Leaked documents from 2025 reveal a Russian state-linked coordinated influence campaign called 'cognitive strikes' against Western nations and others, including false-flag Islamophobic attacks in Paris where pig heads marked with 'Macron' were placed outside mosques to incite religious and ethnic tensions. The campaign was orchestrated by the Russian Social Design Agency (SDA), under oversight from the Russian Presidential Administration, involving operatives in Europe, including Serbia, France, and Germany. Operations included vandalism targeting Muslim and Jewish communities, election interference in Armenia and Central Asia via media outlets aimed at Russian-speaking diasporas, disinformation against Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and efforts to sway Western opinion leaders through staged interviews and statements. Future operations planned for 2026 involve AI-driven influence tools, opinion leader databases, and establishing political-economic blocs to weaken regional alliances. High-level Russian officials including Sergei Kiriyenko and Sofia Zakharova coordinated activities, with evidence of operational security measures and surveillance on SDA leadership. UK sanctioned SDA personnel in 2026 for involvement in deceptive Kremlin propaganda.

Leaked documents from 2025 reveal a Russian state-linked coordinated influence campaign called 'cognitive strikes' against Western nations and others, including false-flag Islamophobic attacks in Paris where pig heads marked with 'Macron' were placed outside mosques to incite religious and ethnic tensions. The campaign was orchestrated by the Russian Social Design Agency (SDA), under oversight from the Russian Presidential Administration, involving operatives in Europe, including Serbia, France, and Germany. Operations included vandalism targeting Muslim and Jewish communities, election interference in Armenia and Central Asia via media outlets aimed at Russian-speaking diasporas, disinformation against Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and efforts to sway Western opinion leaders through staged interviews and statements. Future operations planned for 2026 involve AI-driven influence tools, opinion leader databases, and establishing political-economic blocs to weaken regional alliances. High-level Russian officials including Sergei Kiriyenko and Sofia Zakharova coordinated activities, with evidence of operational security measures and surveillance on SDA leadership. UK sanctioned SDA personnel in 2026 for involvement in deceptive Kremlin propaganda.