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m moved Internet operations by Russian secret police to Allegations of Russian security services involvement in internet warfare over redirect: 1) There's no such thing as the Russian secret police, 2) Any way, Russia does not lead any internet oper
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''' Russian services a variety of "[[active measures]]" to influence the world events, including [[DDoS attack|denial of service attacks]], [[Cyberwarfare|hacker attacks]], dissemination of [[disinformation]] over the internet, [[Web brigades|participation of state-sponsored teams in political blogs]], internet [[surveillance]] using [[SORM]] technology, and [[Political repression of cyber-dissidents|persecution of cyber-dissidents]]. According to investigative journalist [[Andrei Soldatov]] <ref name="Soldatov"> [http://www.echo.msk.ru/programs/albac/41311/ State control over the internet], a talk show by [[Yevgenia Albats]] at the [[Echo of Moscow]], January 22, 2006; interview with [[Andrei Soldatov]] and others </ref>, some of these activities are coordinated by the Russian [[FAPSI|signals intelligence]], which is currently a part of the [[Federal Security Service (Russia)|FSB]] but has been formerly a part of 16th [[KGB]] department, but others are directed by the [[Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs]].
{{inuse}}
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'''Russian security services involvement in internet warfare''' is a [[conspiracy theory]] that claims Russian security [[Federal Security Service (Russia)|services]] are involved in a variety of "[[active measures]]" to influence the world events, including [[DDoS attack|denial of service attacks]], [[Cyberwarfare|hacker attacks]], dissemination of [[disinformation]] over the internet, [[Web brigades|participation of state-sponsored teams in political blogs]], internet [[surveillance]] using [[SORM]] technology, and [[Political repression of cyber-dissidents|persecution of cyber-dissidents]] {{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}. According to investigative journalist [[Andrei Soldatov]] <ref name="Soldatov"> [http://www.echo.msk.ru/programs/albac/41311/ State control over the internet], a talk show by [[Yevgenia Albats]] at the [[Echo of Moscow]], January 22, 2006; interview with [[Andrei Soldatov]] and others </ref>, some of these activities are coordinated by the Russian [[FAPSI|signals intelligence]], which is currently a part of the [[Federal Security Service (Russia)|FSB]] but has been formerly a part of 16th [[KGB]] department, but others are directed by the [[Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs]].


According to a publication in Russian computer weekly [[Computerra]], the involvement of Russian security services in such activities, especially in [[Russian wikipedia]], almost certainly takes place, although "this is not even interesting — everyone knows perfectly well that security bodies have a special place in structure of our [Russian] state" <ref> [http://www.computerra.ru/own/384132/ Is there only one truth?] by Kivy Bird, [[Computerra]], 26 November 2008 </ref>
==[[Sergei Tretyakov (intelligence officer)|Sergei Tretyakov]] confessions==

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US author [[Pete Earley]] described his interviews with former senior [[Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)|Russian intelligence]] officer Sergei Tretyakov who [[defection|defected]] in the [[United States]] in 2000. According to him,
==Disinformation==
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US author [[Pete Earley]] described his interviews with former senior [[Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)|Russian intelligence]] officer Sergei Tretyakov |]] in the [[United States]] in 2000. According to him,
{{Quotation2|Sergei would send an officer to a branch of [[New York Public Library]] where he could get access to the Internet without anyone knowing his identity. The officer would post the propaganda on various websites and send it in emails to US publications and broadcasters. Some propaganda would be disguised as educational or scientific reports. ... The studies had been generated at the [[Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)|Center]]) by Russian experts. The reports would be 99% accurate but would always contain a ''kernel of disinformation'' that favored Russian foreign policy. ... "Our goal was to cause dissension and unrest inside the US and anti-American feelings abroad" <ref name="Comrade J">[[Pete Earley]], "Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America After the End of the Cold War", Penguin Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-399-15439-3, pages 194-195</ref>}}.
{{Quotation2|Sergei would send an officer to a branch of [[New York Public Library]] where he could get access to the Internet without anyone knowing his identity. The officer would post the propaganda on various websites and send it in emails to US publications and broadcasters. Some propaganda would be disguised as educational or scientific reports. ... The studies had been generated at the [[Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)|Center]]) by Russian experts. The reports would be 99% accurate but would always contain a ''kernel of disinformation'' that favored Russian foreign policy. ... "Our goal was to cause dissension and unrest inside the US and anti-American feelings abroad" <ref name="Comrade J">[[Pete Earley]], "Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America After the End of the Cold War", Penguin Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-399-15439-3, pages 194-195</ref>}}.
Tretyakov did not specify the targeted web sites, but claimed they selected the sites which are most convenient for distributing the specific disinformation. During his work in [[New York]] in the end of 1990s, one of the most frequent disinformation subjects was the [[Second Chechen War]].
Tretyakov did not specify the targeted web sites, but they selected the sites which are most convenient for distributing the specific disinformation. During his work in [[New York]] in the end of 1990s, one of the most frequent disinformation subjects was [[ ]].


According to Soldatov, the group of people, who claimed they are [[GRU]] employees, published information on military progress of the [[US invasion of Iraq]] on a web-site publishing news about the campaign.<ref name="Soldatov"/>.
According to Soldatov, the group of people, who claimed they are [[GRU]] employees, published information on military progress of the [[US invasion of Iraq]] on a web-site publishing news about the campaign.<ref name="Soldatov"/>


==Cyberattacs==
==Cyber warfare during Estonian [[Bronze night]], and the [[2008 South Ossetia war]]==


{{Main|2007 cyberattacks on Estonia}}
{{Main|2007 cyberattacks on Estonia}}
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According to Soldatov, a hacker attack on his web site [[Agentura.Ru|Agentura]] was apparently directed by the secret services in the middle of [[Moscow theater hostage crisis]]<ref name="Soldatov"/>.
According to Soldatov, a hacker attack on his web site [[Agentura.Ru|Agentura]] was apparently directed by the secret services in the middle of [[Moscow theater hostage crisis]]<ref name="Soldatov"/>.


