Main image: Composition by James Battershill / openDemocracy
Russian agents linked to the Kremlin and the Foreign Intelligence Service launched a large-scale covert operation to infiltrate the Argentine media space, reports the OpenDemocracy.
According to documents obtained by the outlet, throughout 2024 the propaganda network, known as “the Company,” worked to discredit President Javier Milei and stir societal chaos. Their main tool was creating fictitious personas—“experts” and “journalists”—whose faces were AI-generated and whose articles were written using artificial intelligence.
One such fake author was “Manuel Godsin,” supposedly a PhD holder from a Norwegian university. His articles on student protests were published in the Argentine outlet Realpolitik, but the investigation revealed that Godsin does not exist and his photo belongs to a real Russian, Mikhail Malyarov.
Other fabricated personas included “Gabriel di Taranto,” “Juan Carlos López,” and “Marcelo Lopreiatto.” Their profiles were created using stock photos or AI-generated images, and their biographies contained fabricated academic credentials. Experts identified at least 250 articles across more than 20 Argentine online media platforms, including major outlets such as Diario Registrado and C5N.
The Company exploited vulnerabilities in local media struggling with limited resources. Russian intermediaries offered the outlets free or paid content through shell PR agencies and “consultants.” Operation budgets were substantial—over $280,000—even though actual payments to journalists were likely much lower, suggesting possible embezzlement within the Russian network itself. Editors admitted to publishing the content without thorough verification of authorship, trusting intermediaries who presented themselves as “business groups.”
The campaign’s goals went far beyond ordinary government criticism. Kremlin agents deliberately spread fake news to create international tension. For example, a fabricated story claimed that “Argentine saboteurs” sent by President Milei had been arrested in Chile for allegedly attempting to sabotage a gas pipeline.
Russia also sought to sway Argentine public opinion on the war in Ukraine. In Buenos Aires, they secretly commissioned anti-Ukrainian graffiti and hung protest banners at football matches with the slogan “Argentina does not need someone else’s war.”
Argentine authorities confirmed the existence of this network in October 2025, identifying Russians Lev Andriashvili and Irina Yakovenko as key participants. Despite being exposed, the couple continues to live in Buenos Aires, denying ties to the intelligence services.
Experts note that Moscow’s ultimate strategy in the region is not merely to support the opposition but to undermine trust in government institutions and the media as a whole. By creating an atmosphere of total confusion and disinformation, the Kremlin aims to weaken U.S. influence in South America and punish the Milei administration for supporting Ukraine and aligning with the West.
