John Dougan's "Cuban" connection to Valery Korovin and CGE
Introduction
What is Storm-1516?
Storm-1516 is a temporary name designated by Microsoft to the persistent actor, which has emerged in late 2023 and specializes in disinformation campaigns aligned with the interests of the Russian regime. Their modus operandi was nicely laid out in a recent NBC publication and NewsGuard published a great piece on John Dougan’s integral role in the group operations.
Campaigns often target Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy [1] [2] [3], western countries during election cycle (for example, France and Germany) and other occasions (such as 2024 Paris Olympics), a lot of resources were dedicated for the 2024 U.S. presidential election [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
Additionally, there was a series of disinformation attacks against Alexei Navalny team and family during the several weeks before and after Alexei Navalny was killed inside IK-3 Kharp prison in Russia: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. This was the moment when this group caught our attention.
Storm-1516 behind the scenes
When we posted a while ago a question about John Dougan's connection to the Russian Fidel Castro Foundation beyond administering their website, we did not expect that it would become the key to connect some of the people behind Storm-1516 disinformation operations.
One of the most important pieces to uncover behind the scenes workings of Storm-1516 campaigns was publication by Catherine Belton in The Washington Post. Prior to this publication, our team was really sceptical about CGE and Korovin involvement.
Specifically, the publication lays out that they have reviewed more than 150 documents, which point to the several people to whom Dougan might be reporting:
Valery Korovin, a director of the Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) - subsidizing and directing Dougan
Yury Khoroshenky (also known as Khoroshevsky) - a GRU liason to Dougan and Korovin
The documents show payments directly from Khoroshenky to Dougan’s bank account in Moscow starting in April 2022 and frequent meetings between Khoroshenky, Dougan and Korovin.
Following the publication, Dougan went to the Russian TV in attempt to deny allegations, but, unsurprisingly, no specific names were discussed.
On December 31, 2024, U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned CGE and Korovin in relation to their election interference attempts with a broad terms reiteration of their operations, not mentioning Dougan or other people involved.
It also mentions that CGE received funding by GRU to “maintain a network of at least 100 websites used in its disinformation operations”, which almost certainly appears to be “Magastan” (or “CopyCop” per Recorded Future) network, previously covered by our team. And to “build and maintain its AI-support server”, which indicates that the group might be using open source LLM model hosted on their own server in Russia, rather than commercially available ones.
John Dougan’s “Cuban” connection
As it was mentioned in our tweet, John Dougan appears to be administering foundation's website, but the nature of this connection was not apparent.
Foundation annual meetings
One of the first things our team has discovered is the records of annual meetings, which gave us a lot of information.
2022 annual meeting
Meeting report provides a lot of useful information: first, it provides a good look around the interior.
Secondly, it mentions foundation founders by names, most of whom we can can categorize into the following groups:
people who built their career around Cuba, and board members of the Russian-Cuban Friendship Society [1] [2]
Mikhail Makaruk, first vice-president of the Russian-Cuban Friendship Society
Nikolai Manuilov, vice-president of the Russian-Cuban Friendship Society
Elena Lozhkina, vice-president of the Russian-Cuban Friendship Society
Viktor Avdeev, member of the board of the Russian-Cuban Friendship Society, SVR veteran
people related to Alexandr Dugin projects
Leonid Savin, foundation’s director, editor in chief for geopolitika.ru
Valery Korovin, director of the Center for Geopolitical Expertise
Natalya Makeeva, Korovin's right hand
Sofya Metelkina, formerly author for geopolitika.ru, currently for Tsargrad, also mentioned as Alexandr Dugin's assistant.
Alexei Kiristaev (as foundation's auditor)
"independent"
Nikolai Yatsunov, one of the founders of "venceremos" society
2023 annual meeting
Same place, mostly the same people, report doesn’t mention anything useful
2024 annual meeting
At first glance, this is a yet another annual meeting of the Castro Foundation stakeholders, among whom is Leonid Savin, the foundation's director; Valery Korovin and Natalya Makeeva, Korovin's right hand, Kiristaev seems to have grown a beard.
