Russian “Tourist” Detained in Argentina Over Alleged Kremlin Disinformation Network
cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51662369
> Argentine authorities have detained 26-year-old Russian citizen Dmitry Novikov, identified as the leader of a Russian intelligence-controlled disinformation network operating across Latin America, according to the Agentstvo investigative outlet and Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation on May 6.
>
> Argentina's State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) confirmed the detention after Novikov submitted false information upon entry, El Periodico reported via Agentstvo.
>
> ...
>
> Argentine Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva told reporters that Novikov entered the country as a tourist but had arrived to "destabilize and infringe on our institutions."
>
> Novikov was born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and received both his Russian passports in the Moscow region, in 2019 and 2022. Over the past two years, he has repeatedly traveled across Latin America, including to Chile, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama, and Brazil.
>
> ...
>
> The detention marks the second major Argentine action against Russian covert operations in less than a year. In June 2025, Buenos Aires exposed a Kremlin-linked network built around the same "La Compañía" structure and tied to Project Lakhta, Prigozhin's umbrella disinformation operation previously sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for foreign election interference.
>
> ...
> Argentine authorities have detained 26-year-old Russian citizen Dmitry Novikov, identified as the leader of a Russian intelligence-controlled disinformation network operating across Latin America, according to the Agentstvo investigative outlet and Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation on May 6.
>
> Argentina's State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) confirmed the detention after Novikov submitted false information upon entry, El Periodico reported via Agentstvo.
>
> ...
>
> Argentine Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva told reporters that Novikov entered the country as a tourist but had arrived to "destabilize and infringe on our institutions."
>
> Novikov was born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and received both his Russian passports in the Moscow region, in 2019 and 2022. Over the past two years, he has repeatedly traveled across Latin America, including to Chile, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama, and Brazil.
>
> ...
>
> The detention marks the second major Argentine action against Russian covert operations in less than a year. In June 2025, Buenos Aires exposed a Kremlin-linked network built around the same "La Compañía" structure and tied to Project Lakhta, Prigozhin's umbrella disinformation operation previously sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for foreign election interference.
>
> ...