• Russia has ramped up its information warfare, a new report reveals.
• The Insider and German newspaper Der Spiegel found documents detailing an operation called Project Kylo.
• The document estimated that it would cost Russian operatives $3 to manipulate one Western audience member.

Russia's foreign intelligence agency SVR hatched plans that involved staging fake, anti-state protests, filming them, and then disseminating them — a sprawling operation aimed at discrediting Ukraine.

This is according to a new report by The Insider and the German newspaper Der Spiegel. The organizations' joint investigation revealed the contents of a document obtained in a leak of SVR communications — detailing the ins and outs of Project Kylo, a 2022 strategic plan to spread misinformation about Ukraine in the West.

According to the report, one of the operations in Project Kylo would have cost the Russian spies around $3 a month to manipulate one Western internet user.

A main pillar of this campaign involved faking protests, with no more than 100 people being paid around $108 each. The false protests were filmed for "subsequent media dissemination," per the report.

The other part of the SVR's intelligence operations involved generating fake German news sites that branded themselves as independent investigations agencies. The sites churned out articles harping on economic issues in Germany, like homelessness, while disseminating content under incendiary headlines like "How Ukrainians are robbing Germany of economic prosperity."

"Waging network wars in EU cyberspace based on the increasing demands of Ukrainian migrants and the new waves of irritation of the local population provoked by this, according to preliminary estimates, will have a very high efficiency both now and in the foreseeable future," the SVR strategy document read, per translations from The Insider and Der Spiegel.

The leaked document further outlined how the "cognitive campaign" the Russians intended to run was centered on instilling in Western users "the strongest emotion in the human psyche — fear."

"It is precisely the fear for the future, uncertainty about tomorrow, the inability to make long-term plans, the unclear fate of children and future generations," the document read. "The cultivation of these triggers floods an individual's subconscious with panic and terror."

This leak of SVR documents is not the first time Russian operations in the West have been uncovered.

There have been multiple reports of Russian spies infiltrating the West, such as "Victor Muller," a Russian military operative masquerading as a Brazilian student who sought an internship at the International Criminal Court in The Hague to steal intelligence.

And the number of Russian spies in the West is now estimated to be at the highest it has been in decades.

Russian spy activities "are as high or even higher than during the Cold War," a Western intelligence officer told The Financial Times in March.

German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported in April 2023 that Russian spies have used Tinder to target German politicians and soldiers in a bid to obtain intelligence related to the Ukraine war.

• Two military drones were seized by Italian authorities on their way from China to Libya.
• They were found in containers and disguised to look like wind turbine parts, Italian officials said.
• The Times reported that these were Wing Loong UAVs, which are made in China and often compared to the Reaper.

Italy has seized parts for two combat drones disguised as wind turbines in containers en route from China to Libya, customs and maritime authorities said on Tuesday.

Officials at the port of Gioia Tauro intercepted six containers marked as parts for wind-powered generators, which were actually filled with the fuselages and wings for military drones, the Financial Police said in a statement. The agency patrols Italy's waters and is tasked with countering smuggling.

Investigators said the drone parts were hidden among materials made to look like wind turbine fan blades "with the aim of concealing the checks carried out."

According to the Financial Police, the drones have a tonnage of more than 3 tons, with a length of over 32 feet and a wingspan of over 65 feet.

The Times of London reported on Sunday that Italian authorities had acted on intelligence from the US.

It wrote that three containers were impounded on June 18 from the ship MSC Arina and that officials were expecting another three to arrive over the weekend on the MSC Apolline.

Per the outlet, the drones were Wing Loong UAVs bound for Benghazi so they could be delivered to Libyan General Khalifa Haftar. The shipments included two control stations for the drones, per The Times.

The drone specifications listed by the Financial Guard, which did not name the drones in its statement, match those of the Wing Loong-2 listed by Chinese state media reports.

As a long-endurance and remotely controlled weapons platform, the Wing Loong-2 is often compared to the US-made MQ-9 Reaper, though its maximum speed and altitude are inferior to the latter.

