Kremlin-Linked Group Sought to Manipulate Search Engines and AI Systems

SDA’s Blueprint for a Network of Fake Resources

According to Главком: According to Bloomberg, the Kremlin-affiliated entity Social Design Agency (SDA) aimed to build a web of counterfeit sites, media outlets, and reference platforms to influence search engines and AI chatbots. An analysis of 73 documents spanning from May 2023 to April 2026 reveals the scope of these efforts. Among the projects were a Wikipedia clone in Armenia and a network of 200,000 web pages in Germany-all unfolding against a backdrop of sanctions from the US, UK, and EU.

SDA sought to tamper with the data sources that feed search engines by flooding the digital space with content aligned with their narratives. In Armenia, a Wikipedia-like site was launched less than two months before the country’s parliamentary elections. Bloomberg also identified three similar resources created in January, which were later shut down by their hosting provider.

German Operations and the Broader Threat to Information Integrity

In Germany, SDA planned to roll out roughly 200,000 web pages, with a commitment to update at least 100 pieces of content monthly. Additionally, the group intended to train six artificial intelligence platforms. One key figure in the leaked information is Sofia Zakharova, an employee of the Kremlin’s information directorate. In 2024, the US Department of Justice labeled SDA a participant in a foreign malign influence campaign, and the European Union imposed sanctions on Zakharova that same year.

SDA also aimed to compile a database of 10,000 accounts belonging to opinion leaders, which would be used to post around 2,000 messages across social media. As Katerina Sedova noted,

“Their approach is to try to break search engines by filling the zone with content that cross-references their content or their narratives.”

These facts underscore that SDA’s activities pose a serious danger to the information ecosystem, as the goal is to distort how people perceive information through a network of fake resources.

This situation highlights the urgent need for vigilance regarding online sources and content, especially during periods of political change. Amid global sanctions and geopolitical tensions, such initiatives can significantly shape public opinion in various countries, making the fight against disinformation and fake news more critical than ever.