But in the background you might find something familiar: what seems to be a The Washington Post page with the article depicting John Dougan activities and connections with Korovin in CGE.
Foundation's presentation party
Dougan was present at the foundation's presentation party in 2021 and was photographed together with Korovin:
A book "Российско-кубинские отношения в свете становления многополярного мира"
A book, which was presented by the Castro Foundation in 2023 surprisingly contains articles from John Dougan, Leonid Savin, Alexandr Dugin and Valery Korovin among others.
Who is Alexei Kiristaev?
If you google Alexei Kiristaev, you might find a pleasant man, young chemical scientist, velomobile enthusiast, who is also passionate about his neighbourhood and its history.
That is until you meet his alter ego - Igor Lukyanov
Who has publications in RIA FAN [1] [2] and geopolitika.ru. RIA FAN was a part of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s media empire. We were able to find a mention under his real name (Alexei Kiristaev) as a representative of RIA FAN in a shooting sports competition among journalists, where he won a bronze medal in crossbow section.
His publications include:
smearing campaigns in form of “investigations” (in a very similar style to contemporary fondfbr “investigations”) against Russian opposition figures, such as Alexei Navalny [1] [2], Lyubov Sobol, Alexei Nechaev and Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other members of Russian civil society, such as Ekaterina Schulmann, Boris Zimin or Yegor Zhukov.
a series of publications include commentary by John Mark Dougan on multiple topics [1] [2] [3]
publication on biological laboratories in Ukraine
report about conference where Korovin, Savin and Dougan are present as speakers; report about conference, where Korovin and Lukyanov are mentioned as speakers; report about conference organized by the Russian Castro Foundation
He is also mentioned as an expert from the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, sometimes he is also mentioned as a political scientist and as chemical weapons expert or a simple "expert, who has a doctorate in biotechnology".
What is this place anyway?
Foundation's website specifies the address as "Bryusov pereulok 11, building 1, office 314". It's located in the same building as The Russian House of International Scientific and Technical Cooperation (RH ISTC).
What else is there?
МЕЖДУНАРОДНОЕ ОБЩЕСТВЕННОЕ ДВИЖЕНИЕ "ЕВРАЗИЙСКОЕ ДВИЖЕНИЕ", "Eurasian Movement", established by Alexandr Dugin is also registered in the same place.
geopolitika.ru contact info refers to the same address, including the office number.
Some of the “Eurasian Youth Union“ videos were filmed in this office [1] [2] [3].
While CGE is registered officially at a different address, we believe it's safe to assume that this office serves as an operations base for at least some of the projects associated with Alexandr Dugin.
Special “hello” from John Mark Dougan
A while ago, Dougan recorded a video from this office in order to let his audience know that he "has some exciting new information". Information in question, of course, turned out to be another conspiracy theory related to Ukraine.
Video [archive] provides a yet another insight into its interior. Additionally, video's preview is a photo of a view from the office.
Tim Kirby interviews
Our team has discovered that in many yearly Tim Kirby interviews from late 2021 to early 2022, interviewees seem to be sitting in the very same office, often in the very same spot: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
It’s also notable, that Tim Kirby show website from the same time period was almost certainly operated John Dougan.
Мы с Тамарой ходим парой
"Мы с Тамарой ходим парой" is a Russian saying for when two persons are always seen together. We have found multiple instances where Dougan, Korovin (often together with Makeeva) and Kiristaev can be seen together.
October 8, 2021: conference “Internet wars in postsoviet space”
In this conference, Savin and Korovin are present as primary speakers, Makeeva is also present, Dougan and Kiristaev (in a mask) are doing photo and video work.
At the end of the conference when everyone are taking photos, Korovin calls Dougan "our photographer".
June 2, 2022: panel “Americano-Ukrainian program of bacteriological weapon development“
The panel was conducted in the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. In this instance, we can see Dougan, Kiristaev (as Lukyanov) as speakers, Korovin also participates in discussion.