When it was introduced in 2017, China's state media lauded it as a sign that Beijing was the first to match the US in a "new generation of large-scale reconnaissance and strike integrated UAVs."

Neither The Times nor the Financial Guard mentioned whether the Chinese government was involved.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

Italian authorities also did not say if the shipment contained munitions for the drones. They added that the seized shipment likely violates a long-standing United Nations embargo on weapons to and from Libya.

Haftar's faction, the Libyan National Army, is based in eastern Libya and attempted to overthrow the country's internationally recognized government in 2020.

A former officer in Muammar Gaddafi's administration, he's forged close ties with Russia, and Moscow has promised to support his military as he extends control over much of Libya.

The use of the Wing Loong-2 was reported in Libya before this seizure. The United Nations found that in 2019, the drone was likely used by Haftar's forces in an attack on the suburbs of Tripoli.

The UN report and a BBC investigation found that Wing Loong-2 drones were likely supplied by the United Arab Emirates, which has long been accused of backing Haftar.

In April, two Libyan men were charged in Canada with conspiring to sell Chinese-made drones to Libya in exchange for oil between 2018 and 2021.

• Fans are sending steamy audition tapes to land roles on "Bridgerton."
• "I get the most unbelievable videos, unsolicited," says casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry.
• All three seasons of "Bridgerton" are among Netflix's top 10 most popular titles.

"Bridgerton" has had its fair share of sexy romance scenes, and it looks like fans want in on the action.

Fans of the hit Netflix series have been sending in steamy audition tapes, Kelly Valentine Hendry, the show's casting director, shared on Sunday's episode of the "Should I Delete That?" podcast.

"I get the most unbelievable videos, unsolicited," Hendry said. "It's sex, basically. Not actual sex, but it's quite punchy the stuff that comes through to me," Hendry told podcast hosts Alex Light and Em Clarkson.

"Not nude pictures, but not far off," Hendry added.

Hendry also shared that she often has to delete emails from her inbox because it's always at "90% capacity" every day.

It's not surprising that fans would try to send in their own racy clips, considering the show is known for its steamy shots — including the carriage scene, the mirror scene, and the over 5½ -minute-long chaise lounge scene.

In May, "Bridgerton" star Nicola Coughlan told Stylist magazine she asked to be "very naked on camera" in one of her explicit scenes in season three in response to getting body-shamed by viewers.

"It just felt like the biggest 'fuck you' to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering," Coughlan said.

All three seasons of "Bridgerton" are also among Netflix's top 10 most popular titles of all time, as of June 30. Season three — the latest season — is at number 10 with a cumulative 91.9 million views. This total was calculated 45 days after the first four episodes premiered on May 16, which means that the series has the potential to rack up even more views.

The "Bridgerton" series also has a large impact on the wider cultural landscape, sparking a renewed interest in the Regency era.

However, the hotly-anticipated season four of the show will likely only arrive in 2026, showrunner Jess Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter in June.

• The Labour Party has triumphed in the UK general elections.
• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat to Labour Party chief Keir Starmer early on Friday morning.
• The party has been out of power since 2010 but won a landslide victory on Thursday.

The Tories are out, and the Labour Party is back in power.

UK Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the country's recent general elections on July 4.

"The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," Sunak told reporters on Thursday.

"The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on, and I take responsibility for the loss," Sunak added.

Starmer's party obtained a landslide victory against Sunak's, winning at least 370 seats as of press time, per Bloomberg. A party only needs to obtain at least 326 out of the 650 seats to form a simple majority.

The watershed election marks the Labour Party's stunning return to power, as it has been out of government since 2010.

"A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility," Starmer said in his victory speech. "The fight for trust is the battle that defines our age."

Starmer also said in his victory speech that his party now plans to govern as a "changed Labour Party."

"I don't promise you it will be easy. Changing a country's not like flicking a switch. It's hard work. Patient work. Determined work. And we will have to get moving immediately," he said.