===A talk show with [[Andrei Soldatov]] on [[Echo Moskvy]] station on control over the Internet===
=== on control over the Internet===
In 2006 radio talk show hosted by [[Yevgenia Albats]] with a topic "Control over the Internet: How does that happen?", Russian journalist [[Andrei Soldatov]] made the following points<!-- when asked by Albats about "web brigades" --><ref name=Albats_talk> [http://www.echo.msk.ru/programs/albac/41311/ Control over the Internet: how does that happen?], a talk show by [[Yevgenia Albats]] at the [[Echo of Moscow]], January 22, 2006; interview with [[Andrei Soldatov]] and others </ref>:
In 2006 radio talk show hosted by [[Yevgenia Albats]] with a topic "Control over the Internet: How does that happen?", Russian journalist [[Andrei Soldatov]] made the following points<!-- when asked by Albats about "web brigades" --><ref name=Albats_talk> [http://www.echo.msk.ru/programs/albac/41311/ Control over the Internet: how does that happen?], a talk show by [[Yevgenia Albats]] at the [[Echo of Moscow]], January 22, 2006; interview with [[Andrei Soldatov]] and others </ref>:
*There are countries with greater or less control over the Internet; but there is control over the Internet in Russia;
*There are countries with greater or less control over the Internet; but there is control over the Internet in Russia;
*During the [[US invasion of Iraq]], a group of people calling themselves [[GRU]] officers published allegedly internal GRU information on American losses in Iraq — this information was shown on the background of Anti-American hysteria and was well consumed. Later it turned out this information was not credible, but this effectively didn't change the result;
*During the [[US invasion of Iraq]], a group of people calling themselves [[GRU]] officers published allegedly internal GRU information on American losses in Iraq — this information was shown on the background of Anti- hysteria and was well consumed. Later it turned out this information was not credible, but this effectively didn't change the result;
*After [[2005 Nalchik raid]] Russian [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] issued a statement that [[Kavkaz Center]] "is a very bad resource", and after two days two teams calling themselves hackers appeared, to arrange hacker attacks against Kavkaz Center;
*After [[2005 Nalchik raid]] Russian [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] issued a statement that [[Kavkaz Center]] "is a very bad resource", and after two days two teams calling themselves hackers appeared, to arrange hacker attacks against Kavkaz Center;
*Soldatov doesn't think web brigades are fiction. He had related issues with his own site, especially during such events like [[Moscow theater hostage crisis]];
*Soldatov doesn't think web brigades are fiction. He had related issues with his own site, especially during such events like [[Moscow theater hostage crisis]];
*One of structures having related business with the Internet is [[signals intelligence]], which is currently a part of the [[FSB]] and has been formerly a part of 16th [[KGB]] department;
*One of structures having related business with the Internet is [[signals intelligence]], which is currently a part of the [[FSB]] and has been formerly a part of 16th [[KGB]] department;
*There is a related agency in [[Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs]] with competent people who can do such things.<ref name=Albats_talk/>
*There is a related agency in [[Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs]] with competent people who can do such things.<ref name=Albats_talk/>


==Persecution of [[Cyber-dissident|cyber-dissidents]] by the FSB==
Other participant of the talk show, Russian political scientist [[Marat Gelman]] made the following points:
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*When Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] called on his nation's women to have more children, journalist Vladimir Rakhmankov published a satiric article on the Internet calling Putin "''the nation's [[phallus|phallic symbol]]''". Rakhmankov was found guilty of offending Vladimir Putin to the sum of 20,000 roubles (about 680 USD).<ref name=kommers>[http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=716394 Court estimated 'phallic symbol' to the sum of 20,000 roubles], by Kommersant</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gdf.ru/digest/digest/digest298e.shtml#rus1|title=GLASNOST DEFENSE FOUNDATION'S DIGEST No. 298|date=2006-09-26|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref><ref>[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/6/DF7B2E15-2F9F-4A8B-AAF0-A7622F0D33F7.html Russia: 'Phallic' Case Threatens Internet Freedom]</ref><ref>[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/09/A178BEAC-9BF7-4D59-B3B7-D6F07D4A0636.html U.S. Media Watchdog Criticizes Russia] </ref><ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/27/europe/EU_GEN_Russia_Journalists_Trial.php Media freedom watchdog condemns conviction of journalist in Russia] </ref> Rakhmanov didn't plead guilty; actions of prosecutors lead a number of Russian and international newspapers to republish Rakhmanov's article. FSB wasn't involved in 's case.<ref name=kommers/>
*There are countries with control over the Internet, there's none in Russia; there may be control understood as observation<!--surveillance-->, but there's no tool<!--mechanism--> to forbid any certain resource;
*Internet is good as the space where authorities and opposition are placed in absolutely equal conditions and they need to actually struggle and convince people. It's impossible to actually prohibit in the Internet, one needs to win [a game];
*Professional activity exists for long in the Internet — as many sites are professional media-structures with a team and owners perhaps — in a way a newspaper is. And coordinated work of these resources is possible. Commenting on a possibility that besides open structures there are closed ones imitating activity of youths, Gelman said he had an exact feeling it's fake;
*Answering Albats' question about possibilities of control over Internet as a means to exert influence on youths, Gelman asserted that authorities, opposition and America are all equal players in question of control and attempts of influence. Unlike e.g. television or newspapers all players in the Internet have equal possibilities, every player tries to do one's sort of work;
*Answering Albats' question "How control over Internet is technically organized?", Gelman noted that there are two major concepts: either the information is filtered before an user may access it ("premoderation"), either "postmoderation". While the first is the case in China, where access to certain types of resources is physically blocked, Gelman considers it a bad practice and it is absolutely unacceptable for Russia. Gelman thinks there must be control over the Internet in Russia, but only in the form of an agency searching for criminals in the Internet, tracking their IPs to get personal information, as well as there must be a mechanism to impose a penalty on such people.<ref name=Albats_talk/>


