US intelligence says Russia has stepped up disinformation campaign against Zelenskyy

US intelligence has reported that in recent months, Russia has stepped up its disinformation efforts to discredit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and cast doubt on his legitimacy.

Source: European Pravda, citing CNN

Details: A US intelligence assessment, obtained by the television news network and confirmed on condition of anonymity by a Biden administration official, says that Russia has used the events of recent weeks to foment criticism of Zelenskyy's ability and leadership of Ukraine.

Although Russia has been spreading disinformation about Zelenskyy since before the outbreak of full-scale war, recent US intelligence data shows that "it's definitely increasing," the US official said.

Russian disinformation focuses on two topics: the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Avdiivka and the postponement of Ukraine's presidential election. Moscow is trying to portray the retreat as a step that is not a strategic decision, but "rather to assign other motives" for the manoeuvre (the CNN source did not specify what they are). As for the presidential election, the Russians are trying to promote the notion that Zelenskyy is illegitimate.

A Biden administration official explained that the US is concerned about the impact of Russian disinformation on its allies, not Ukraine, as it could undermine support for Kyiv. As part of its effort to combat these attempts to sow false narratives, Washington has also imposed sanctions on individuals linked to Russian disinformation campaigns.

US intelligence agencies believe that Russian intelligence services are behind the latest campaign and that disinformation is being spread through state media, fake websites, and social media.

"We view this as a natural evolution, or a logical evolution, in Russia’s tactics. Not only have we seen these disinformation efforts increasing, but we also expect them to continue to increase," the CNN source concluded.

Background: Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Head of the Administration of the Russian president, has orchestrated a defamation campaign against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ongoing since early 2023 in an attempt to affect the military-political leadership of Ukraine.

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