Authorities detain curator of Russian disinformation network in Argentina

Russian citizen Dmitry Novikov, one of the leaders of the extensive Russian influence network La Compañía, was arrested for activities targeting state institutions and the government of President Javier Milei.

According to Ukrinform, the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council reported this on Telegram.

"The Argentine government announced the detention of Russian citizen Dmitry Novikov. He is one of the leaders of the extensive Russian influence network La Compañía, which operated against Argentine institutions and the government of President Javier Milei," the statement said.

The report notes that the La Compañía network, also known as "Lakhta," is coordinated by Russian intelligence services and had links to the Wagner Group. Argentina's Security Minister, Alejandra Monteoliva, described Novikov as "a threat to the democratic order" who "came to destabilize and undermine the country's institutions."

Investigators established that the Russian network systematically attempted to discredit Javier Milei because of his open support for Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelensky. In particular, hostile bot farms spread manipulative narratives claiming that solidarity with Ukraine was "following Washington's orders" and a financial burden on Argentine taxpayers.

The Center for Countering Disinformation emphasized that the incident confirms the Kremlin's intention to expand its information warfare to all regions of the world where governments demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, using shadow structures and manipulation of public opinion.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, the legislature of Buenos Aires earlier hosted a large solidarity event with Ukraine marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.