Austria Uncovers Russian Campaign      03/24 06:13

   

   VIENNA (AP) -- Austrian authorities said Monday that they uncovered a 
Russian-steered campaign aimed at spreading disinformation about Ukraine 
following the detention in December of a Bulgarian woman accused of spying for 
Russia.

   Austria's domestic intelligence agency unearthed evidence of the operation 
as it analyzed devices found in a search of the woman's home, the Interior 
Ministry said in a statement. It said the investigation showed that a few weeks 
after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a cell 
working for Russian intelligence was set up and planned a large-scale 
disinformation campaign in German-speaking countries, particularly Austria.

   The group was active online but also used stickers and graffiti with content 
such as far-right symbols and nationalist statements meant to look like 
pro-Ukrainian activists were responsible for them, according to the Interior 
Ministry.

   The Bulgarian suspect, whose name wasn't released, is believed to have 
played a significant role in the effort and acted as an intelligence contact, 
the ministry said, adding that she has admitted working for the cell, 
particularly in 2022.

   A year ago, Austria's biggest espionage scandal in decades erupted with the 
arrest of a former Austrian intelligence officer, who was accused among other 
things of handing over cellphone data of former high-ranking Austrian officials 
to Russian intelligence and helping plot a burglary at a prominent journalist's 
apartment.

   The ex-officer, who was later released from custody, is suspected of having 
provided sensitive information to Jan Marsalek, a fugitive fellow Austrian 
wanted on suspicion of fraud since the collapse in 2020 of German payment 
company Wirecard, where he was the chief operating officer. The arrest warrant 
said chat messages provided by British authorities link Marsalek directly to 
Russia's FSB intelligence agency.