The EU has imposed sanctions on Euromore and Pravfond for influence operations targeting European audiences. Pro-Kremlin disinformation recasts Ukraine as a terrorist and NATO as an aggressor, recycling debunked claims (e.g. “biolabs”, secret infrastructure). False narratives about the Bucha massacre persist, shifting from denial to elaborate conspiracy theories to deflect blame.
Russian propaganda is a psychological weapon, not just rhetoric. A study of 1,060 Russian POWs found 77% believed Kremlin narratives, with 68% justifying the invasion. Soldiers indoctrinated by propaganda were six times more likely to support the war, twice as willing to re-enlist, and far more prone to dehumanising Ukrainians. Anti-Western myths—like “NATO is waging war through Ukraine”—were believed by 80%. This proves propaganda fuels aggression, demanding legal accountability as a tool of war.
Pro-Kremlin narratives targeted elections in Hungary and Bulgaria, spread nuclear fear claims, and framed EU support to Ukraine as prolonging the war.
Vladimir Kuznetsov, known as Vovan, and Alexei Stolyarov, who goes by Lexus, are known for pranking world leaders and celebrities. They have called many of them using fake aliases, often posing as Russian, Ukrainian, or Western politicians, publishing carefully selected excerpts on their social media accounts. Framed as comedy, their work is highly political, consistently reinforcing narratives favourable to Moscow.
Pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns falsely depict Ukraine as a nuclear threat, target EU elections, and push for lifting sanctions on Russian energy—aiming to weaken Western unity and distort public debate.
State media and proxy outlets shift focus from the damage by spreading claims of Western escalation and election interference in Hungary.
Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.
