Head of SVR disinformation network in Latin America detained in Argentina

The Argentine State Intelligence Secretariat announced Novikov's detention. The reason for this was the Russian's provision of false data upon entering the country. Novikov was detained in a suburb of Buenos Aires, reports Agentstvo.

Argentina's Minister of National Security, Alexandra Monteoliva, clarified that the detainee — "the leader of a Russian disinformation network" — entered the country disguised as a tourist, but came "to engage in destabilization and undermine our institutions".

In September, Novikov was already detained for a similar reason in the Dominican Republic, where he had likely lived for the past few years. According to the Argentine intelligence report, Novikov was deported from the Dominican Republic due to his involvement in disinformation activities related to interference in the affairs of several countries.

Argentine intelligence uncovered Novikov's connection to structures that could be involved in disinformation in Argentina, leading to preventive intervention by local state security agencies.

According to El Periodico, after his appeal is reviewed, Novikov may be sent to Russia.

26-year-old Dmitry Novikov was born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. However, he received both of his passports in the Moscow region (in Moscow in 2019, and in the Moscow Oblast in 2022).

Facial recognition services found photos of Novikov on the website of a travel agency from the Dominican Republic. According to leaks, Novikov flew to this country at least in 2019.

According to El Periodico, over the past two years, Novikov has repeatedly visited various Latin American countries, including Chile, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama, and Brazil. Novikov last entered Argentina on April 12, flying from Istanbul.

Novikov headed a structure controlled by Russian special services called 'Kompaniya' (La Compañía), which for years disseminated disinformation in Latin America, including about the current president of Argentina, Javier Milei, El Periodico writes.

'Kompaniya' is a propaganda network, originally created by Yevgeny Prigozhin, and later came under the direct control of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), investigative project Forbidden Stories reported.

Previously, the network actively operated in Africa, but in 2024, it expanded its operations to Latin America, particularly Argentina.

This is not the first instance in the past year that Argentine authorities have thwarted Russia's covert disinformation operations in Latin America. Last summer, they reported having uncovered a Russian spy network whose goal was "to form a group of individuals to conduct disinformation campaigns and operations against the Argentine state".

The statement noted that an organization called 'Kompaniya', allegedly financed by the Kremlin, was linked to the 'Lakhta' project. The 'Lakhta' project was described as an umbrella organization created by Yevgeny Prigozhin to spread Russian influence abroad through social media manipulation. The project was accused of interfering in electoral campaigns abroad.

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