Active Measures

Active measures are a term used by Russian intelligence to describe covert political warfare tactics, including disinformation campaigns, propaganda, espionage, and influence operations designed to manipulate foreign governments and public opinion. The documentary explains that these tactics have been used for decades and continue to pose a threat to democracies today.

The documentary uses this story to illustrate how Putin's worldview was shaped from an early age. Hillary Clinton is quoted describing Putin as viewing himself as literally pulling Russia's body out of the dust bin of history, suggesting a survival mentality rooted in his family's wartime experience that influences his aggressive political ambitions.

While Putin claimed he only gathered press clippings in Leningrad and Dresden, the documentary contradicts this by revealing his actual role involved protecting covert Russian spies operating in the United States and implementing active measures to influence American policymaking. The film identifies spies like Jack Barsky, Andrew Daulton Lee, and Karl Koecher as examples of his work.

The documentary raises serious allegations that the September 1999 apartment bombings in Russia were false flags orchestrated by the FSB, the organization Putin led at the time. These events are suggested to have been designed to create fear and garner public support for his presidential campaign, which he announced just weeks after the bombings.

The documentary suggests that Trump Tower and the Trump Casino served as fronts for money laundering, providing a conduit for untraceable funds. This connection is presented as part of a larger network involving Russian organized crime, specifically ties to the notorious Mogilevich crime family.

In 2007, Estonia experienced a significant cyberattack that the documentary frames as a major escalation in Russia's cyber warfare capabilities. The attack targeted Estonian government, banking, and media infrastructure, and the film presents it as a rehearsal for future aggressive cyber operations against neighboring countries.

The hacking of emails during the 2016 campaign exposed favoritism towards Hillary Clinton within the DNC, leading to a crisis of trust within the Democratic Party. The documentary connects this breach to Russian-backed disinformation campaigns designed to manipulate U.S. voters and influence the election outcome.

Pizzagate was a conspiracy theory that emerged during the 2016 election, falsely claiming that a pizza restaurant was the center of a child trafficking ring connected to Clinton campaign officials. The documentary presents Pizzagate as an example of Russian-backed disinformation campaigns designed to spread misinformation and manipulate American voters.

The documentary investigates Russian interference in Ukraine's political landscape, including disinformation campaigns targeting leaders like Yulia Tymoshenko and Mikheil Saakashvili. These operations are presented as part of Putin's broader strategy to undermine democratic processes in neighboring countries and expand Russian influence.

The documentary concludes that Russian active measures are not relics of the past but continue to evolve as expertly crafted campaigns. It warns that these tactics pose ongoing threats to democracies worldwide and have already indelibly altered the political landscape, particularly in the United States.

The documentary examines the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant held in Moscow as a pivotal moment reflecting Trump's connections to Russian interests. The event is presented as further evidence of the entangling relationship between Trump's business dealings and Russian politics, highlighting his willingness to engage with the Russian power structure.

The documentary presents warnings about Deutsche Bank's extensive ties to Russian financial operations. The film suggests that the bank served as a conduit for Russian money flowing into Western financial systems, potentially facilitating the types of financial dealings that connected Trump to Russian interests.