VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria’s DSN domestic intelligence agency said on Monday it had uncovered an extensive Russian disinformation campaign centred around a Bulgarian national accused of spying and disseminating false information about Ukraine.
The DSN, part of the interior ministry, said the woman – whom it did not name – had acknowledged working on behalf of Russia, especially in 2022 when Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, to turn public opinion in favour of Russia and against Kyiv.
A spokesperson for the Vienna prosecutor’s office said that, despite its request to formally place the woman in custody when she was detained in December, a regional court had let her go. She was not currently under arrest, the office said.
A Vienna district court spokesperson said that while a judge had confirmed she was suspected of the crime, the arrest order was denied because the suspect had assured the court that she would not try to evade proceedings.
The Russian Embassy in Vienna did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.
In a search of the woman’s home in an undisclosed location in Austria, the DSN said its investigators had found evidence of a group working for Russian secret services since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine.
It said the group executed an extensive disinformation campaign for German-speaking countries focusing on Austria. The campaign, it said, included “activities in the media landscape” and offline activity that included graffiti and stickers.
“The spread of false narratives, fake news and manipulative content undermines trust in our institutions and jeopardises social cohesion,” said senior Austrian interior ministry official Joerg Leichtfried.
Leichtfried said the woman had ties to a group working on behalf of Jan Marsalek, a former Wirecard executive who went on the run five years ago after the dramatic implosion of the German payments company.
Marsalek has been named by British police and prosecutors in an investigation into allegations that he directed Russian spy operations across Europe. His whereabouts are unknown and he remains the subject of an Interpol red notice relating to fraud.
(Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich; Writing by Friederike Heine; editing by Ludwig Burger and Mark Heinrich)
