The Washington Post is reporting that Google has discovered "tens of thousands of dollars were spent on ads by Russian agents who aimed to spread disinformation across Google’s many products, which include YouTube, as well as advertising associated with Google search, Gmail, and the company’s DoubleClick ad network."
The Internet Research Agency, the Kremlin-connected troll farm that opened fake accounts and bought ads on Facebook and Twitter does not appear to be behind the Google ad buys, an indication that Russian interference likely expands further than has been revealed so far.
"Google discovered the Russian presence on its platforms by siphoning data from another technology company, Twitter, the people familiar with Google's investigation said."
Read More: Google uncovers Russian-bought ads on YouTube, Gmail and other platforms (WaPo)