A 37-page indictment special counsel Robert Mueller issued on Friday against more than a dozen Russians has complicated the political narratives surrounding allegations of collusion between the Kremlin and President Trump's campaign.

Mueller's team charged 13 Russian nationals and several Russian organizations on Friday with charges ranging from fraud to destruction of evidence. The indictment painted a picture of a Russian influence campaign that was much more nuanced and wide-ranging than the one Democrats and Republicans have attempted to characterize in different ways to support their partisan objectives.

[Trump touts Mueller indictment showing Russian meddling started 'long before' he ran for president]

Republicans have sought to downplay the extent to which Russian entities attempted to manipulate public opinion during the presidential election. Trump has called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt" and has described Democrats' focus on Russian election meddling as an excuse they have conjured to explain Hillary Clinton's loss.

Democrats, on the other hand, have characterized the Russian influence campaign as an enormously significant effort from which Trump benefitted greatly during the 2016 race. Many Democrats have amplified unproven allegations that Trump's associates secretly coordinated with Russians to harm Clinton's chances in the election.

Though it's unclear what else Mueller may find in the ongoing investigation and what potential future indictments may reveal, the multi-count indictment Mueller released on Friday did not fit cleanly with either party's narrative, complicating the political firestorm that still surrounds Russia's election activities. While Mueller's team accused the Russians of organizing social media campaigns and rallies in support of Trump and against Clinton, the team also alleged Russians had advocated for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Clinton's Democratic primary opponent, and had at other times advocated against Trump as well.

"They engaged in operations primarily intended to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton, to denigrate other candidates such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and to support Bernie Sanders and then-candidate Donald Trump," the special counsel's team wrote in the indictment.

What's more, the indictment alleged that the Russian conspiracy for interfering in the presidential election began to take shape in May 2014 — more than a year before Trump even entered the race in June 2015.

The primary objective of the Russians' conspiracy, according to Mueller's indictment, was to "spread distrust towards the candidates and the political system in general," and not necessarily to put Trump in the Oval Office, as many Democrats have claimed.

Russian groups allegedly created Facebook and Instagram pages that promoted polarizing content across a range of issues not specific to any political party — including a pro-immigration page called "Secured Borders," a Black Lives Matter-themed Instagram page called "Blacktivist" that supported third-party candidate Jill Stein, and religious-linked pages called "United Muslims of America" and "Army of Jesus."

Mueller's indictment accused the Russians of concealing their identities and posing as Americans to engage political activists and people affiliated with the Trump campaign. However, the indictment claims Trump's associates were "unwitting" participants in the scheme, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein clarified on Friday that Mueller had made "no allegation in this indictment that any American had any knowledge" of the nature of the Russians' activities.

But in addition to undermining the Democratic narrative surrounding Russian meddling and collusion, the indictment also undermined the way Trump's allies have described Russia's conduct during the election.

Although the White House has worked to downplay the significance of Russia's efforts, Mueller's team described a far-reaching conspiracy that sunk millions of dollars into promoting Trump and attacking Clinton.

The indictment alleged Russians illegally purchased digital advertisements "expressly advocating for the election of then-candidate Trump or expressly opposing Clinton."

And the Russians' alleged efforts went far beyond merely posting on Facebook. The indicted entities allegedly organized pro-Trump rallies across the country — including events in key battleground states like Florida and Pennsylvania, both of which ultimately went for Trump.

The White House said the Justice Department had briefed Trump on the indictments earlier Friday.