A website at the heart of an international Russian disinformation operation has produced more than a dozen articles about Canadian politics in an apparent attempt to undermine support for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and boost his chief rival, Pierre Poilievre.
The website Reliable Recent News has been identified by officials in Europe and the U.S. as a repository for pro-Kremlin articles that are distributed through a network of affiliated sites disguised to appear as legitimate news outlets.
Earlier this month, U.S. authorities seized a domain that hosted Reliable Recent News (RRN), though it continues to operate on another domain. In an affidavit, authorities describe RRN as a tool to “further the malign influence campaign” waged by Russia in support of its invasion of Ukraine.
The RRN articles about Canadian politics focus on controversies involving the Liberal government, often supplying inaccurate descriptions of its policies and ridiculing Trudeau. He is referred to as the “incompetent prime minister” and, elsewhere, as being “better suited to a role in a political satire alongside Vladimir Zelensky,” the Ukrainian president.
Some articles also indicate a preference for Poilievre, who in a recent piece is referred to as “the savvy leader of the pro-business Conservatives.”
In a statement to CBC News, deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman said, “Any act of foreign interference in Canada, by any foreign government is unacceptable.”
The Liberal government had not responded to a request for comment by the time this story was published.
Doppelganger comes to Canada
Disinformation experts have been aware of RRN for nearly two years as it plays a key role in an elaborate disinformation scheme known as Doppelganger, which is aimed at voters in Europe and the U.S.
“I was actually quite surprised by just the volume of [Canadian] content,” said Marcus Kolga, director of DisinfoWatch, a Canadian group that monitors disinformation.
Washington has accused Moscow of running a covert propaganda campaign to meddle in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with documents revealing a connection to Canadian far-right influencers Lauren Chen and her husband,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBC | Top Stories News…