The disinformation artfully created by Russian intelligence seems to have a weakness for Italy. He reveals it today Republic, who read the contents of a report drawn up by inspectors from the US Treasury Department. The report in question, by the German Marshall Fund, concerns in particular the disinformation that exploited the attack launched by Hamas on 7 October against Israel with the aim of demolishing the image of Ukraine and eroding the Western bloc’s support for Kiev. According to the US Treasury Department report, there are 265 media reports on the false connection between Kiev and the attack launched by Hamas against Israel. Several Russian embassies also relaunched the hoax, including those in the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Japan and Israel.
Who spreads disinformation from Russia
The German Marshall Fund report recalls that the US Treasury Department sanctioned 26 individuals and 7 entities involved in spreading fake news about Ukraine. Among these there are also the Strategic Culture Foundation, InfoRos, NewsFront, SouthFront, all accused by Washington of being “linked to Russian intelligence”. The same also applies to other pseudo newspapers such as the New Eastern Outlook and Oriental Review, suspected of depending on the Kremlin. While United World International and Geopolitics would gravitate into the sphere of Alexander Dugin, Vladimir Putin’s ideologist.
The “cheering” for Salvini and the attacks on Meloni
Among the sites accused by Washington of spreading disinformation at the hands of Russian intelligence there seems to be a strong interest in Italy. On October 23, 2023, for example, the SouthFront website accused our country of “betraying Palestine and its pro-Arab tradition”, while the previous year it spread alarms about an imminent economic “recession”. Also in 2022, the same site resumes with great emphasis the recordings in which Silvio Berlusconi is critical of Ukraine. Among the targets of Russian disinformation sites is often Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, criticized because once she came to government she would have confirmed herself as “Washington’s most faithful ally”. The only Italian leader, he writes Republic, it seems to be Matteo Salvini who receives appreciation from Russian sites. The only one, notes a SouthFront article, “who has taken a different position on Russia, calling for the abolition of sanctions that damage the Italian economy”.
On the cover: Matteo Salvini guest of the program “Porta a Porta” (ANSA/Alessandro Di Meo)
