A sprawling investigation has uncovered a tangled web of fabricated identities, far-right activists, and alleged intelligence links fueling a pro-Moscow disinformation campaign across Europe.
At the center of this network is a German-language website called Anonymous News, which presents itself as an independent outlet but has been spreading false narratives targeting Western leaders and Ukraine’s allies. The site’s operations stretch from a remote Bulgarian village to the headquarters of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow.
A Fictitious Journalist Returns
The story begins with a peculiar revival. A name from East German Cold War propaganda—Achim Detjen, the fictional hero of a Stasi television drama—has reappeared as a byline on Anonymous News. In February, an article under this pseudonym falsely suggested French President Emmanuel Macron was linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite no evidence in the recently released U.S. Justice Department files.
The false narrative quickly spread through a network of cloned websites, fabricated articles, and social media accounts, eventually traced to a Russian military intelligence unit known as Storm-1516, which French authorities have tied to the GRU.
The Architect: From Far-Right Activist to Moscow Propagandist
The driving force behind Anonymous News appears to be Mario Rönsch, a German with a long history in far-right circles. In October, Rönsch launched a YouTube channel from Moscow, filming himself in front of the Kremlin and declaring his commitment to delivering “authentic, uncensored” portrayals of Russia.
Rönsch’s background includes speaking at anti-establishment rallies in 2014, running a Facebook group that amassed two million followers before being deleted, and—most strikingly—conviction for firearms trafficking. In 2018, he was sentenced to nearly three years in prison for selling weapons through an online shop called “Migrantenschreck,” but was released on parole in 2020.
Within months of his release, Anonymous News reappeared online, using the same Russian hosting infrastructure as its predecessor. Rönsch also registered a consulting firm in Russia in 2024 and has been traveling in the country since late 2023.
A Proxy and an Alleged FSB Link
The investigation’s financial trail led to an unexpected figure: Ivelin Borisov, a 56-year-old Bulgarian living in a dilapidated house in a remote village. Borisov told reporters he was paid 200 or 300 euros to sign papers in the Czech Republic but had no knowledge of the media company registered in his name, which collects reader donations through PayPal.
A Czech woman who facilitated the company’s setup confirmed a German man she knew only as Mario was behind it.
The dissemination network also points to Moscow. A Telegram account, Corob_12, was found to be registered to Alexey Bashilov, a Russian man whose phone contacts included numbers linked to the FSB’s headquarters and its Center for Information Protection and Special Communications. Bashilov’s channel, Woland’s Notes, has only about 5,200 subscribers but its content is regularly shared by high-profile Kremlin propagandists and lawmakers.
After journalists contacted Bashilov, his Telegram account was deleted, and Woland’s Notes stopped posting.
A Wider Threat
Experts caution that Anonymous News is just one node in a vast ecosystem of pro-Russian influence operations that have intensified since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While the site attracts around 100,000 monthly visitors, its real impact lies in gradually eroding trust in mainstream media and democratic institutions.
German disinformation specialist Katarina Bader warned that even if readers don’t fully believe the false claims, regular exposure can lead them to view all information as potentially manipulated. This slow erosion of public confidence, she said, is the ultimate goal.