign in the EU to promote Russian pipeline gas. This document gives an idea of how the US$300 million was spent on Russian soft power abroad.

The plan contains a typical list of the arguments the Kremlin uses in discussions about gas: intimidation, gaslighting with regard to transit through Ukraine, and threats of a shortage.

And these arguments were voiced not by Russian officials, but by Russian agents of influence in the EU. Among them are "a member of the European Parliament, a member of parliament of a European country, a market expert, and a specialised journalist". The participation of "executive branch representatives" at energy minister or deputy energy minister level is expected as well.

The Seagal Support Fund

Another part of the investigation concerns Hollywood has-been Steven Seagal and the Steven Seagal Cinema Support Fund. The Russian origin of a RUB 1 billion (about US$11.37 million) contribution to the fund has already been reported.

Now new details of this cooperation have emerged.

The researchers say Seagal is a frontman for the activities of the sanctioned Russian politician Alexander Babakov – one of the key individuals spreading Russian narratives in Europe.

For example, Seagal owns a 26% shareholding in Gorki Holding Company LLC, which is linked to Babakov.

Money from individuals close to Babakov has passed through Seagal’s fund, which may indicate the existence of a scheme for withdrawing and laundering Gazprom assets.

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