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*Journalist [[Boris Stomakhin]] was convicted in [[2006]] to five years of prison on charges of inciting national and religious hatred in his monthly bulletin "Radical Politics". <ref name=svoboda>[http://www.svobodanews.ru/content/transcript/316285.html Boris Stomakhin -- victim of the regime or extremist], Svoboda News</ref> FSB wasn't involved in 's case. <ref name=svoboda/>
==Court case against the blogger [[Vladimir Rakhmankov]] ==
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*Director of [[Russian-Chechen Friendship Society]] Stanislav Dmitrievsky received in [[2006]] a suspended two-year sentence for publishing articles of Aslan Maskhadov and Akhmed Zakayev in his newspaper "Pravo-zaschita". <ref> [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/02/04/russia12604.htm Russia: Activist’s Conviction Hurts Freedom of Expression] statement by [[Human Rights Watch]] </ref><ref name="Novo"> [http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=416&issue_id=3942&article_id=2371691 KAVKAZ-CENTER WRITER APPEALS JAIL SENTENCE] - by Jamestown Foundation </ref><ref name=kavkaz>[http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/newstext/news/id/1194829.html Dmitrievsky considers court decision political], Kavkaz Uzel</ref> FSB wasn't involved in Dmitrievsky's case. <ref name=kavkaz/>
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*When Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] called on his nation's women to have more children, journalist Vladimir Rakhmankov published a satiric article on the Internet calling Putin "''the nation's [[phallus|phallic symbol]]''". Rakhmankov was found guilty of offending Vladimir Putin by regional court, and fined to the sum of 20,000 roubles (about 680 USD).<ref name=kommers>[http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=716394 Court estimated 'phallic symbol' to the sum of 20,000 roubles], by Kommersant</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gdf.ru/digest/digest/digest298e.shtml#rus1|title=GLASNOST DEFENSE FOUNDATION'S DIGEST No. 298|date=2006-09-26|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref><ref>[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/6/DF7B2E15-2F9F-4A8B-AAF0-A7622F0D33F7.html Russia: 'Phallic' Case Threatens Internet Freedom]</ref><ref>[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/09/A178BEAC-9BF7-4D59-B3B7-D6F07D4A0636.html U.S. Media Watchdog Criticizes Russia] </ref><ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/27/europe/EU_GEN_Russia_Journalists_Trial.php Media freedom watchdog condemns conviction of journalist in Russia] </ref> Rakhmanov didn't plead guilty; actions of prosecutors lead a number of Russian and international newspapers to republish Rakhmanov's article. <!--FSB wasn't involved in Dmitrievsky's case.--><ref name=kommers/>
<!--
⚫
*Journalist [[Boris Stomakhin]] was convicted in [[2006]] to five years of prison on charges of inciting national and religious hatred in his monthly bulletin "Radical Politics". <ref name=svoboda>[http://www.svobodanews.ru/content/transcript/316285.html Boris Stomakhin -- victim of the regime or extremist], Svoboda News</ref>. FSB wasn't involved in Dmitrievsky's case. <ref name=svoboda/>
⚫
*Director of [[Russian-Chechen Friendship Society]] Stanislav Dmitrievsky received in [[2006]] a suspended two-year sentence for publishing articles of Aslan Maskhadov and Akhmed Zakayev in his newspaper "Pravo-zaschita". <ref> [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/02/04/russia12604.htm Russia: Activist’s Conviction Hurts Freedom of Expression] statement by [[Human Rights Watch]] </ref><ref name="Novo"> [http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=416&issue_id=3942&article_id=2371691 KAVKAZ-CENTER WRITER APPEALS JAIL SENTENCE] - by Jamestown Foundation </ref><ref name=kavkaz>[http://www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/newstext/news/id/1194829.html Dmitrievsky considers court decision political], Kavkaz Uzel</ref> FSB wasn't involved in Dmitrievsky's case. <ref name=kavkaz/>
-->


==Disruption of political blogs==
==An article by [[Anna Polyanskaya]], [[Andrey Krivov (journalist)|Andrey Krivov]], and [[Ivan Lomako]] on [[web brigades]]==
{{Main|web brigades}}
{{|web brigades}}
The appearance of Russian state security teams in [[RuNet]] was described in 2003 by [[journalist]] Anna Polyanskaya <ref name=Pol1>[http://maof.rjews.net/authorg.php3?id=966&type=a Articles by Anna Polyanskaya], MAOF publishing group</ref> (a former assistant to assassinated [[Russians|Russian]] politician [[Galina Starovoitova]]<ref>{{Ru icon}} [http://www.vestnik.com/issues/2003/0611/win/polyanskaya.htm "They are killing Galina Starovoitova for the second time"], by Anna Polyanskaya</ref>), [[historian]] Andrey Krivov and political activist Ivan Lomako. They claimed the appearance of organized and fairly professional "brigades", composed of ideologically and methodologically identical personalities, who were working in practically every popular [[Liberalism|liberal]] and pro-[[democracy]] Internet forums and Internet newspapers of RuNet.<ref name="Polyanskaya"> [http://www.vestnik.com/issues/2003/0430/win/polyanskaya_krivov_lomko.htm ''Commissars of the Internet. The FSB at the Computer''] by Anna Polyanskaya, Andrei Krivov, and Ivan Lomko, Vestnik online, April 30, 2003 ([http://lrtranslations.blogspot.com/2007/02/commissars-of-internet.html English translation])</ref>.
The appearance of Russian state security teams in [[RuNet]] was described in 2003 by [[journalist]] Anna Polyanskaya <ref name=Pol1>[http://maof.rjews.net/authorg.php3?id=966&type=a Articles by Anna Polyanskaya], MAOF publishing group</ref> (a former assistant to assassinated [[Russians|Russian]] politician [[Galina Starovoitova]]<ref>{{ icon}} [http://www.vestnik.com/issues/2003/0611/win/polyanskaya.htm "They are killing Galina Starovoitova for the second time"], by Anna Polyanskaya</ref>), [[historian]] Andrey Krivov and political activist Ivan Lomako. They claimed the appearance of organized and fairly professional "brigades", composed of ideologically and methodologically identical personalities, who were working in practically every popular [[Liberalism|liberal]] and pro-[[democracy]] Internet forums and Internet newspapers of RuNet.<ref name="Polyanskaya"> [http://www.vestnik.com/issues/2003/0430/win/polyanskaya_krivov_lomko.htm ''Commissars of the Internet. The FSB at the Computer''] by Anna Polyanskaya, Andrei Krivov, and Ivan Lomko, Vestnik online, April 30, 2003 ([http://lrtranslations.blogspot.com/2007/02/commissars-of-internet.html English translation])</ref>.


