Dugin and Dougan, &Co

Of the various Russian intelligence agencies, there is an interesting one—especially for readers of the  Charlemagne Files—that is named by a number. It is part of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the military intelligence agency which, despite a name change, is still known as the GRU.

Unit 29155 of that organization handles sabotage, assassination, and deception operations against Western countries.

Among the operations this unit can take credit for are the attempted assassination by Novichok poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in 2018 and the 2014 ammunition depot explosion in the Czech Republic.

These guys are in the news again today, this time for a disinformation op they are running against us. Propaganda is an essential tactic in the hybrid war Russia is conducting against the West. (More on hybrid warfare later.)

The Washington Post reports that Unit 29155 is paying an American, John Mark Dougan, to create a series of AI-generated fake videos targeting Democratic candidates. One of Dougan's most popular social media posts is a recent viral deep-fake video targeting vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. It is only one of many well-executed deceptions created by Dougan and financed by Russia to deceive the American public.

The man giving the benefit of his cultural expertise to a unit of   Russian spooks is a Marine Corps veteran and former Palm Beach County sheriff who fled to Russia after leaving the US under a cloud of accusations that resulted in more than ten internal investigations and a judgment for damages in a civil suit.

Besides his GRU income, Dougan ironically is also paid by a Russian with a homophonic name: Alexander Dugin. This Dugin is a political philosopher popular among white supremacists and other right wing extremists. He advocates a Eurasian empire in which Russia re-establishes hegemony from Vladivostok to Europe, a popular item on the Kremlin's to-do list.

The Washington Post reviewed 150 documents to follow the money. Of course, when there is an intelligence connection, money speaks volumes. The creation of fake news to benefit the candidate who actually popularized the term is yet another fascinating  intel op. How effective it will be in the end remains to be seen. Word is, Dougan is now busy creating more deep fakes specifically to cast doubt on the election count.

Peaceful transfer of power is a strength we have that is historically absent in Russia. They'd like to see us lose it. Even if their campaign enters history labelled attempted, lots of D-words will result: disinformation, destabilization, death. It doesn't have to be true or entirely successful in order to produce all three outcomes.

The philosophical underpinning of his Eurasian ambition was summed up succinctly by Alexander Dugin in 2014 prior to the Russian land grab in Ukraine: "I think kill, kill and kill. No more talk anymore."