Despite the Blockade, About 20 Russian Propaganda Sites Continue to Operate in the EU
Despite the blocking of major Russian-language platforms in the EU, a functioning network of propaganda media still exists, spreading disinformation to undermine Western support for Ukraine.
This information comes from Bloomberg.
According to the publication, a number of Russian websites are still active in the European Union. Among them is "swentr.site," for example, which duplicates the previously blocked RT News - a propaganda media outlet in the EU.
Swentr was registered immediately after the EU imposed sanctions on RT. According to the research group Reset, this is just one of at least 19 similar propaganda platforms used by RT to spread disinformation in the EU.
Russian media often change names and have a wide network of influencers ready to disseminate necessary messages, including through social media.
It is reported that European sanctions can often be too slow to detect and block all such "mirror" sites. At the same time, according to Věra Jourová, responsible for combating disinformation, the European Commission is aware of propaganda sites and constantly works with EU member states to effectively implement sanctions.
"I want to emphasize that despite some attempts to bypass, sanctions are effective. No one can find these media outlets by randomly switching channels. Internet search engines and news aggregators do not show results from these media," Jourová emphasized.
Such measures do have some success. For example, according to the Semrush traffic counter, this October, the Swentr site received about three million views, much less than the 141 million visitors to the RT site.
Propaganda has become one of the tools of hybrid warfare that Russia waged against Ukraine long before the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The Kremlin also widely uses manipulation, distortion, and outright deception to destabilize and exacerbate social tensions in EU countries and around the world.
As a reminder, The Gaze previously reported that France accused Russia of a disinformation campaign aimed at destabilizing the situation within the country.