Rewards for Justice.Photo: facebook.com/RewardsForJustice.
The U.S. Department of State, through its Rewards for Justice programme, has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of foreign individuals or organisations that knowingly engaged or continue to engage in interference in the U.S. election. Rewards are also available for information that could prevent future interference or contribute to an effective response to these threats. Information about this is published on the official website of the Rewards for Justice programme.
Russian media group Rybar under US sanctions
One of the organisations that has received particular attention is the Russian media group Rybar LLC. This entity, also known as Rybar or Project Rybar, was previously funded by the late oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin and is now supported by the state-owned Rostec Corporation, which is under US sanctions. “Rostec and its affiliated organisations are actively seeking ways to circumvent sanctions through indirect suppliers and manufacturers to strengthen Russia’s defence capabilities. Rybar LLC uses these resources to spread pro-Russian propaganda and anti-Western narratives, including in the United States.
Propaganda channels and influence on elections
Rybar’s most prominent activities in the United States are its social media channels #HOLDTHELINE and #STANDWTHTEXAS, which are aimed at promoting the interests of the Russian government and destabilising the internal situation in America. In preparation for the 2024 presidential election, Rybar LLC created the TEXASvsUSA account on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter). This channel actively fuels social conflicts, using the topic of illegal immigration in Texas to spread hatred and increase tensions between different social groups. The main goal of the channel is to increase discord and undermine democratic processes in the United States.
List of persons involved in the influence campaign
Some of the individuals directly involved in this campaign, in particular:
- Vladimir Berkutov, TEXASvsUSA channel manager,
- Alexander Kahn Klimovich, head of the video department,
- Tatiana Kosterova, Head of the Foreign Languages Department,
- Olga Kuznetsova, Regional Manager,
- Maxim Matveyev, designer and head of the content group,
- Alexander Minin, Head of Content at TEXASvsUSA,
- Valentyna Minina, TEXASvsUSA staff member,
- Mikhail Zvinchuk, Director of Rybar,
- Valeria Zvinchuk, creative director at Rybar.
How to provide information
The U.S. Department of State encourages anyone with information about the activities of these individuals or organisations, including their links to foreign interference in the U.S. election, to contact the Rewards for Justice programme. A dedicated tip line is available through the secure Tor platform.
