Behind the Curtain: How Russia’s Propaganda Targets the Heart of Europe

While Europe debates policy, Russia wages an invisible war — not with tanks, but with tweets, cultural soirées, and carefully crafted news segments. 

From Berlin to Barcelona, the Kremlin’s propaganda strategy is infiltrating public discourse, exploiting democratic freedoms to undermine them from within. 

In many cases, the so-called Russia's information machine goes beyond the soft power concept and launches aggressive media campaigns to promote anti-European, anti-American or anti-democratic narratives. As a result, EU governments face a sophisticated hybrid threat that undermines European unity and shakes political stability from within.

One of the fundamental elements of Russian propaganda remains the creation and dissemination of content through controlled media. Such resources operate in various EU countries in the form of TV channels, news sites, and politically biased publications that are anti-Western or, on the contrary, disguised as allegedly independent European publications.

These resources often offer materials in the target countries' languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian, and others. This allows them to penetrate deeper into the local information space and influence audiences that do not necessarily speak Russian or English.

The key tactic is to create an alternative version of events, where Russia is positioned as a truthful player and Western governments are seen as supporting false narratives.

Often, information is presented under the guise of conservative values or the battle against globalists to attract Europeans dissatisfied with the EU central bureaucracy or the political elite of their own countries.

How do Russia’s Cultural Centers and “People's Diplomacy” work?

Another component of Russia's presence is a network of cultural institutions and people's associations that formally promote the Russian language, literature, or music. Under the auspices of such centers, meetings are regularly organized to promote the idea of common Slavic roots or the need for rapprochement with Russia.

At first glance, they are positioned as innocent cultural events where guests are offered Russian music and traditional dishes. In reality, these locations are used to form an environment loyal to the Russian authorities, which subsequently spreads the necessary messages on social media and local forums.

In some places, there are even branches of Cossack and Orthodox organizations that support the idea of a “Russian world” in Europe, even though it openly contradicts the values of democracy and human rights.

To Undermine Europe, Russia Uses Social Networks and Troll Factories

Particular attention is paid to social media, where Russian information units distribute provocative materials. They can impersonate local activists by creating numerous fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter, or blogging platforms. Such pages actively comment on the publications of European politicians, start discussions, stir up negativity toward the European Union or NATO, and criticize sanctions policy against Russia. The goal is to create the impression that there is a strong internal opposition to the official course, and thus sway public opinion from within.

Usually, especially before elections or during important referendums, like Brexit in the UK, Kremlin networks become more active, generating thousands of fake posts and fake news.

They skillfully play on problematic issues, such as migration, multiculturalism, economic turmoil, or pandemics. Fake news and scandalous revelations are often aimed at discrediting specific politicians or parties that the Kremlin considers hostile to its interests.

How Do Russian Destabilization Tactics Work?

Russian propaganda in Europe does not always try to “convince” people that Moscow is right. Sometimes, its goal is to destabilize the situation to the point of diverting attention from Russia itself. 

This is achieved by playing up internal conflicts, supporting extreme left or right-wing forces that oppose European integration. Often, it is these political fringe groups that enjoy Russia's support, receiving information assistance or, in some cases, even financial injections to expand their influence.

The Kremlin also initiates information attacks that sow doubts about European solidarity or NATO's reliability. The goal is to break the unity of EU countries on sanctions, collective security, or cooperation with Ukraine. This can be done through compromising leaks, hacking of politicians' emails, and artificial escalation of certain crisis topics, such as migration. Artificial hysteria is created to distract Europeans from Russia's aggressive actions.

One of the strongest skills of Russian propaganda is its ability to adapt to local specifics. For Spain, it can use themes about the unfair treatment of Catalonia, for Italy it can manipulate the history of migration from Africa, and in France it can stir up controversies about national identity or secularism.

The Kremlin pays attention to making its information operations look plausible by posing as local activists and journalists.

In Eastern European countries that have historically had close contacts with Russia, nostalgic motifs about Soviet times are used, and the brotherhood of Slavic peoples or a joint struggle against Western dictates are suggested.

At the same time, Russian media and structures are trying to whitewash the Soviet period by shifting responsibility for Soviet crimes to other countries or abstract historical circumstances. This stimulates debate and leads to social division, especially if local historical memory is painful.

Key Threats of the Russian Propaganda and Why it is Effective

Part of the tactic is the lobbying activities that Russian corporations, banks, and individual business structures in Europe can conduct. On the one hand, they offer profitable investments, and on the other hand, they seek to keep European politicians from imposing sanctions or reacting sharply to Russia's aggressive steps.

Some European parties that oppose the dominant line of Brussels often receive assistance from Moscow. In this way, the Kremlin is trying to strengthen anti-European movements, creating the illusion of the revival of the sovereignty of individual countries.

The success of Russian propaganda in Europe can be explained by several factors. First, some Europeans are genuinely dissatisfied with their governments or the EU's common policies, and Russian narratives often play on these emotions in subtle ways.

Secondly, liberal principles of freedom of speech and information allow even hostile foreign outlets to freely disseminate their ideas, as long as they are not caught in outright violations.

Thirdly, the free media market does not always have enough financial resources to compete with the large-scale infusion of Russian content, which is generously subsidized by Russian state funds.

Another problem is that Russian propagandists constantly exploit certain weaknesses of democratic societies: political polarization, splits in attitudes toward migration, and social inequality.

They deliberately throw firewood on the hottest topics, fueling fears and prejudices to lead to internal conflicts in European countries. The Kremlin directly benefits from this, as destabilized states are much less effective in countering its foreign expansion and aggression policy.

In this sense, effective counteraction to Russian propaganda should include not only blocking disinformation and punishing paid lobbyists, but also systematic work to strengthen democratic institutions. When citizens have proper education, critical thinking skills, and trust in national media, any attempts to manipulate their sentiments will become much more difficult.

Therefore, realizing the real scale of Russian propaganda in Europe is only the first step, which should be followed by targeted actions by each EU member state and European institutions in general.

Bohdan Popov, Head of Digital at the United Ukraine Think Tank, communications specialist and public figure