The UK government has sanctioned six Russian agencies and individuals involved in spreading false rumors about the Princess of Wales through a Russian disinformation network known as the Doppelganger group.
According to the BBC, the network has been accused of launching a smear campaign around Princess Kate Middleton during her health-related absence from the public eye, as part of a broader effort to destabilize European support for Ukraine.
The Doppelganger group reportedly seized on the temporary absence of the Princess of Wales, who had announced a cancer diagnosis in the spring and completed chemotherapy in September.
Using fake news sites, the group spread rumors and conspiracy theories, trying to incite social media users with fabricated claims.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the disinformation network’s actions, saying, “Putin is so desperate to undermine European support for Ukraine he is now resorting to clumsy, ineffective efforts to try and stoke unrest.”
The Doppelganger group is known for creating counterfeit news sites that imitate legitimate outlets, manipulating the public by spreading misinformation.
The operation, led by the Russian Agency for Social Design and directed by Ilya Gambashidze, was exposed in an investigation by Radio Svoboda and European media. Gambashidze’s agency, in particular, is charged with spreading anti-Ukraine propaganda and sowing division across Europe.
Targeted Sanctions by the UK Government
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office identified the following individuals and groups involved in the disinformation campaign, now subject to sanctions:
Social Design Agency
Structura National Technologies
Ano Dialog
Ilya Andreevich Gambashidze
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tupikin
Andrey Naumovich Perla
These sanctions join ongoing efforts by the UK to combat Russian attempts to disrupt European stability and shift public opinion on Ukraine. In recent months, Russian disinformation campaigns have gained attention for attempting to disrupt elections and spread chaos through sabotage and arson, warned MI5 Director Ken McCallum.
