WASHINGTON >> The Kremlin could not have asked for better publicity at a better time when Ben Swann, a self-described independent journalist who promotes conspiracy theories, released a 12-part video series he promised would reveal dark truths about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Swann’s flashy documentary-style videos were filled with innuendo, attacks on Zelenskyy’s character and commentary from guests sympathetic to Russia in its two-year war with Ukraine.

The series, titled “Zelenskyy Unmasked,” launched in April as Congress was debating increasing military assistance to Ukraine, and it quickly caught the attention of conservative social media influencers who hyped the project to their millions of followers.

Among those who promoted the series was Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest son.

“Curious about the billions of dollars and weapons Congress sent Ukraine?” Trump Jr. posted on X, Truth Social and Threads. “You need to watch the first episode of the explosive 12-part series.”

Unlike other conservative media personalities who last month expressed shock upon learning they may have been secretly financed by the Kremlin, Swann has no such qualms. He’s worked for Russia’s state-owned media empire for years, with one of his companies earning millions of dollars for producing Kremlin-friendly shows.

The creation of “Zelenskyy Unmasked” and its viral spread reveal how widely Russia-backed talking points are traveling on social media — a trend that concerns current and former U.S. intelligence officials and disinformation experts.

An investigation by The Associated Press also provides insights into the shadowy and profitable world of political influencers who are not required to disclose who is paying them, raising transparency concerns about their political endorsements in the largely unregulated realm of social media.

Swann brought on a digital marketing firm to publicize “Zelenskyy Unmasked,” and at least one creator acknowledged he was paid to promote the series.

Dire warnings

The revelations about Swann’s work for Russia come as U.S. authorities have issued increasingly dire warnings about the threat posed by Russian disinformation campaigns. In addition to undermining Ukraine, the Kremlin is seeking to disrupt the presidential election and sow discord in the U.S. and elsewhere in the West, those officials have said.

U.S. officials are particularly concerned about Russia’s covert efforts to take advantage of unwitting Americans to spread Moscow’s message and use artificial intelligence to quickly tailor false content.

Russia’s influence operation also appears aimed at boosting support for GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has criticized Ukraine and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, the officials said.

Trump has dismissed evidence of Russian influence operations, and he and many of his supporters have mocked the broader U.S. government’s effort to highlight Kremlin propaganda efforts.

Registered with the DOJ

Swann filed paperwork with the Justice Department two years ago to register one of his companies as working for Russian state media. In an interview with the AP, Swann said he has kept his work for Russian interests separate from what he produces for U.S. audiences. He has done this, Swann said, by operating two companies — one that generates content for Russian media and another that produces independent journalism, like “Zelenskyy Unmasked,” for U.S. audiences.

“The only connection is that I own both companies,” Swann said. The AP, however, found that there was some overlap in how the two entities operated.

A handful of guests on “Zelenskyy Unmasked” also appeared on RT shows produced by Swann, according to a review of RT’s video archives and records filed with the Justice Department.

Swann’s shows for U.S. audiences and RT also have similar themes. The Zelenskyy series, for example, echoed Russian state media’s messaging that the Ukrainian president is a would-be autocrat who has duped the West into supporting a conflict that Russia will inevitably win.

A former TV anchor

Swann, 46, was a longtime TV journalist before he was fired from an Atlanta station in 2018 after promoting the debunked “Pizzagate” conspiracy that alleged Democrats were abducting children to serve as sex slaves.

He has since become a social media star who portrays himself as someone daring to ask uncomfortable questions on tough topics — revolving around unfounded claims such as whether the Sandy Hook school shooter acted alone, the coronavirus vaccine was a money-making ploy by big pharmaceutical companies, and Israel was a “participant” in the massacre of Oct. 7, 2023.

Swann joined Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine organization, Children’s Health Defense, in a lawsuit pending against several news organizations, including the AP, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines.