The Russia connectionTarget USA: Key takeaways from the Kremlin’s “Project Lakhta”

Published 1 November 2018

On 19 October, the Department of Justice announced charges against Elena Khusyaynova, a St. Petersburg-based accountant, for working as part of a conspiracy to wage “information warfare against the United States of America.” According to the FBI, Khusyaynova worked as the chief accountant for “Project Lakhta,” a Russian interference operation targeting citizens in the United States, EU, Ukraine, and Russia. The new charges confirm many assessments of the conduct and strategy behind Russia’s Internet Research Agency, and also highlight several key aspects of the Kremlin’s ongoing influence campaign in the United States.

On 19 October, the Department of Justice announced charges against Elena Khusyaynova, a St. Petersburg-based accountant, for working as part of a conspiracy to wage “information warfare against the United States of America.” According to the FBI, Khusyaynova worked as the chief accountant for “Project Lakhta,” a Russian interference operation targeting citizens in the United States, EU, Ukraine, and Russia. The new charges confirm many assessments of the conduct and strategy behind Russia’s Internet Research Agency, and also highlight several key aspects of the Kremlin’s ongoing influence campaign in the United States.

Bipartisan threat
One key aspect of Project Lakhta’s manipulation efforts is that they span the U.S. political spectrum. As described by the FBI, members of Project Lakhta “did not exclusively adopt one ideological viewpoint,” and instead “wrote on topics from varied and sometimes opposing perspectives.” Additionally, members of the Project developed strategies and issued guidance “to target audiences with conservative and liberal viewpoints,” often seizing on arguments on both sides of an issue or event to radicalize conversation. While one fake persona, “Bertha Malone,” led a Facebook group calling for stricter immigration laws, another, “Helen Christopherson,” engaged with American activists to organize protests calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Project members even targeted specific political campaigns, decrying and supporting candidates from both major political parties. The charges are a reminder that the Kremlin does not advocate for a Republican or a Democrat-led United States, it seeks a divided and weakened U.S. society.

More than elections
With U.S. midterm elections approaching, much of the discussion and anxiety surrounding foreign influence operations has centered on fears of interference to influence an election outcome. While this remains a threat, the Khusyaynova complaint reveals that authoritarian information operations are not limited to elections. According to the FBI, Project Lakhta’s strategic goal is not just to target elections, but “to sow division and discord in the U.S. political system, including by creating social and political polarization” and by “undermining faith in democratic institutions.” The Project’s preparations for manipulation are extensive, beginning years before any election, and the Kremlin has proved willing and able to seize on developing issues opportunistically to achieve its goals. For example, as described by the FBI, Project Lakhta latched onto divisive events such as the NFL national anthem debate, mass shootings in Charleston and Las Vegas, and the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally to spur polarization outside the context of elections. As such, the Kremlin’s online political war is extensive and ongoing, it did not stop after 2016, and it will not stop after 2018.