A recent indictment reveals that a Tennessee-based content creation company served as a vehicle for a group of Russian propagandists aiming to spread Kremlin-sponsored messages to U.S. audiences.

The indictment, filed on Wednesday, charges two Russian individuals affiliated with Russia Today, a state-controlled media organization, with transferring nearly $10 million to a Tennessee online content firm to produce English-language videos for platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Over the last ten months, this company has uploaded more than 2,000 videos, which have been viewed over 16 million times on YouTube alone, as stated in the indictment.

While the indictment does not name the Tennessee company, the details provided are consistent with a firm named Tenet Media based in Tennessee.

The indictment mentions that this company promotes itself on its website as “a network of heterodox commentators focusing on Western political and cultural issues,” a description that matches Tenet Media’s presentation. It notes that the company was established around January 19, 2022, according to records from the Tennessee Secretary of State, and that it sought permission to operate from the Tennessee Department of State on May 22, 2023.

Reporters from the Tennessean have reached out for comments through the form on Tenet Media’s website and via email to several commentators associated with the firm.

The two individuals charged are Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31 (also known as Kostya), and Elena Afanasyeva, 27 (also referred to as Lena). They face allegations of conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiring to engage in money laundering.

Both Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva are currently at large, as stated in the release.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized in the release, “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country’s principles of free expression to secretly advance its own propaganda, and our investigation is ongoing.”

In a response to the allegations, Russia Today reacted mockingly, stating, “Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and RT’s interference in the U.S. elections,” as reported by Reuters.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia Today was compelled to cease its official operations in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and the EU, as noted in the federal indictment.

The indictment highlighted that Russia Today established an “entire empire of covert projects” after they stopped their operations, aimed at influencing public opinion among “Western audiences.” One of these initiatives included the Tennessee content creation company, which became operational in November 2023.

Many videos produced contained perspectives on various topics including immigration, inflation, and both domestic and foreign policies relevant to the U.S., according to the indictment.

Afanasyeva allegedly directed the Tennessee company’s staff to create content that aligned with the Russian government’s narrative. The release mentioned that after a terrorist attack in Moscow on March 22, which resulted in over 130 deaths, Afanasyeva suggested to one of the company’s founders that they should blame the incident on Ukraine and the U.S.

From October 2023 through August 2024, Russia Today reportedly sent nearly $9.7 million in wire transfers to the Tennessee company, constituting about 90% of the company’s total bank funding. These payments originated from shell companies in Turkey, the UAE, and Mauritius, ostensibly for electronics purchases, as detailed in the news release.

The indictment alleges that the founders of the Tennessee company disguised its funding source when engaging with two commentators, falsely claiming that the funding came from a private investor named “Eduard Grigoriann,” a fictional identity.

This case is under investigation by the FBI.

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray stated in the release, “Covert attempts to create division and manipulate Americans into consuming foreign propaganda represent attacks on our democracy. Today’s actions demonstrate that if foreign adversaries like Russia continue to pursue hostile influence campaigns, they will encounter the FBI. We remain committed to exposing the hidden agendas of foreign adversaries like Russia and disrupting their attempts to interfere with our free and open society.”

The Tennessee firm did not inform its viewers of its Russia Today funding, nor did it register with the Attorney General as required by law.

Each of the two defendants faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years for conspiratorial money laundering, along with a possible five-year sentence if found guilty of conspiracy to breach the Foreign Agents Registration Act.