What the Mueller Report Tells Us About Russian Influence Operations
The redacted
Special Counsel report released this morning confirms that the Russian government, through various proxies, carried out a multi-pronged campaign against the United States before, during, and after the 2016 election. That campaign involved three distinct elements:
- A social media influence and infiltration operation led by the Internet Research Agency (IRA);
- A cyber hacking operation carried out by the Russian military intelligence (GRU); and
- An infiltration operation of the Trump campaign.
The report describes in stunning detail the inner workings of the full Russian operation. To date, the report is the most comprehensive account (in addition to the previously released
indictment of IRA and GRU operatives) of how the Russian operation evolved over time, how successful it was in targeting and duping Americans, and the Kremlin’s motivation.