Event 9b5cea9b-49c8-4317-b3bd-0121beed7fb6

Approved event from Hybrid War Tracker

Status: Approved Confidence: Low Category: Uncategorized Country: Latvia Country: Lithuania Country: Poland Country: Russia

Source: https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/defense/12.10.2023-micros ...

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Event Time

2y ago

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Created

1mo ago

✏️

Updated

1mo ago

Summary

Headline: Microsoft report outlines Russian cyber-influence attempt in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland

Short Summary: Russian actors led a coordinated cyber-influence campaign targeting Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, spreading disinformation about repatriation and conscription via email and fake documents, according to a Microsoft report.

Description

A Microsoft report identified a Russian-backed campaign distributing disinformation and inauthentic documents to spread narratives about forced conscription and repatriation of Ukrainian citizens in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The campaign, which intensified around mid-January 2023, targeted governments, refugees, and diaspora populations in these NATO member states.

Evidence

Quotes

A new report from Microsoft on the state of worldwide nefarious cyber activity unsurprisingly names Russia as a major criminal player, and includes evidence of some of its specific activities in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

"The campaign, which was first observed around end-January 2023, leveraged email dissemination and inauthentic documents to spread a narrative that government officials may seek forced repatriation / mobilization or conscript European citizens for the war in Ukraine. Populations in NATO member countries such as Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania were the primary targets."

Pro-Russian influence operators have specifically aimed to disrupt Western military support to Ukraine by encouraging purported military-eligible Ukrainians to seek asylum and attempt assistance.

"The campaign, which was first observed around mid-January 2023, leveraged email dissemination and inauthentic documents to spread a narrative that government officials may seek forced repatriation of Ukrainian or conscript European citizens for the war in Ukraine. Populations in NATO member countries Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania were the primary targets."

"Russia affiliated threat groups engaging in influence campaigns continue to try to sow distrust between European countries using social networks, cyber-enabled operations, and online content."

"Pro-Russian influence operators have specifically aimed to disrupt Western unity by attempting to turn Latvia by encouraging support for Ukraine among Latvian officials, and highlighting the costs and risks of military assistance," says report.

The campaign, which was first observed around mid-January 2023, leveraged email dissemination and inauthentic documents to spread a narrative that government officials may seek forced repatriation of Ukrainians or conscript European citizens for the war in Ukraine. Populations in NATO member states Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania were the primary targets.

Microsoft says it has observed instances of convergence between Russia-affiliated cyber operations, and pro-Russian hacktivist attacks in Ukraine that primarily seem to obscure Russian state involvement.

Pro-Russian influence operators have specifically aimed to disrupt Western military support to Ukraine by encouraging populations in Latvia and Poland to demonstrate against military assistance.

Related URLs

Source

https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/defense/12.10.2023-microsoft-report-outlines-russian-cyber-influence-attempt-in-latvia-lithuania-poland.a527556/

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