A major Russian influence operation, dubbed “Operation Undercut,” has been discovered running since December 2023. Led by the U.S.-sanctioned Social Design Agency (SDA) in Moscow, this sophisticated campaign employs AI-enhanced content and fake news websites to undermine Western support for Ukraine.

The operation utilizes over 500 social media accounts across multiple platforms, targeting audiences in Ukraine, Europe, and the United States. By impersonating legitimate news sources and leveraging AI-generated content, the campaign focuses on controversial topics including the 2024 U.S. elections, Israel-Gaza conflict, and Ukrainian leadership.

In a parallel development, the Russian threat group APT28 (GruesomeLarch) demonstrated advanced cyber capabilities through a “nearest neighbor attack” in February 2022. This novel approach involved breaching a U.S. organization by first compromising a nearby building’s Wi-Fi network. The attackers used password spraying techniques to obtain wireless credentials and bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA), ultimately seeking Ukraine-related data.

These coordinated efforts reveal Russia’s evolving cyber warfare capabilities, combining sophisticated social engineering with technical exploitation. The attacks highlight critical security implications, emphasizing the need for enhanced MFA protocols and comprehensive security measures that extend beyond traditional network boundaries.