Austria uncovers Russian disinformation campaign, security service says

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's DSN domestic intelligence agency said on Monday it had uncovered an extensive Russian disinformation campaign centred around a Bulgarian national accused of spying and disseminating false information about Ukraine.

The DSN, part of the Austrian interior ministry, said the woman - whom it did not name - had acknowledged working on behalf of Russia, especially in 2022 when Moscow launched its full-blown invasion of Ukraine, to turn public opinion in favour of Russia and against Kyiv.

A spokesperson for the Vienna prosecutor's office said that despite its request to place the woman in custody, a regional court had released her. The DSN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her whereabouts or the status of its investigation. The Russian Embassy in Vienna did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

In a search of the woman's home in an undisclosed location in Austria, the DSN said its investigators had found evidence of a group working for Russian secret services since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine.

It said the group executed an extensive disinformation campaign for German-speaking countries with a focus on Austria. The campaign, it said, included "activities in the media landscape" and offline activity that included graffiti and stickers.

"The spread of false narratives, fake news and manipulative content undermines trust in our institutions and jeopardises social cohesion," said senior Austrian interior ministry official Joerg Leichtfried.

Citing a spokesperson at the ministry, APA said the woman had also acknowledged having ties to a group working on behalf of Jan Marsalek, a former Wirecard executive who went on the run five years ago after the dramatic implosion of the German payments company.

Marsalek has been named by British police and prosecutors in an investigation into allegations that he directed Russian spy operations across Europe. His whereabouts are unknown and he remains the subject of an Interpol red notice relating to fraud.

The spokesperson cited by APA could not be immediately reached by Reuters.

(Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich; Writing by Friederike Heine; editing by Ludwig Burger and Mark Heinrich)