The US State Department on Wednesday acknowledged that the Russian government has built up an extensive disinformation network to sow distrust and confusion in the American political system, the Associated Press reports.

Despite statements from President Trump that “[he didn’t] see any reason why it would be” Russia producing disinformation to help his campaign, the State Department outlined an extensive system of websites and social media operations designed to undermine the upcoming election.

The State Department thinks this is so dangerous that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a $10 million reward for information on people working with foreign governments to subvert US elections. 

“Russia is playing a significant role in creating and spreading misinformation and propaganda around many topics,” said Lea Gabrielle, head of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center told the AP.

Fake news sites have been set up to provide support to rumors and disinformation, most recently related to the coronavirus pandemic, being spread on social media sites through bot accounts.  The sites in the network may not directly supported by the Kremlin, but through third-party organizations, making tracking the sites difficult.

As the Associated Press reports:

The websites the State Department identified Wednesday have promoted unsupported conspiracy theories that allege COVID-19 was created in a lab as a bioweapon, billionaire Bill Gates is plotting to use the pandemic as an excuse to microchip people, and that plans for a coronavirus vaccine are simply a ploy for pharmaceutical companies to make money. There is no evidence behind those claims.

One of the sites, Canada-based Global Research, has amassed 300,000 Facebook followers.  Another, NewsFront, gets direct Kremlin funding but promotes itself as an Western “alternative” news site.