Using both conventional media and covert channels, the Kremlin relies on disinformation to create doubt, fear and discord in Europe and the United States.
Moscow’s targeting of the West with disinformation dates to a Cold War program the Soviets called “active measures.” … the ideological component has evaporated, but the goal of weakening adversaries remains.
Source: A Powerful Russian Weapon: The Spread of False Stories – The New York Times