June 2, 2023: conference “Turkish factor in Caucasus”
Korovin, Makeeva and Kiristaev (as Lukyanov) can be seen sitting at the conference table, all are mentioned as speakers in agenda. Conference was conducted in the RH ISTC building, where conference spaces are available for booking upon request. Dougan appears to be doing video work, and Korovin closeup in recording seems to be shot from where Dougan has set up the camera. Our team was able to find only the recording of Korovin Speech.
Picket against arrest of people aligned Alexandr Dugin projects in Azerbaijan
Korovin, Makeeva, Kiristaev (as Lukyanov) and Dougan took part in a “solitary” pickets against the arrest of people involved in “Eurasian Movement” in Azerbaijan.
Dmitry Rodionov, who also took part, mentioned that anyone can join the protest, referring everyone to the CGE address at Bryusov pereulok and saying that anyone will be provided with the poster and instructions there.
October 26, 2022: conference “megatrends in world politics”
This conference’s agenda contains not only Savin, Dougan and Korovin, but also Yuri Khoroshevky, who is essentially a ghost.
Unfortunately, in the available recordings [1] [2], Khoroshevsky is nowhere to be seen to our knowledge, and only a name sign on the table is present between Kiristaev and Korovin. At the beginning of Korovin speech, Dougan can be seen saying goodbyes to Kiristaev and Korovin.
Chasing the ghost
In “megatrends” conference agenda, Khoroshenky (as Khoroshevsky) was mentioned not only as a deputy director to Korovin in CGE, but also as a deputy director in “Eurasian Economic Club” (EEC). What the hell is that?
Strange business website
First thing that you will find about EEC is almost too personal website of Mikhail Anisimov showcasing competencies and projects. At the same time, it’s address is specified at the same place in Bruysov pereulok in office 314.
Older website specifies two members of the club board:
Mikhail Anisimov, as Vexport founder
Albert Sadykov, who seems to be a marketing specialist, who is also working at Vexport
no traces of Khoroshevsky
Additionally, it specifies multiple “eras” of the club:
2001-2008: headed by Alexandr Dugin
2008-2020: period of inactivity, Anisimov becomes the head in 2020 and works on “expanding economic relationships with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia“
2022+: a reinvention of club after Russian invasion in Ukraine
EEC projects
Anisimov is very eager to advertise EEC projects in his own Telegram channel:
VERSHINA (ООО “Вершина”), which specializes in production of Drones and accompanying equipment, almost certainly for military purposes
Vexport (ООО “ВЭКСПОРТ“), which seems to specialize in import/export brokerage, and since 2022 appears to be involved in parallel import of sanctioned goods
Vexport
An older version of website contains a list of employees:
Mikhail Anisimov - general director
Leonid Savin - yes, the same one, head of Department of Foreign Economic Relations
Alisa Savina - almost certainly Savin’s wife, head of the Press Department, also mentioned as editor of Anisimov telegram channel
Gennady Fedorchenko - executive director
Alexandra Erlich - designer
Albert Sadykov - who was also mentioned in EEC website, head of Marketing and PR Department
It’s not at all surprising to find Anisimov at the Castro Foundation presentation party, together with Korovin and using the Castro Foundation to advance his business goals.
Building bridges for military-related parallel import
As we have mentioned before, he really likes to brag about his business, in one of the Telegram publications from July 8, 2024 he brags:
The company needed Chinese components to upgrade new drones and those that had already been delivered to consumers. The fact is that due to changes in the external environment, the use of unmanned vehicles, standard components no longer allowed the use of UAVs in full, and the lack of channels and opportunities for the supply of necessary components from the manufacturer threatened a complete stop of production processes and negative feedback from customers.
In a VK post from January 16, 2024:
Today, we had representatives of a major Chinese manufacturer of UAVs and electronic warfare systems in our Moscow office.
For two hours, we, together with experts from the Main Directorate of Infrastructure Development of the Russian Ministry of Defense and our specialist in deliveries to the SVO zone, shared with Chinese partners the experience of manufacturing and operating UAVs and electronic warfare systems in Russia.
The results of the negotiations satisfied both parties.😉
And that “Moscow office” turns out to be a very familiar one, you can even find the poster from the picket which we previously mentioned.
