Kremlin’s Pravda Disinformation Network Targets Former Soviet States and Balkans
A new study reveals a sophisticated disinformation campaign orchestrated by the Kremlin’s Pravda network, primarily targeting former Soviet states and Balkan countries. The Center for Information, Democracy, and Citizenship at the American University in Bulgaria analyzed over 640,000 publications from the network between December 2024 and March 2025, uncovering a disproportionate focus on these regions, accounting for 52% of all publications despite representing a smaller fraction of the studied population. Moldova, Latvia, and Estonia are the top three targeted nations, followed by Serbia and Armenia. The remaining top ten include Lithuania, Georgia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic. This concentrated targeting suggests a strategic effort to exploit vulnerabilities and exert influence in regions vital to the Kremlin’s interests.
The study highlights a correlation between Pravda’s targets and the location of critical energy infrastructure connecting European markets with Russian supplies. Six of the top ten targeted countries host such infrastructure, indicating a strategic interest in manipulating energy security narratives. This targeted dissemination reinforces the study’s conclusion that the campaign is a coordinated effort to exploit regional vulnerabilities, rather than reflecting organic audience interest or independent media activity. The Pravda network, also known as Portal Combat, has a long history of disseminating pro-Russian propaganda and fake news across Europe for 17 years, utilizing various websites and online platforms.
Moldova’s vulnerability to Russian disinformation stems from its geographical location between Ukraine and Romania, representing a symbolic divide between Eastern and Western influence. Its recent EU candidacy status further fuels tensions between pro-Western and pro-Russian factions within the country. Moldova’s historical ties to Moscow, coupled with its aspirations for closer EU integration, create a fertile ground for disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing the country’s political landscape.
Russia’s historical foreign policy, characterized by territorial expansion and power projection, explains its focus on neighboring countries. Sophia Freuden, a researcher at the American Sunlight Project, emphasizes that the digital disinformation campaigns echo these long-standing practices. Ukraine, even before the current conflict, was a prime target of Russian disinformation. The Balkans, while not historically considered part of Russia, serve as a strategic gateway into Europe. Many Balkan countries are EU or NATO members, or aspire to be, making them ideal conduits for injecting disinformation into information spaces increasingly resistant to Russian interference. The EU’s efforts to ban entities like RT further amplify the importance of these backdoor channels.
The disinformation narratives disseminated by pro-Russian actors in these regions largely mirror global trends, focusing on the war in Ukraine, the US, and NATO. A central narrative portrays Russia as being forced into the Ukraine conflict due to the latter’s alleged alignment with the West. This narrative serves to justify the invasion and garner support for Russia’s actions. Beyond the war narrative, anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and promotion of the Russian vaccine were prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, amplifying separatist and far-right ethnonationalist narratives aims to sow division within European populations, weakening their collective resistance to Russian influence.
Countering Russian disinformation requires a comprehensive societal approach, emphasizes Freuden. Education in information literacy, encompassing media, digital, and AI literacy, is crucial for empowering citizens to identify and resist manipulative narratives. Government funding for counter-disinformation agencies and civil society organizations is also essential for monitoring and combating foreign interference. The decline of USAID funding for such initiatives is a concerning trend, potentially creating vulnerabilities for targeted populations. A collective, multi-faceted approach is vital to safeguarding democratic values and resisting authoritarian influence in the digital age.