===Behavior===
===Description of web brigades behavior in the article===
According to Polyanskaya and her colleagues, the behavior of people from the Internet brigades has distinct features, some of which are the following:<ref name="Polyanskaya"/><ref> [http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/russia-theme/the-kremlins-virtual-squad The Kremlin's virtual squad], Anna Polyanskaya Andrei Krivov, Ivan Lomko, 19 - 03 - 2009, [[openDemocracy.net]]</ref>
According to Polyanskaya and her colleagues, the behavior of people from the Internet brigades has distinct features, some of which are the following:<ref name="Polyanskaya"/><ref> [http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/russia-theme/the-kremlins-virtual-squad The Kremlin's virtual squad], Anna Polyanskaya Andrei Krivov, Ivan Lomko, 19 - 03 - 2009, [[openDemocracy.net]]</ref>
*Propaganda of the [[Communist ideology]], and constant attempts to present in a positive light the entire history of Russia and the [[Soviet Union]], minimizing the number of people who died in repressions.
*Propaganda of the [[Communist ideology]], and constant attempts to present in a positive light the entire history of Russia and the [[Soviet Union]], minimizing the number of people who died in repressions.
*Boundless loyalty to [[Vladimir Putin]] and his circle.
*Boundless loyalty to [[Vladimir Putin]] and his circle.
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*Hatred of [[dissidents]] and [[human rights]] organizations and activists, [[political prisoner]]s and [[journalist]]s, especially [[Anna Politkovskaya]], [[Sergei Kovalev]], [[Elena Bonner]], [[Grigory Pasko]], [[Victor Shenderovich]], and [[Valeria Novodvorskaya]].
*Hatred of [[dissidents]] and [[human rights]] organizations and activists, [[political prisoner]]s and [[journalist]]s, especially [[Anna Politkovskaya]], [[Sergei Kovalev]], [[Elena Bonner]], [[Grigory Pasko]], [[Victor Shenderovich]], and [[Valeria Novodvorskaya]].
*[[Anti-Americanism]] and anti-Westernism.
*[[Anti-Americanism]] and anti-Westernism.
*Accusation of [[Russophobia]] against everyone who disagrees with them.
*Accusation of [[Russophobia]] against everyone who disagrees with them.
*Tendency to accuse their opponents of being [[insane]] during arguments.
*Tendency to accuse their opponents of being [[insane]] during arguments.
*Round-the-clock presence on forums. At least one of the uniform members of the team can be found online at all times, always ready to repulse any “attack” by a [[Liberalism|liberal]].
*Round-the-clock presence on forums. At least one of the uniform members of the team can be found online at all times, always ready to repulse any “attack” by a [[liberal]].


===Tactics===
===Explanation of web brigades tactics in the article===
*'''Individual work on opponents.''' "As soon as an opposition-minded liberal arrives on a forum, expressing a position that makes them a clear "ideological enemy”, he is immediately cornered and subjected to “[[active measures]]” by the unified web-brigade. Without provocation, the opponent is piled on with abuse or vicious “arguments” of the sort that the average person cannot adequately react to. As a result, the liberal either answers sharply, causing a scandal and getting himself labeled a “boor” by the rest of the brigade, or else he starts to make arguments against the obvious absurdities, to which his opponents pay no attention, but simply ridicule him and put forth other similar arguments."<ref name="Polyanskaya"/>
*'''Individual work on opponents.''' "As soon as an opposition-minded liberal arrives on a forum, expressing a position that makes them a clear "ideological enemy”, he is immediately cornered and subjected to “[[active measures]]” by the unified web-brigade. Without provocation, the opponent is piled on with abuse or vicious “arguments” of the sort that the average person cannot adequately react to. As a result, the liberal either answers sharply, causing a scandal and getting himself labeled a “boor” by the rest of the brigade, or else he starts to make arguments against the obvious absurdities, to which his opponents pay no attention, but simply ridicule him and put forth other similar arguments."<ref name="Polyanskaya"/>
*'''Accusations that opponents are working for “enemies”'''. The opponents are accused of taking money from [[Boris Berezovsky|Berezovskiy]], the [[CIA]], the [[MOSSAD]], [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[Zionists]], or the [[Chechen people|Chechen]] rebels.
*'''Accusations that opponents are working for “enemies”'''. The opponents are accused of taking money from [[Boris Berezovsky|Berezovskiy]], the [[CIA]], the [[MOSSAD]], [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[Zionists]], or the [[Chechen people|Chechen]] rebels.
*'''Making personally offensive comments''', especially of sexual nature.
*'''Making personally offensive comments''', especially of sexual nature.
*'''Remarkable ability to reveal personal information''' about their opponents and their quotes from old postings, sometimes more than a year old.
*'''Remarkable ability to reveal personal information''' about their opponents and their quotes from old postings, sometimes more than a year old.
*'''Teamwork'''. "They unwaveringly support each other in discussions, ask each other leading questions, put fine points on each other’s answers, and even pretend not to know each other. If an opponent starts to be hounded, this hounding invariably becomes a team effort, involving all of the three to twenty nicknames that invariably are present on any political forum 24 hours a day."<ref name="Polyanskaya"/>
*'''Teamwork'''. "They unwaveringly support each other in discussions, ask each other leading questions, put fine points on each other’s answers, and even pretend not to know each other. If an opponent starts to be hounded, this hounding invariably becomes a team effort, involving all of the three to twenty nicknames that invariably are present on any political forum 24 hours a day."<ref name="Polyanskaya"/>
*'''Appealing to the Administration'''. The members of teams often "write mass collective complaints about their opponents to the editors, site administrators, or the electronic “complaints book”, demanding that one or another posting or whole discussion thread they don’t like be removed, or calling for the banning of individuals they find problematic."<ref name="Polyanskaya"/>
*'''Appealing to the Administration'''. The members of teams often "write mass collective complaints about their opponents to the editors, site administrators, or the electronic “complaints book”, demanding that one or another posting or whole discussion thread they don’t like be removed, or calling for the banning of individuals they find problematic."<ref name="Polyanskaya"/>
*'''Destruction of inconvenient forums'''. For example, on the site of the [[Moscow News]], all critics of [[Putin]] and the FSB "were suddenly and without any explanation banned from all discussions, despite their having broken none of the site’s rules of conduct. All the postings of this group of readers, going back a year and a half, were erased by the site administrator."<ref name="Polyanskaya"/>
*'''Destruction of inconvenient forums'''. For example, on the site of the [[Moscow News]], all critics of [[Putin]] and the FSB "were suddenly and without any explanation banned from all discussions, despite their having broken none of the site’s rules of conduct. All the postings of this group of readers, going back a year and a half, were erased by the site administrator."<ref name="Polyanskaya"/>