• A local Chinese government just approved Tesla's Model Y approved for use.
• This is the first time Tesla's cars are eligible for government purchases in China.
• Government approval could help Tesla amid global demand slump and rising competition.

Tesla's Model Y cars just made it on the list of approved vehicles of one local government in China, unlocking a new customer base for the electric vehicle giant.

The EV can now be used as a service car by party, government, and public body officials in Jiangsu according to official Chinese media outlet The Paper. The province, north of Shanghai, is an education and manufacturing hot spot with one of the highest GDPs in the country.

This was the first time Tesla's cars have been made eligible for government purchases in China, the outlet reported. The Model Y is part of a longer list of approved electric or hybrid cars, including several domestic manufacturers and a model from Volvo, which has a Chinese parent company.

The local procurement center told the media that Tesla signed up for the list.

The center evaluated Tesla's cars based on several factors, including passenger capacity, range, charging time, and price of no more than 250,000 yuan, or about $34,400.

Tesla's best-selling Model Y just met the cutoff point, with a starting price of 249,900 yuan in China. The carmaker slashed prices by 14,000 yuan, or $1,930, in April, in what was seen as a response to slowing demand and a price war with Chinese rivals.

Tesla met one other condition at the procurement center: Cars cannot be imported.

The American EV maker fulfilled this requirement because the Teslas are domestically produced, and its Shanghai factory uses over 95% local parts, The Paper reported.

While being on the list is not a sure indicator of future sales, given the large number of approved cars, the approval is a win for Tesla and CEO Elon Musk.

The local government's approval may pave the way for a wider rollout in other provinces, allowing Tesla to tap into a new customer base. Tesla EVs are already being used and tested by government bodies in Venice, Florida.

The approval also comes as Tesla faces a slump in global EV demand and rising competition from Chinese EV heavyweights like BYD. While recent deliveries beat analyst expectations, Tesla reported on Tuesday that sales fell for the second straight quarter, down nearly 5% compared with the same period a year ago.

Both China and Musk have been eager to play nice. In April, Musk visited the country and its second-highest-ranking politician, Premier Li Qiang, to discuss self-driving technology.

• Tesla hasn't engaged with India's government since Elon Musk canceled his trip in April, per Bloomberg.
• Tesla was initially planning to build a new factory in India but seems to have shifted its focus.
• Musk has told investors to value Tesla as an AI or robotics company instead of an automaker.

India may no longer be a priority for Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk.

The mercurial billionaire's team hasn't engaged with the country's officials since he canceled his trip to India in April, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

"Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year," Musk said in an X post on April 20.

Bloomberg's sources also said India's government doesn't expect Tesla to make any investments anytime soon as the company is experiencing capital issues.

Tesla and India's heavy industry, finance, and commerce ministries did not respond to the outlet's requests for comment.

The report comes as a surprise, considering Tesla has long been eyeing India as a potential area for expansion.

In April, Reuters reported that the EV giant was planning to build a new factory in India as part of a $2 to $3 billion investment into the country. Musk was expected to announce the expansion plans during his planned visit to India.

But Musk did still end up traveling to another Asian country in April. The Tesla CEO made a surprise trip to China just a week after scrapping his trip to India, where he met the country's second-highest-ranking politician, Li Qiang.

The trip was fruitful for Musk, who has advertised his ambitions of turning Tesla into a leading AI and robotics company. According to a Bloomberg report in April, Chinese officials gave their in-principle approval for Tesla to roll out its Full Self-Driving technology in the country.

That said, India probably hasn't entirely fallen off of Musk's radar.

Musk congratulated India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his government's electoral victory at the country's general elections. The pair had last met in New York in June 2023.

"Congratulations Narendra Modi on your victory in the world's largest democratic elections! Looking forward to my companies doing exciting work in India," Musk wrote in an X post on June 7.

Representatives for Tesla and India's commerce ministry didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.