"The Internet projects of the American special services, such as 'Graphics', Metal Gear, and Echo RuNet are aimed at direct manipulation of the public consciousness, especially among the youth," Kartapolov said, according to a report by Interfax. Interfax is a Russian news agency.

Kartapolov claimed that the ultimate goal is "encouraging protest activity and dissatisfaction with the authorities of the country among young people."

Despite Kartapolov's claims, the Metal Gear games are developed, and published, by Konami, a Japanese company. They are not the product of US intelligence services.

The Metal Gear series was created by Hideo Kojima, with the first game having debuted in 1987 on the MSX home computer and ported to the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System the following year. The Metal Gear series became a worldwide hit with the release of Metal Gear Solid on the original PlayStation in 1998. An estimated 54 million copies of the games in the franchise have been sold worldwide.

The latest game in the series, Metal Gear Survive, was the first to be developed after Kojima left Konami. It was released in 2018.

Editor's Note: Kartapolov's quotes are translated from the original Russian.