I am keen to learn about Russian Web Brigades, better known as Russian bots. The Russian bot factory, officially known as the Internet Research Agency, was charged by the US Department of Justice with interfering in the 2016 US federal election. There is concern that the 2024 US presidential election will be similarly targeted by foreign interests seeking to influence the presidential election outcome.

The Russian bot factories are pumping out disinformation at a prestigious rate, sometimes you really have to look hard to see if these are real accounts. Unlike the Chinese Wuamo who pay public servants to flood social media accounts with intentional disinformation to undermine democracy, the bot factories are automated. The bot factories have been set up with Kremlin funds and no doubt technology to distance themselves from official government channels.

So how much money has been funnelled to Yevgeny Prigozen and his backers to set up, and orchestrate a Kremlin funded disinformation campaign? Based in St Petersburg, the Kremlin organised and funded Prigozen’s unlawful activities. The Kremlin turned Yevgeny Prigozen into a billionaire, he has vast wealth and influence in not just Russia, eastern Europe and Africa.

Now Prigozen is gone, government agencies are a little unsure how the bot factories will operate. Kremlin trolls have infiltrated social media sites, why would anyone with any sense argue with these automated responses? Surely, no rational person would be influenced by such propagandists – yet many are. So one could argue Russian trolls are successful, their simplistic arguments are supported by disaffected individuals who lack the critical thinking skills to distinguish between Russian propaganda and fact.

So, what do we expect from Kremlin funded disinformation sources? Well, apart from the standard moon landing deniers, vaccine dodging patriots and Washington election denial rioters, there is only the US constitution standing in the way. Russian interests clearly support the Republican party and Donald Trump over the Democrats and Joe Biden. The Democrats have shown they will not tolerate Russian aggression in Ukraine and whilst they have been slow to provide the weapons for Ukraine to win the war, they have eventually provided support.

What the Republicans have done at every opportunity is block every initiative and play domestic politics. This has been the Republican stance, they have been unable to distinguish between domestic politics and strategic outcomes. The Trump Administration set the scene for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that the Biden Administration inherited. The Republicans, if elected, seek to sell out a democratic nation to Putin’s imperial moves. I would suggest further European nations are at risk from a revitalised Russian dictatorship.