OCCRP reports that a Kremlin-linked disinformation campaign used a fake media outlet to interview and feature hundreds of politicians and academics worldwide, unknowingly helping spread pro-Russian narratives about Ukraine and the West.

Cyber & Information WarfareInformation OperationsPropaganda & disinformation campaigns

Aggressor

Summary

The OCCRP investigation describes how hundreds of politicians, academics, and public figures worldwide were interviewed for and featured in an elaborate Russian disinformation project built around the fake outlet 'Peace Data.' Many of those interviewed say they were unaware they were participating in a Kremlin-linked influence operation. The campaign amplified pro-Kremlin narratives, including justification of Russia’s war in Ukraine and broader anti-Western messaging, by packaging them as ostensibly independent expert interviews and commentary. The article frames this as part of a wider, notorious Russian disinformation campaign targeting global audiences.

Classification

Confidence: Medium

The article describes a covert Russian information operation using a fake media outlet and recruited interviewees to spread propaganda. This fits the Cyber & Information Warfare / Information Operations taxonomy and constitutes hostile hybrid-warfare behavior. Exact operational timelines, participating states, and technical infrastructure are not fully visible from the screenshot, so confidence is medium rather than high.

Source URL

https://occrp.org/en/investigation/from-politicians-to-academics-hundreds-around-the-globe-interviewed-and-featured-in-notorious-russian-disinformation-campaign

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: extension
Submitted: Nov 10, 2026, 20:49 UTC
Last updated: Nov 11, 2026, 03:47 UTC

Published as a hybrid-warfare signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

{
  "id": "f3a8814b-0fbe-493c-a2d2-d5973be80a17",
  "url": "https://occrp.org/en/investigation/from-politicians-to-academics-hundreds-around-the-globe-interviewed-and-featured-in-notorious-russian-disinformation-campaign",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "processed",
  "category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
  "subcategory": "Information Operations",
  "incident_type": "Propaganda & disinformation campaigns",
  "country": "Russian Federation",
  "source_reliability": "B",
  "info_credibility": "2",
  "tags": [
    "Russia",
    "disinformation campaign",
    "information operations",
    "propaganda",
    "Ukraine war narratives",
    "front media outlet",
    "Kremlin influence",
    "foreign politicians",
    "academics",
    "online media"
  ],
  "nodes": [],
  "countries": [
    "Russian Federation"
  ],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": null,
  "description": "The OCCRP investigation describes how hundreds of politicians, academics, and public figures worldwide were interviewed for and featured in an elaborate Russian disinformation project built around the fake outlet 'Peace Data.' Many of those interviewed say they were unaware they were participating in a Kremlin-linked influence operation. The campaign amplified pro-Kremlin narratives, including justification of Russia’s war in Ukraine and broader anti-Western messaging, by packaging them as ostensibly independent expert interviews and commentary. The article frames this as part of a wider, notorious Russian disinformation campaign targeting global audiences.",
  "summary_short": "OCCRP reports that a Kremlin-linked disinformation campaign used a fake media outlet to interview and feature hundreds of politicians and academics worldwide, unknowingly helping spread pro-Russian narratives about Ukraine and the West.",
  "summary_extended": null,
  "actor_primary": "Peace Data",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Peace Data (online disinformation outlet)",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": 61.52401,
  "location_coordinates_lon": 105.318756,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "Medium",
  "classification_rationale": "The article describes a covert Russian information operation using a fake media outlet and recruited interviewees to spread propaganda. This fits the Cyber & Information Warfare / Information Operations taxonomy and constitutes hostile hybrid-warfare behavior. Exact operational timelines, participating states, and technical infrastructure are not fully visible from the screenshot, so confidence is medium rather than high.",
  "event_time_utc": null,
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "unknown",
  "created_at": "2026-11-10T20:49:00.043Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-11T03:47:32.877Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "unknown",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "medium",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: ModerateAttribution: MediumSingle sourceTime: UnknownLocation: Regional

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

Date unknown

Event time confidence

unknown

Location

Peace Data (online disinformation outlet)

Primary actor

Peace Data

Country

Russian Federation

Countries

Russian Federation

Tags

Russia, disinformation campaign, information operations, propaganda, Ukraine war narratives, front media outlet, Kremlin influence, foreign politicians, academics, online media

Loading signal...

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