=="LiveJournal fighters"==
==[[Alexander Yusupovskiy]] responce article to Polyanskaya article==
A member of [[National Bolshevik Party]] Roman Sadykhov reported about "[[LiveJournal]] fighters", directed and paid from the Kremlin and instructions given to them by [[Vladislav Surkov]], a close aide of [[Vladimir Putin]] <ref>{{ru icon}} [http://www.grani.ru/Society/m.119861.html Interview with Roman Sadykhov], grani.ru, [[3 April]], [[2007]]</ref> Surkov allegedly called Livejournal "a very important sector of work" <ref name="Surkov">[http://www.newtimes.ru/index.php?page=journal&issue=6&article=231 Military wing of Kremlin (Russian)], ''[[The New Times]]'', [[19 March]], [[2007]]</ref> and said that people's brains must be "[[Nationalization|nationalized]]" . He instructed "LiveJournal fighters" that

⚫
Alexander Yusupovskiy, head of the analytical department of the [[Federation Council of Russia]] (Russian Parliament) published in 2003 an article "Conspiracy theory" in [[Russian Journal]] with criticism of theory of web brigades.<ref name="Usup"> [http://old.russ.ru/politics/20030426-yusup-pr.html Conspiracy theory], by Alexander Yusupovskiy, Russian Journal, 25 April 2003</ref>

Yusupovskiy's points included:

*According to Yusupovskiy, an active forum participant, it's not the first time he's faced an unfair method of polemics, when a person with "liberal democratic views" accused one's opponent of being an FSB agent as a final argument. Yusupovskiy himself didn't take Web brigades theory seriously, "naively" considering that officers of GRU or FSB have more topical problems than "comparing virtual penises" with liberals and emigrants. His own experience at forums also did not give him a reason proving the theory.
*Yusupovskiy considered Polyanskaya's article an interesting opportunity to draw a line of demarcation between analytics and its imitation. According to Yusupovskiy, authors of the article are obsessed with "a single but strong affection": to find a "Big Brother" beyond any phenomena not fitting their mindsets. Yusupovskiy called an article a classic illustration of reverted "[[Masonic conspiracy theories|masonic conspiracy]]".
*Although Yusupovskiy himself has a list of claims against Russian security services and their presence in virtual world (as "according to statements of media every security service is busy in the Internet tracking terrorism, extremism, narcotic traffic, human trafficking and child pornography"), his claims are of different nature than those of Polyanskaya.
*Criticising Polyanskaya's point that Russian forums after 9/11 show "outstanding level of malice and hatred of the USA, gloat, slander and inhumanity" as "undifferentiated assessment bordering lie and slander", Yusupovskiy noted that there is a difference between "dislike of hegemonic policy of the United States" at Russian forums and "quite friendly attitude towards usual Americans". Aggression and xenophobia don't characterize one side but are a common place of discussion (as Yusupovskiy suggested, illusion of anonymity and absence of censorship allows such stuff to be taken from subconsciousness that won't let to be spoken aloud by an internal censor otherwise). According to Yusupovskiy,
{{Quotation|There's no lack of gloat of other kind — e.g. over Russian losses in Chechnya — or manifestations of brutal malice against "commies", "under men", Russians, Russia in posts of some our former compatriots from Israel, USA and other countries. And in a discussion of Palestineans or Arabs, "beasts", "not people", etc. are perhaps the most decent definitions given by many (not all) western participants of forums. It's specially touching to observe "briefings of hatred" (such things happen too), when Russian, Israeli and American patriots unanimously blame "Chechen-Palestinean-Islamic" terrorists...<ref name="Usup"/>}}
*Commenting on the change of attitude of virtual masses in 1998-1999 authors evade any mention of the 1998 [[History of post-Soviet Russia#Financial collapse|Russian financial collapse]] which "crowned liberal decade", preferring to blame "mysterious bad guys or Big Brother" for that change.
{{Quotation|"''About 80% of authors at all web forums very aggressively and uniformly blame the USA''" as authors note, making a conclusion at the same time: "''at a moment amount of totalitarian opinions at Russian forums became 60%-80%''". Try to feel semantics of "extremal journalism" mindset and its logics of antithesises: either apology of Bush'es America while spitting on one's own country, either — totalitarian agentry. To illustrate "protective totalitarian" mindset, authors quote several malicious posts from masses of forum flapjaw: "''Security services existed in all times, all democratic states of the West had, have and will be having them.''" Or: "''FSB is the same security service like FBI in the USA or Mossad in Israel or Mi-6 in Great Britain''". And etc. I understand that I risk of being called "totalitarian", but quite honestly I'm having difficulties to recognize signs of totalitarianism in the above quotes. As authors continue, "''there are quite less real people with totalitarian views than one may consider after having a casual look on posts in any forum''". Here one can only sigh: would they look on [[VCIOM]] or [http://english.fom.ru/ FOM] opinion polls results, how Stalin's popularity doesn't diminish and even rises, how meaning and emotional connotations of the word "democrat" changed (from positive to negative), and would they seriously consider these tendencies of development of social consciousness...<ref name="Usup"/>}}
*Authors exclude from their interpretation of events all other hypotheses, such as internet activity of a group of some "skinheads", [[National Bolshevik Party|nazbol]]s or simply unliberal students; or hackers able to get IP addresses of their opponents.
*According to Yusupovskiy, authors treat "independence of public opinion" in spirit of irreconcilable antagonism with "positive image of Russia".<ref name="Usup"/>

Yusupovskiy finally commented on Polyanskaya's article:
{{Quotation|"We would never make our country's military organizations and security services work under the rule of law and legal control, if won't learn to recognize rationally and objectively their necessity and usefulness for the country, state, society and citizens. Sweeping defamation and intentional discreditation with the help of "arguments", which are obviously false, only contribute to the extrusion of security services outside of rule of law and instigates them to chaos".<ref name="Usup"/>}}

==2005 [[Inosmi.ru]] publishing an article from the [[Tygodnik Powszechny]] forum==
In 2005 Russian website [[Inosmi]] published a Russian translation of [[Marian Kaluski]]'s article "Let's talk sincerely about the Ukraine"<ref>Marian Kaluski, "Let's talk sincerely about the Ukraine", [http://www.inosmi.ru/translation/218092.html (in Russian)], [http://tygodnik2003-2007.onet.pl/1,104,8,9300638,27837575,1394577,0,forum.html (in Polish)]</ref>, pretending it was an article of the Polish newspaper [[Tygodnik Powszechny]], while actually the article was merely published at the forum of the newspaper. The article made rather tough points about the future of Polish-Ukrainean relationships.<ref name="kaluski">[http://www.inosmi.ru/translation/218744.html Open letter by Marian Kaluski], April 2005, (Russian translation)</ref><ref name="kaluski2">[http://web.archive.org/web/20050921165223/http://www.wirtualnapolonia.com/teksty.asp?TekstID=8697 Marian Kaluski's letter to Radio ZET], March 2005 (in Polish)</ref>

The event caused the uproar of the [[Tygodnik Powszechny]]'s staff, who called it a "disinformation operation". The same day, the network of the newspaper allegedly stopped working owing to "a mass hacking attack". The newspaper accused Russian officials:

{{Quotation|According to Polish specialists in Russian affairs, it was a model example of “the network war”, so to say “an electronic assault” on our communication system, without which none of newspapers can work. Or perhaps it was only a warning – an actual assault would simply blast our whole network.

