Day: May 18, 2026

Leaked Russian documents: hybrid attacks on Armenia

The Kremlin planned and carried out hybrid campaigns against Armenia, as well as several European countries and neighbouring states. An Armenian fact-checking platform gained access to a large collection of secret documents that confirm this.

The list of countries targeted by Russian operations includes France, Germany, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine. The list extends further.

Hackers appear to have caused the leak. The archive contains documents, correspondence, screenshots and other materials from the Social Design Agency. The organisation operates under the influence of Sergey Kiriyenko, first deputy head of Russia’s presidential administration.

The files include information about several projects targeting Armenia. They also contain reports on the results of what organisers described as “successful operations”.

The organisers allocated substantial funding to carry out these projects. Pricing documents for so-called “research” centres in Israel and Egypt support this. The files also detail payments for their services.

“The monthly operating costs of such a centre in Israel reached 1.5m roubles. Another 3m roubles covered content distribution and payments to influencers. The activities of the ‘Anti-Globalism’ institute in Egypt cost an estimated 5m roubles a month,” the publication says.

Daniel Ioannisyan, programme coordinator at the NGO Union of Informed Citizens, described the revelations as an “information bomb”.

“Sergey Kiriyenko has never appeared this exposed,” he said.

The revelations did not surprise the rights advocate.

“But while we previously only knew about this, we now have evidence and facts. I think diplomatic channels should clarify the situation. The Foreign Ministry should summon the Russian ambassador and demand explanations,” Ioannisyan wrote on his Facebook page.

What is known so far, along with reactions from Armenia’s social media sphere.

• ‘There will be another revolution on 7 June’ – Nikol Pashinyan confident of public support in election
• Armenian political groups spend heavily on Meta ads ahead of election campaign
• What’s behind Russia’s hostile response to Armenia’s deepening ties with EU?
• ‘Army of fake accounts backs one of prime ministerial candidates,’ Armenian fact-checkers say

What FIP uncovered

Documents obtained by the Fact Investigation Platform (FIP) point to coordinated political and information operations by Russian actors. The materials describe both completed and planned information campaigns by the Social Design Agency, which operates under the leadership of Sergey Kiriyenko.

“The tools include the creation of doppelgänger websites, the spread of fake news, the organisation of street protests, sabotage and other operations on the ground, as well as the involvement of experts and influencers to promote preferred narratives,” FIP.am reported.

The leaked archive contains information campaign strategies, documents outlining future plans and operational reports.

The materials show efforts to “fuel anger against Armenia and discredit Prime Minister” Nikol Pashinyan.

The Kremlin-backed agency used the same tools in European Union countries and neighbouring regions.

Many operations relied on false-flag tactics.

“For example, organisers designed some operations against Armenia to create the impression that Turkey coordinated them,” the publication says.

Participants communicated under pseudonyms, many of which remain easy to identify. For example, Sergey Vladilenovich Kiriyenko used the initials SVK. Another active participant was Sofiya Zakharova, head of the department for the development of information and communication technologies. She used the pseudonym Kristin Killer.

“Correspondence shows that staff report to Sofiya Zakharova, who uses the pseudonym Kristin Killer (colleagues also refer to her as Sofiya). The messages also mention her need to coordinate some financial matters with Sergey Kiriyenko (listed in correspondence as SVK),” the Fact Investigation Platform reported.

Fact-checkers debunk reports of Turkish military base deployment in Armenia as fake

Disinformation circulated under DRM News falsely claims Armenia, with EU support, signed a secret deal allowing Türkiye to build a military base near Gyumri

‘Marseille’ and other operations against Armenia

Among the campaigns carried out by the Social Design Agency, Armenian society already knows well the “Marseille” operation, which investigators exposed last year.

In June 2025, the French-language website infofrancaisedujour.fr published an article claiming that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had allegedly bought a “luxury mansion” in Marseille. The article claimed he paid €3.1m for the property. Armenian websites and social media users widely shared the story. The Fact Investigation Platform later established that the French-language website, despite using a French domain, operated from the United States. Investigators also found that the article relied on unfounded claims and did not reflect reality. The website later shut down.

In one email addressed to Sofiya Zakharova, a person using the pseudonym Edward Bernays wrote that there had been “success in Armenia”. He added that “Armenian media and diaspora opinion leaders spread the story about the corruption scandal”.

The correspondence goes further. It states that organisers “managed to provoke domestic political confrontation” between the authorities and the opposition. The messages also recommend reviewing a full report on the “successful operation”.

The report includes:

• publications by Armenian media outlets and social media pages that reposted the fake article;
• screenshots of Facebook comments showing hate rhetoric generated by the materials.

“The report states that 17 agents took part in spreading the material. It gained around 10.6 million views, while content debunking it reached about 1.1 million views.”

The leaked documents also suggest that the agency controls the Russian-language website Yerevan1. The outlet’s main purpose involves shaping negative attitudes towards Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan among Armenian communities in Russia.

The website regularly publishes articles critical of the Armenian authorities. One example involved an “astrological analysis of Nikol Pashinyan’s political future”, which appeared on the site in May 2026.

The documents also reveal projects that the agency led by Sergey Kiriyenko planned against Armenia:

• development of the “Self-Replenishing Knowledge Base – Armenia” project
  (goal: create more than 50,000 Wikipedia-style clone websites);
• SEO optimisation aimed at pushing selected content higher in search results
  (goal: ensure AI systems such as ChatGPT provide answers about political figures that align with Kremlin interests);
• launch of a “Pan-Armenian media platform”
  (goal: influence Armenian communities in the US, Lebanon, Iran, France and other countries by promoting alliance with Russia, highlighting alleged threats from the West and opposing normalisation with Turkey).

Hybrid attacks on Armenia by two supposedly rival hacking groups

Media expert Samvel Martirosyan says Telegram channels Armenian Code and Wolves of Turan aim to trigger a cyber war and are run from a single centre, likely Russian

‘Campaigns are coordinated by Russia’s presidential administration’

After analysing the leaked documents, the Fact Investigation Platform stated:

“The disinformation campaigns and various hybrid attacks that intensified against Armenia more than a year ago and reached a massive scale are

• part of a detailed and pre-planned large-scale strategy,
• and a single centre coordinates them — Russia’s presidential administration.”

FIP.am said the identified hybrid tools, media resources and projects show interference in Armenia’s domestic political life. According to the publication, organisers used them to destabilise the country.

Phishing attack by cyber fraudsters posing as members of Armenia’s ruling party

Civil society representatives receive emails posing as messages from the Civil Contract party. Experts say the goal is to obtain confidential information.

Armenian users have actively discussed the revelations online.

Here are some of their comments:

“They spread disinformation 24/7. Who still doubts Russia’s methods?”

“Will you also leak EU documents and talk about its hybrid attacks?”

“Do not compare the EU with chauvinist, fascist Russia, where freedom of speech does not exist.”

“Armenians, listen and stay informed. At the same time, think clearly and defend statehood and peace. Even if you do not support” Nikol Pashinyan “, support your country and the peaceful future of your children.”

“This information needs to reach our opposition supporters. Maybe it will open their eyes. Maybe after seeing it, they will stop aligning themselves with Russia and acting like an obedient bride.”

“This is the most deceitful and monstrous country in the world. We must break away from it as soon as possible.”

Poll: Will Armenia’s ruling party win June election?

According to an ArmES survey, the ruling Civil Contract will win a relative but not absolute majority, while opposition parties led by two oligarchs — “local and Russian” — will also enter parliament.

Leaked Russian documents: hybrid attacks on Armenia

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