A Bugatti car, a first lady and the fake stories aimed at Americans

A network of Russia-based websites is pretending to be local American newspapers and spreading fake stories as part of an AI-powered operation targeting the US election. A former Florida police officer who relocated to Moscow is one of the key figures behind this operation. One of the fake stories claimed that Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, bought a rare Bugatti sports car for 4. 5 million euros using American military aid money. This story was quickly debunked, but not before it went viral. Influencers and social media users spread the story widely. The BBC found that this operation is now focusing on American voters. Many fake stories are aimed at influencing US voters and creating distrust before the November election. Some stories have been ignored, but others have been shared by influencers and even members of Congress. The fake stories often mix American and Ukrainian political issues. For example, one story claimed that the FBI illegally wiretapped Donald Trump's Florida resort. This played into Trump's claims that the legal system is against him. Experts say this operation is part of a larger effort from Moscow to spread disinformation during the US election campaign. While there is no hard evidence that these websites are run by the Russian state, researchers say the scale and sophistication of the operation are similar to previous Kremlin-backed efforts. The operation uses AI to generate thousands of news articles, posted on dozens of sites with American-sounding names like Houston Post and Chicago Crier. Some of these sites use the names of real newspapers that went out of business years ago. Most of the stories are not outright fakes but are based on real news stories rewritten by AI software. The stories are attributed to fake journalists with made-up names and profile pictures taken from the internet. The operation also creates YouTube videos featuring people who claim to be whistleblowers or independent journalists. These videos are often narrated by actors or AI-generated voices. The videos are quoted as sources in the fake news stories. The operation has registered at least 120 websites over just three days in May. Other experts have also been tracking the network and have counted at least 170 sites connected to the operation. One of the key people involved is John Mark Dougan, a former US Marine and police officer. He fled to Moscow in 2016 after the FBI raided his apartment. He has since written books, reported from occupied parts of Ukraine, and appeared on Russian TV. Dougan denies being involved with the websites but has bragged about spreading fake news. He has also implied that his activities are a form of revenge against American authorities. The operation has shifted its focus from stories about the war in Ukraine to stories about American and British politics. Experts say the volume of content and the increasing sophistication of Russia-based efforts could pose a significant problem in the run-up to the November election. The operation is also attempting to spread stories about UK politics and the Paris Olympics. One fake story claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bought a mansion owned by King Charles III. This story was shared by an official Russian embassy account. Despite increased attention on his activities, Dougan hinted at even bigger plans, saying, 'The game is being upped.