Event 205

{
  "category": "Uncategorized",
  "confidence": "Low",
  "confidence_rationale": "Direct testimony from a named former employee, detailed description of propaganda operations, and the credibility of the reporting outlet support high confidence.",
  "countries": [
    "Lithuania",
    "Latvia"
  ],
  "country": "Latvia",
  "defense_prep": {},
  "description": "A former leading employee of Russian propaganda channel Sputnik, Marats Kasems, has decided not to return to Russia after release from detention, revealing details about the structure and goals of Russian propaganda operations.",
  "event_time_utc": "2024-03-18T12:00:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "A former leading employee of the Russian propaganda channel Sputnik, Marats Kasems (Marats Kasems in Latvian), has decided not to return to Russia after his release from detention, according to a report from LTV's De Facto investigative show.",
    "\"I had an editorial office whose main goal was to destabilize the situation in Lithuania. By the way, I was not so closely connected with Latvia,\" he says.",
    "\"Directors of propaganda channels gave an 'Editorial Task' every day. For example, if Granoshev was the kind of person in the administration who is responsible for the information space, he issued orders regularly. He explains in the room what needs to be presented and in what form.\"",
    "\"There was also written there, for example, what kind of joke should be told, so that she [Zakharova] could answer wittily quickly,\" remembers Kasems."
  ],
  "evidence_quotes": [
    "A former leading employee of the Russian propaganda channel Sputnik, Marats Kasems (Marats Kasems in Latvian), has decided not to return to Russia after his release from detention...",
    "\"I had an editorial office whose main goal was to destabilize the situation in Lithuania. By the way, I was not so closely connected with Latvia,\" he says.",
    "\"Directors of propaganda channels gave an 'Editorial Task' every day...",
    "\"There was also written there, for example, what kind of joke should be told, so that she [Zakharova] could answer wittily quickly,\" remembers Kasems."
  ],
  "evidence_urls": [
    "https://eng.lsm.lv/article/features/media/18.03.2024-former-putin-propagandist-prefers-not-to-return-to-russia.a547067/"
  ],
  "extra": {
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "extra": {
          "evidence": [
            "A former leading employee of the Russian propaganda channel Sputnik, Marats Kasems (Marats Kasems in Latvian), has decided not to return to Russia after his release from detention, according to a report from LTV's De Facto investigative show.",
            "\"I had an editorial office whose main goal was to destabilize the situation in Lithuania. By the way, I was not so closely connected with Latvia,\" he says.",
            "\"Directors of propaganda channels gave an 'Editorial Task' every day. For example, if Granoshev was the kind of person in the administration who is responsible for the information space, he issued orders regularly. He explains in the room what needs to be presented and in what form.\"",
            "\"There was also written there, for example, what kind of joke should be told, so that she [Zakharova] could answer wittily quickly,\" remembers Kasems."
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "fifth_column_countries": [
    "LV",
    "LT"
  ],
  "follow_up_by_country": [],
  "follow_up_notes": "????5th Column... change of heart? Sputnik editor admits his mission was to  destabilise  Lithuania.  Marats Kasems, former editor of the Russian propaganda channel Sputnik Lithuania, was recently released on bail from prison...",
  "headline": "Former Putin propagandist prefers not to return to Russia",
  "media_assets": [
    {
      "description": "Screenshot capture",
      "type": "screenshot",
      "url": "/media/event_205_1763919593_d4fa2d89.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "notes": "Rare case of someone who did a 180 degree change from RU propaganda to educating how RU propaganda works",
  "primary_ref_links": [
    "https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2226517/sputnik-editor-admits-his-mission-was-to-destabilise-lithuania"
  ],
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "screenshot_count": 1,
  "sources": [
    "https://eng.lsm.lv/article/features/media/18.03.2024-former-putin-propagandist-prefers-not-to-return-to-russia.a547067/",
    "https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2226517/sputnik-editor-admits-his-mission-was-to-destabilise-lithuania"
  ],
  "summary_short": "Former Sputnik propagandist stays in Latvia, reveals deliberate Russian info ops.",
  "url": "https://eng.lsm.lv/article/features/media/18.03.2024-former-putin-propagandist-prefers-not-to-return-to-russia.a547067/"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "LV LT",
  "Attack Type": "",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "LT;LV",
  "Date": "18-Mar-24",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "https://eng.lsm.lv/article/features/media/18.03.2024-former-putin-propagandist-prefers-not-to-return-to-russia.a547067/ and https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2226517/sputnik-editor-admits-his-mission-was-to-destabilise-lithuania",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "????5th Column... change of heart? Sputnik editor admits his mission was to  destabilise  Lithuania.  Marats Kasems, former editor of the Russian propaganda channel Sputnik Lithuania, was recently released on bail from prison...",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": "Rare case of someone who did a 180 degree change from RU propaganda to educating how RU propaganda works",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}