400 sites with Russian propaganda and fakes were discovered in Bulgaria

Nearly 400 websites promoting Russian propaganda and disseminating fake information have been discovered in Bulgaria. This information was reported by Euractiv.

These findings were analyzed by the Foundation for Humanitarian and Social Research, an organization that studies Russian propaganda on the internet. According to the analysis, one of the reasons for the rapid spread of Russian propaganda in the country is the growing network of websites involved in its dissemination.

At the beginning of 2022, aggregators of fake news and mainstream media were among the top-rated websites. However, by the end of the year, traditional media sites dropped out of the top ten, indicating a preference for automated distribution.

The authors also highlight the exceptionally high activity on Facebook throughout 2022. The study identified 25,692 posts in groups and 19,987 on pages, generating over 7.6 million interactions.

"Pages presented not as informational but as commercial or entertainment content are being used for propagating propaganda, thus catering to a wider interest," the analysis states.

According to the authors, certain forms of disinformation did not find support. For example, belief in the power of Russian weaponry has decreased, and support for Russian President Vladimir Putin has declined by threefold.

"Other narratives, however, have a significant impact on public sentiment, such as the notion that Bulgaria is siding with Ukraine because Bulgarian authorities are dependent on Euro-Atlantic partners (not because Ukraine is an attacked country); the claim that the West dragged Russia into the war; and that military aid to Ukraine drags Bulgaria into the war," the authors note.

This is not the first time that Russians have targeted Bulgaria with their propaganda. Last summer, it was revealed that Russians were paying Bulgarian journalists, political analysts, and other influential individuals €2,000 per month to publish pro-Russian content online. As a result, Bulgaria expelled 70 Russian diplomatic personnel over concerns of espionage, and the Russian Embassy in Sofia issued an appeal for Bulgarians to donate money to support the Russian army.