RT pays American influencers for anti-Ukrainian statements

Variety reports.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal indictment charged two RT employees with using fake identities and shell companies to conduct a secret influence campaign in the U.S. Media reports identified Tenet Media as the company involved. The employees directed nearly 2,000 videos on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, addressing issues such as immigration, inflation, and making anti-Ukrainian statements, aligning with Russia’s goal to amplify divisions within the U.S.

RT secretly funded the company to manipulate U.S. public opinion, according to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. RT employees Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva were charged with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and money laundering. Between October 2023 and August 2024, RT sent $9.7 million to Tenet Media through shell companies in Turkey, the UAE, and Mauritius, disguising the payments as purchases of electronics. Both suspects remain at large.

Tenet Media failed to disclose its funding from RT and did not register as an agent of a foreign principal, violating U.S. law.

• Earlier, we have analyzed how pro-Russian media intensified efforts to influence the outcome of the June European elections by promoting far-right parties and Kremlin agendas across the continent.