How Does the Russian Security Service Sow Discord in America?

U.S. intelligence and security agencies have repeatedly accused Russia of attempting to interfere in domestic affairs. Last year, several Russian operatives who exploited American citizens to create a network for disseminating Kremlin political propaganda, inciting unrest in the U.S., and influencing elections were convicted by a Grand Jury. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, these individuals have been engaged in extensive subversive activities within the U.S. for many years at the direction and financial support of the Russian government. In a separate criminal case that began in a Florida court last week, Natalia Burelina and Alexander Ivanov, two Russian citizens, have been charged in absentia for coordinating with the FSB, the Russian security service, without identifying themselves as "foreign agents," pursuing objectives contrary to U.S. national interests. Recently, over 40 pages of correspondence between Alexander Ivanov and his FSB contacts, likely resulting from U.S. prosecutors accessing WhatsApp cloud platform data, have been made public. These communications reveal that Ivanov has been in contact with at least four Russian security operatives for years, with his main contact being Igor Popov, an agent of the "Legal Defense Unit" in the FSB (known as "Unit 2 of the FSB"). Ivanov's overt and covert activities include founding and managing the "Foundation for Countering Globalization," serving as an informal advisor to the Kremlin on opposition factions in various countries, and being a member of the Human Rights Council under the Russian President. Following multiple complaints against Ivanov, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and many Kremlin-opposing media outlets, including "Novaya Gazeta," "Meduza," "Bel," and "Vazhniye Istorii," have been banned in Russia. Investigative journalists have suspected for three years that Ivanov is connected to the FSB alongside his public activities. Documents released by the U.S. Justice Department indicate that Ivanov's collaboration with the FSB dates back over ten years, with diverse missions ranging from promoting Kremlin narratives in Russian and international media to supporting political factions that challenge democracy in Western countries. Some topics revealed from Ivanov's correspondence with his security contacts include inciting instability in America. In the early hours of a spring day six years ago, Ivanov sent Popov a link to an article from American media and wrote: "You wanted instability; here it is." This article likely discussed the possibility of California's separation from the U.S. Two years before California separatists made headlines, Ivanov had helped "Calexit" activists establish an office in Moscow at the direction of the FSB; they were also special guests at the "Dialogue of Nations" conference hosted by the "Foundation for Countering Globalization" and managed by Ivanov. Meanwhile, California separatists have remained marginalized in American politics. Popov expressed dissatisfaction to Ivanov that international mainstream media do not take them seriously. He asked Ivanov to encourage separatist activists to march towards the California statehouse in Sacramento and send photos of the march to the media. Shortly after, Ivanov went to Moscow and complained to Popov during a meeting at a cafe near the "Unit 2 of the FSB" office that budget cuts had hindered his activities. "African Socialists Supporting Russia's War Against Ukraine" Four American citizens, current or former members of an obscure organization called the "People's Socialist Party of Africa" in the U.S., are on trial and accused of knowingly collaborating with Ivanov and, through him, with Russian security agents. At least one of these four traveled to a conference in Moscow in 2015 funded by the Russian government. Furthermore, leaked correspondence suggests that Ivanov had funded this group to ostensibly protest against restrictions imposed on Russian government narratives on Facebook following the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, demonstrating outside Meta's office in San Francisco. These individuals do not accept the charges against them. Closure of "Novaya Gazeta" "Novaya Gazeta" was established as an independent newspaper shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and covered topics that no other media outlet in Russia dared to address as the security environment intensified. Three journalists from this newspaper – Yuri Shchekochikhin, Anna Politkovskaya, and Anastasia Baburina – were killed amid their investigations. In 2021, Dmitry Muratov, the editor-in-chief of "Novaya Gazeta," won the Nobel Peace Prize. However, less than a year later, following the newspaper's protest against Russia's war on Ukraine, its publication was banned within the country, and it now operates from an office in Latvia as "Novaya Gazeta Europe." In the summer of 2021, Ivanov sued over an article published in this newspaper about the "Foundation for Countering Globalization"; although his lawsuit was dismissed, he continued his pursuits. A few months later, Roskomnadzor, the media regulator in Russia, revoked "Novaya Gazeta"'s publication license. Leaked correspondence shows that Ivanov took pride in his role in the closure of "Novaya Gazeta" and wrote to his FSB contact: "What I wanted has happened." He has also interviewed with a Kremlin-supported media outlet about the "destruction of Novaya Gazeta" at Popov's request. Connection with Maria Butina Maria Butina attempted to infiltrate conservative groups in the U.S. as part of Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, and according to Senate Intelligence Committee investigations, she tried to persuade Donald Trump's campaign to create a secret communication channel with Russia. Butina eventually admitted to violating foreign agent laws in the U.S. and spent 18 months in prison. She returned to Russia during a prisoner exchange with the U.S. and is now a member of the Duma. In spring 2019, the American publication "The Atlantic" reported that Alexander Ivanov played a significant role in paying Butina's lawyers. The disclosure of this information provoked outrage among FSB agents. According to leaked correspondence, Popov expressed disgust that Ivanov was identified as a supporter of Butina in "The Atlantic," and their communications were cut off for over a month and a half. Russia's War Against Ukraine Part of Ivanov's correspondence with the FSB occurred in the early days of Russia's war against Ukraine. He wrote, among other things, that he contacted the Russian presidential office to say, "They have lost the media war." In response to the fighting at Hostomel Airport, which began on the first day of Russia's large-scale military invasion of Ukraine and led to the airport's recapture by Ukrainian forces the next day, resulting in the deaths of over 120 Russian paratroopers, he demanded that Kremlin-affiliated journalists focus on "the heroism of Russian paratroopers and emphasize that they resisted numerous Ukrainian soldiers but could not win without sufficient support." He attached a post with this content from the Telegram channel "Ridoffka" to his writing and boasted that this post had been republished by many Russian media outlets. However, the FSB agent's reaction was completely contrary to Ivanov's expectations; he angrily asked, "Do you want to show that Ukrainians are clever and we have caught our paratroopers in ambush?" The Leak of Ivanov's Communications In the summer of 2022, Ivanov was targeted by U.S. sanctions and accused of financially supporting groups pursuing Russian interests and threatening U.S. interests. This statement also referenced Ivanov's collaboration with the Russian security service. In the appendix of the translated statement he sent to his FSB handlers, he wrote: "My work is done." Meanwhile, his correspondence with Russian security agents continued at least until the start of the in absentia court sessions in the U.S. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Alexei Ivanov has not responded to questions about his collaboration with Russian security agents and the accusations against him in the U.S., and it is highly unlikely he will appear in court. His current whereabouts are unknown but are likely in Moscow. Russian officials have consistently denied allegations of interference in U.S. domestic affairs.