BIS head: Russian agent paid selected journalists to spread Kremlin propaganda

A Russian agent operating in Czechia paid selected journalists several thousand euros to secure the spread of Russian propaganda in this country, Michal Koudelka, head of the counter-intelligence service BIS said at conference on disinformation in the Czech lower house of Parliament on Monday. Mr. Koudelka said that even before the war in Ukraine the agent in question paid for pro-Russian articles and financed trips abroad. The counter-intelligence service also registered efforts on the part of Russian agents to establish ties with the leaders of anti-government demonstrations in Czechia. At the same time, the head of the BIS said that the impact of this disinformation campaign on the population was less effective than expected.