Russia’s Shadow War: Exploiting Extremist Networks for Political Manipulation
The escalating tensions between Russia and the West have brought to light the Kremlin’s sophisticated and multi-faceted "political warfare" strategies. Beyond traditional military and economic pressures, Russia has increasingly relied on information manipulation and interference (FIMI) to sow discord, undermine democratic institutions, and advance its geopolitical agenda. This insidious form of warfare leverages manipulative, intentional, and coordinated actions to negatively influence values, processes, and political systems in target countries. A recent webinar, organized by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), in collaboration with FRONTSTORY.PL and NEST Institute, shed light on Russia’s alarming exploitation of extremist narratives and networks to amplify its disinformation campaigns and exert pressure on individuals deemed adversarial to its interests. The webinar, supported by the European Media and Information Fund and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, as part of the ANTIDOX project, brought together experts to analyze specific case studies and explore the potential consequences of these tactics.
The webinar highlighted two key case studies demonstrating Russia’s exploitation of extremist networks. The first focused on the potential interference in the 2025 Polish presidential elections, examining how Russia might leverage extremist narratives and collaborate with local extremist groups to disrupt the democratic process and influence the outcome. This includes the dissemination of disinformation, the promotion of divisive narratives, and the potential for coordinated actions designed to destabilize the political landscape. The second case study examined the activities of "Brat za Brata" (Brother for Brother), a pro-Russian extremist organization in Slovakia, demonstrating how the Kremlin utilizes such groups as mouthpieces to propagate its anti-Western propaganda within target countries. This tactic allows Russia to maintain a degree of plausible deniability while simultaneously amplifying its message through seemingly organic local channels.
A particularly disturbing revelation of the webinar concerned Russia’s increasing use of online "doxing" against Western individuals supporting Ukraine. Doxing involves the malicious exposure of private or identifying information online, often with the intent to harass, intimidate, or incite violence against the targeted individual. This tactic has been employed against Ukrainian citizens with devastating offline consequences, and now, according to experts, Westerners who actively support Ukraine are facing similar threats. This raises serious concerns about the safety and security of individuals who speak out against Russia’s aggression, highlighting the lengths to which the Kremlin is willing to go to silence dissenting voices and punish perceived enemies.
The webinar’s presenters detailed how the threat of doxing, or the actual release of doxed information, can be used as leverage to blackmail individuals into complying with Russian demands. This could include coercing individuals to participate in diversionary attacks, sabotage efforts, or other actions harmful to Western interests. This manipulative tactic underscores the potential for real-world consequences stemming from online harassment campaigns, blurring the lines between the digital and physical realms of conflict. The experts emphasized the need for increased awareness and robust countermeasures to protect individuals from these threats and prevent them from being exploited by Russia’s malign influence operations.
The webinar also explored the broader implications of Russia’s FIMI strategies, emphasizing the interconnectedness of online extremist narratives and offline actions. By amplifying disinformation through seemingly organic local channels and exploiting extremist networks, Russia circumvents traditional media filters and directly targets susceptible audiences. This approach allows the Kremlin to amplify its message and sow discord within Western societies, undermining trust in democratic institutions and eroding social cohesion. The experts warned that these tactics pose a significant threat to the integrity of the information ecosystem and require a concerted effort from governments, civil society organizations, and individuals to counter their effectiveness.
The alarming insights shared during the webinar underscored the urgency of preparedness against Russia’s sophisticated disinformation campaigns. The experts emphasized the need for proactive strategies to identify and counter extremist narratives, expose disinformation campaigns, protect individuals from online harassment and doxing, and enhance societal resilience against information manipulation. The ANTIDOX project, supported by the European Media and Information Fund and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, represents a crucial initiative in this regard, aiming to build capacity and foster collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to effectively address the challenges posed by Russia’s information warfare tactics. The webinar served as a call to action, highlighting the need for continued vigilance, robust countermeasures, and international cooperation to safeguard democratic values and protect individuals from the insidious threat of Russian FIMI.
