The websites of dozens of Western media outlets were used by pro-Kremlin trolls to tilt public opinion in different countries in favor of Russia. This is reported by the BBC with reference to a study by the Center for the Study of Crime and Security at Cardiff University (UK).
The Center’s specialists came to the conclusion that 32 well-known publications in 16 countries of the world were targeted by trolls, including the sites of the British Mail Online, Express, and Times.
On these sites, fake commentators from the Russian Federation posted comments, which were then used by Russian-language publications as the basis for articles.
These comments were then picked up by the Russian media, which based on them created material “from a certain angle, indicating what opinion the British allegedly hold.”
They were published not only in Russia but also in other European countries, especially in Bulgaria. And then they promoted them on social networks, which increased the reach of the audience.