On Foreign News,
The U.S. State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of any foreign entity or individual involved in election interference, particularly targeting Russia-based actors ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program highlighted the Russian media organization Rybar LLC, accusing it of using social media to incite social and political division within the United States.
According to the announcement, Rybar has been exploiting issues such as undocumented immigration at the Texas border and used social media hashtags like #HOLDTHELINE and #STANDWTHTEXAS to promote pro-Russian propaganda. The group allegedly receives financial backing from Rostec, a Russian defense industrial organization that has been under U.S. sanctions since 2022.
Rybar, co-founded by Mikhail Zvinchuk, a former member of Russia’s Spetsnaz special forces, operates a Telegram channel with 1.3 million followers and is popular among pro-Ukraine war hardliners in Russia. Zvinchuk, who has been sanctioned by the European Union, opened a “Rybar Media School” in Serbia in 2024, aimed at countering Western information warfare tactics.
The State Department’s move is part of broader U.S. efforts to combat election interference, and it has specifically called for information about nine individuals connected to Rybar’s operations.