It could have been also performed to probe the timing of a response, as experts tell us. Then, the Russian secret service made a test on us, the first such one in Poland. “The network war” has been being successfully employed in the area of former USSR countries, where the Internet plays a crucial role as the only independent source of information, free of official authority’s control (the web played such role during revolutions in Georgia as well as the Ukraine, and now – in Byelorussia).


:"We are losing in the Internet in that respect. It is always easier to break down things than to do something positive. What you are doing are jokes and minor infractions. Not only methods, but also goals must be radical. We must blow this romantics out of them [our opponents]. It is important not only to protect the authorities - this is understood, but we need to attract young people who can work creatively in the Internet. This is an important communication place of young people. Make them interested in conversations with you."<ref name="Surkov"/>
⚫
The same source claims that at least a dozen of active Russian agents work in Poland, also investigating Polish internet. Not only do they scrutinize polish websites (like those supporting Byelorussian opposition), but also perform such actions, as – for instance – contributing to internet forums on large portals (like Gazeta.pl, Onet.pl, WP.pl). Labelled as Polish Internet users, they incite anti-Semitic or anti-Ukrainian discussions or disavow articles published on the web.<ref name="Tygodnik"> [http://tygodnik.onet.pl/1547,1220890,dzial.html Operation "Disinformation" - The Russian Foreign Office vs "Tygodnik Powszechny"], [[Tygodnik Powszechny]], 13/2005</ref>}}


==Comments by Russian government official==
In April 2005 the author of the article in question, Marian Kaluski, published an open letter, confirming authorship of his article "Let's talk sincerely about the Ukraine", as well as reaffirming his right to make the point expressed in his article. He also criticised Polish media approach "aimed to discredit" his article.<ref name="kaluski"/><ref name="kaluski2"/>


⚫
Alexander Yusupovskiy, head of the analytical department of the [[Federation Council of Russia]] (Russian Parliament) published in 2003 an article "Conspiracy theory" in [[Russian Journal]] with criticism of theory of web brigades.<ref name="Usup"> [http://old.russ.ru/politics/20030426-yusup-pr.html Conspiracy theory], by Alexander Yusupovskiy, Russian Journal, 25 April 2003</ref>
==[[Grigory Svirsky]] short story "Anastasya"==
⚫
The alleged [[FSB (Russia)|FSB]] activities on the Internet have been described in the short story "Anastasya" by Russian writer Grigory Svirsky, who was interested in the moral aspects of their work.<ref name="Svirsky">" [[Grigory Svirsky]] [http://ca.geocities.com/grig1@rogers.com/anastasia.html ''Anastasya. A story on-line'' (Full text in Russian)]. [http://www.webcitation.org/5kmXJNd48 Archived] 2009-10-25.</ref> He wrote: "It seems that offending, betraying, or even "murdering" people in the virtual space is easy. This is like killing an enemy in a video game: one does not see a disfigured body or the eyes of the person who is dying right in front of you. However, the human soul lives by its own basic laws that force it to pay the price for the virtual crime in his real life".<ref name="Bagryansky"> {{Ru icon}} [http://www.library.cjes.ru/online/?a=con&b_id=318 ''Eye for an eye'']</ref>


==FSB site and double agents of foreign security services==
== agents ==
⚫
claims at least a dozen active Russian agents work in Poland, also investigating Polish . scrutinize websites (like those supporting opposition), also perform such actions, to forums on large portals (like Gazeta.pl, Onet.pl, WP.pl). as Polish Internet users, they incite anti-Semitic or anti-Ukrainian discussions or disavow articles published on the web.<ref name="Tygodnik"> [http://tygodnik.onet.pl/1547,1220890,dzial.html Operation "Disinformation" - The Russian Foreign Office vs "Tygodnik Powszechny"], [[Tygodnik Powszechny]], 13/2005</ref>
FSB has a website in the Internet, [http://fsb.ru FSB.Ru]. Among the other information, FSB publishes its "trust phone number", which may be used by "Russian citizens collaborating with foreign security services" to become double agents. In that case, "the fee received by such agents from the foreign security services would be fully secured, and they would work with the highest grade FSB employees. The anonymity and privacy are guaranteed." <ref name=fsbcon>[http://www.fsb.ru/fsb/supplement.htm FSB contacts] (in Russian)</ref><ref>[http://www.fsb.ru/fsb/smi/overview/single.htm%21id%3D10342461%40fsbSmi.html FSB listens...] (in Russian)</ref>


==In popular culture==
According to the Law 275 of the Russian Criminal Code ("High Treason"), "''A person who has committed crimes stipulated in this Article... shall be relieved from criminal responsibility if he has facilitated the prevention of further damage to the interests of the Russian Federation by informing the governmental authorities of his own free will and in due time, or in any other way, if his actions contain no other corpus delicti.''" <ref name=fsbcon/><ref>[http://www.russian-criminal-code.com/PartII/SectionX/Chapter29.html The Criminal Code Of The Russian Federation] (in English)</ref>
⚫
The alleged [[FSB (Russia)|FSB]] activities on the Internet have been described in the short story "Anastasya" by Russian writer Grigory Svirsky, who was interested in the moral aspects of their work.<ref name="Svirsky>" [[Grigory Svirsky]] [http://ca.geocities.com/grig1@rogers.com/anastasia.html ''Anastasya. A story on-line'' (Full text in Russian)]</ref> He wrote: "It seems that offending, betraying, or even "murdering" people in the virtual space is easy. This is like killing an enemy in a video game: one does not see a disfigured body or the eyes of the person who is dying right in front of you. However, the human soul lives by its own basic laws that force it to pay the price for the virtual crime in his real life".<ref name="Bagryansky"> {{ icon}} [http://www.library.cjes.ru/online/?a=con&b_id=318 ''Eye for an eye'']</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 118: Line 86:
*[[Astroturfing]]
*[[Astroturfing]]
*[[Web brigades]]
*[[Web brigades]]
*[[50 Cent Party]]
*[[]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{}}


[[Category:Cyberspace]]
[[Category:Cyberspace]]

Revision as of 20:01, 23 February 2010

It has been claimed that Internet operations by Russian secret police services include a variety of "active measures" to influence the world events, including denial of service attacks, hacker attacks, dissemination of disinformation over the internet, participation of state-sponsored teams in political blogs, internet surveillance using SORM technology, and persecution of cyber-dissidents. According to investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov [1], some of these activities are coordinated by the Russian signals intelligence, which is currently a part of the FSB but has been formerly a part of 16th KGB department, but others are directed by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to a publication in Russian computer weekly Computerra, the involvement of Russian security services in such activities, especially in Russian wikipedia, almost certainly takes place, although "this is not even interesting — everyone knows perfectly well that security bodies have a special place in structure of our [Russian] state" [2]

Disinformation

US author Pete Earley described his interviews with former senior Russian intelligence officer Sergei Tretyakov who defected in the United States in 2000. According to him,

Sergei would send an officer to a branch of New York Public Library where he could get access to the Internet without anyone knowing his identity. The officer would post the propaganda on various websites and send it in emails to US publications and broadcasters. Some propaganda would be disguised as educational or scientific reports. ... The studies had been generated at the Center) by Russian experts. The reports would be 99% accurate but would always contain a kernel of disinformation that favored Russian foreign policy. ... "Our goal was to cause dissension and unrest inside the US and anti-American feelings abroad" [3]

.

Tretyakov did not specify the targeted web sites, but made clear they selected the sites which are most convenient for distributing the specific disinformation. During his work in New York in the end of 1990s, one of the most frequent disinformation subjects was War in Chechnya.

According to Soldatov, the group of people, who claimed they are GRU employees, published information on military progress of the US invasion of Iraq on a web-site publishing news about the campaign.[1]

Cyberattacs

Main article: 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia
Main article: Cyberattacks during the 2008 South Ossetia war

It has been claimed that Russian security services organized a number of denial of service attacks as a part of their Cyber-warfare against other countries[4], most notably 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia and 2008 cyberattacks on Russia, South Ossetia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan [4]. One of young Russian hackers said that he was paid by the Russian state security services to lead the hacker attacks on NATO computers. He was majoring computer sciences at the Department of the Defense of Information. His tuition was paid by the FSB[5]

At the same time, speaking of 2007 cyberattacks, Estonia's defence minister Jaak Aaviksoo admitted he does not possess evidence of Russian involvement in cyberattacks.[6]

As to the 2008 cyberattacks on Georgia, an independent US-based research institute US Cyber Consequences Unit report stated the attacks had "little or no direct involvement from the Russian government or military". According to the institute's conclusions, some severalattacks were carried from PCs of multiple users, located in Russia, Ukraine and Latvia. These people were willingly participating in cyberwarfare, being Russia supporters during 2008 South Ossetia war. Some attacks also used botnets. [7][8]

According to Soldatov, a hacker attack on his web site Agentura was apparently directed by the secret services in the middle of Moscow theater hostage crisis[1].

Discussion on control over the Internet

In 2006 radio talk show hosted by Yevgenia Albats with a topic "Control over the Internet: How does that happen?", Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov made the following points[9]:

  • There are countries with greater or less control over the Internet; but there is control over the Internet in Russia;
  • During the US invasion of Iraq, a group of people calling themselves GRU officers published allegedly internal GRU information on American losses in Iraq — this information was shown on the background of Anti-american hysteria and was well consumed. Later it turned out this information was not credible, but this effectively didn't change the result;
  • After 2005 Nalchik raid Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that Kavkaz Center "is a very bad resource", and after two days two teams calling themselves hackers appeared, to arrange hacker attacks against Kavkaz Center;
  • Soldatov doesn't think web brigades are fiction. He had related issues with his own site, especially during such events like Moscow theater hostage crisis;
  • One of structures having related business with the Internet is signals intelligence, which is currently a part of the FSB and has been formerly a part of 16th KGB department;
  • There is a related agency in Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs with competent people who can do such things. [9]

Persecution of cyber-dissidents by the FSB

  • When Russian president Vladimir Putin called on his nation's women to have more children, journalist Vladimir Rakhmankov published a satiric article on the Internet calling Putin "the nation's phallic symbol". Rakhmankov was found guilty of offending Vladimir Putin and fined by the court to the sum of 20,000 roubles (about 680 USD).[10][11][12][13][14] Rakhmanov didn't plead guilty; actions of prosecutors lead a number of Russian and international newspapers to republish Rakhmanov's article. FSB wasn't involved in Rakhmanov's case. [10]
  • Journalist Boris Stomakhin was convicted in 2006 to five years of prison on charges of inciting national and religious hatred in his monthly bulletin "Radical Politics". [15] FSB wasn't involved in Stomakhin's case. [15]
  • Director of Russian-Chechen Friendship Society Stanislav Dmitrievsky received in 2006 a suspended two-year sentence for publishing articles of Aslan Maskhadov and Akhmed Zakayev in his newspaper "Pravo-zaschita". [16] [17] [18] FSB wasn't involved in Dmitrievsky's case. [18]

Disruption of political blogs

Main article: web brigades

The appearance of Russian state security teams in RuNet was described in 2003 by journalist Anna Polyanskaya [19] (a former assistant to assassinated Russian politician Galina Starovoitova[20]), historian Andrey Krivov and political activist Ivan Lomako. They claimed the appearance of organized and fairly professional "brigades", composed of ideologically and methodologically identical personalities, who were working in practically every popular liberal and pro-democracy Internet forums and Internet newspapers of RuNet.[21].

Behavior

According to Polyanskaya and her colleagues, the behavior of people from the Internet brigades has distinct features, some of which are the following:[21] [22]

Tactics

  • Individual work on opponents. "As soon as an opposition-minded liberal arrives on a forum, expressing a position that makes them a clear "ideological enemy”, he is immediately cornered and subjected to “active measures” by the unified web-brigade. Without provocation, the opponent is piled on with abuse or vicious “arguments” of the sort that the average person cannot adequately react to. As a result, the liberal either answers sharply, causing a scandal and getting himself labeled a “boor” by the rest of the brigade, or else he starts to make arguments against the obvious absurdities, to which his opponents pay no attention, but simply ridicule him and put forth other similar arguments."[21]
  • Accusations that opponents are working for “enemies”. The opponents are accused of taking money from Berezovskiy, the CIA, the MOSSAD, Saudi Arabia, the Zionists, or the Chechen rebels.
  • Making personally offensive comments, especially of sexual nature.
  • Remarkable ability to reveal personal information about their opponents and their quotes from old postings, sometimes more than a year old.
  • Teamwork. "They unwaveringly support each other in discussions, ask each other leading questions, put fine points on each other’s answers, and even pretend not to know each other. If an opponent starts to be hounded, this hounding invariably becomes a team effort, involving all of the three to twenty nicknames that invariably are present on any political forum 24 hours a day."[21]
  • Appealing to the Administration. The members of teams often "write mass collective complaints about their opponents to the editors, site administrators, or the electronic “complaints book”, demanding that one or another posting or whole discussion thread they don’t like be removed, or calling for the banning of individuals they find problematic."[21]
  • Destruction of inconvenient forums. For example, on the site of the Moscow News, all critics of Putin and the FSB "were suddenly and without any explanation banned from all discussions, despite their having broken none of the site’s rules of conduct. All the postings of this group of readers, going back a year and a half, were erased by the site administrator."[21]

"LiveJournal fighters"

A member of National Bolshevik Party Roman Sadykhov reported about "LiveJournal fighters", directed and paid from the Kremlin and instructions given to them by Vladislav Surkov, a close aide of Vladimir Putin [23] Surkov allegedly called Livejournal "a very important sector of work" [24] and said that people's brains must be "nationalized" . He instructed "LiveJournal fighters" that

"We are losing in the Internet in that respect. It is always easier to break down things than to do something positive. What you are doing are jokes and minor infractions. Not only methods, but also goals must be radical. We must blow this romantics out of them [our opponents]. It is important not only to protect the authorities - this is understood, but we need to attract young people who can work creatively in the Internet. This is an important communication place of young people. Make them interested in conversations with you."[24]

Comments by Russian government official

Alexander Yusupovskiy, head of the analytical department of the Federation Council of Russia (Russian Parliament) published in 2003 an article "Conspiracy theory" in Russian Journal with criticism of theory of web brigades. [25]

Russian agents in Polish web sites

According to claims of unnamed "Polish experts on Russian affairs", reported by the Polish newspaper Tygodnik Powszechny in 2005, at least a dozen active Russian agents work in Poland, also investigating the Polish Internet. The source also claims that the agents scrutinize Polish websites (like those supporting Belarusian opposition), and also perform such actions, as—for instance—contributing to Internet forums on large portals (like Gazeta.pl, Onet.pl, WP.pl). Labeled as Polish Internet users, they incite anti-Semitic or anti-Ukrainian discussions or disavow articles published on the web, according to the source.[26]

In popular culture

The alleged FSB activities on the Internet have been described in the short story "Anastasya" by Russian writer Grigory Svirsky, who was interested in the moral aspects of their work.[27] He wrote: "It seems that offending, betraying, or even "murdering" people in the virtual space is easy. This is like killing an enemy in a video game: one does not see a disfigured body or the eyes of the person who is dying right in front of you. However, the human soul lives by its own basic laws that force it to pay the price for the virtual crime in his real life".[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c State control over the internet, a talk show by Yevgenia Albats at the Echo of Moscow, January 22, 2006; interview with Andrei Soldatov and others
  2. ^ Is there only one truth? by Kivy Bird, Computerra, 26 November 2008
  3. ^ Pete Earley, "Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America After the End of the Cold War", Penguin Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-399-15439-3, pages 194-195
  4. ^ Cyberspace and the changing nature of warfare. Strategists must be aware that part of every political and military conflict will take place on the internet, says Kenneth Geers.
  5. ^ Andrew Meier, Black Earth. W.W. Norton & Company, 2003, ISBN 0-393-05178-1, pages 15-16.
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ [2]
  8. ^ [3]
  9. ^ a b Control over the Internet: how does that happen?, a talk show by Yevgenia Albats at the Echo of Moscow, January 22, 2006; interview with Andrei Soldatov and others
  10. ^ a b Court estimated 'phallic symbol' to the sum of 20,000 roubles, by Kommersant
  11. ^ "GLASNOST DEFENSE FOUNDATION'S DIGEST No. 298". 2006-09-26. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Russia: 'Phallic' Case Threatens Internet Freedom
  13. ^ U.S. Media Watchdog Criticizes Russia
  14. ^ Media freedom watchdog condemns conviction of journalist in Russia
  15. ^ a b Boris Stomakhin -- victim of the regime or extremist, Svoboda News
  16. ^ Russia: Activist’s Conviction Hurts Freedom of Expression statement by Human Rights Watch
  17. ^ KAVKAZ-CENTER WRITER APPEALS JAIL SENTENCE - by Jamestown Foundation
  18. ^ a b Dmitrievsky considers court decision political, Kavkaz Uzel
  19. ^ Articles by Anna Polyanskaya, MAOF publishing group
  20. ^ Template:Ru icon "They are killing Galina Starovoitova for the second time", by Anna Polyanskaya
  21. ^ a b c d e f Commissars of the Internet. The FSB at the Computer by Anna Polyanskaya, Andrei Krivov, and Ivan Lomko, Vestnik online, April 30, 2003 (English translation)
  22. ^ The Kremlin's virtual squad, Anna Polyanskaya Andrei Krivov, Ivan Lomko, 19 - 03 - 2009, openDemocracy.net
  23. ^ Template:Ru icon Interview with Roman Sadykhov, grani.ru, 3 April, 2007
  24. ^ a b Military wing of Kremlin (Russian), The New Times, 19 March, 2007
  25. ^ Conspiracy theory, by Alexander Yusupovskiy, Russian Journal, 25 April, 2003
  26. ^ Operation "Disinformation" - The Russian Foreign Office vs "Tygodnik Powszechny", Tygodnik Powszechny, 13/2005
  27. ^ " Grigory Svirsky Anastasya. A story on-line (Full text in Russian)
  28. ^ Template:Ru icon Eye for an eye
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