The Unvarnished Truth About Kremlin Mouthpieces in Europe
Russia employs various methods to advance its influence, including fake pages of reputable media, bot campaigns on social media, monetary rewards for loyal journalists and bloggers, and control over media through direct or covert acquisitions. The latest scandal involves German journalist, documentarian, and writer Hubert Zeipel receiving €600,000 for a book project from the funds of Russian oligarch billionaire Alexey Mordashov. It's crucial to note that Mordashov is under sanctions from the European Union and the United Kingdom. Therefore, Zeipel's connection to Kremlin interests is well-documented and can't be labelled as a "cultural project."
Media companies Sputnik and RT have been working openly outside Russia for a long time. While Kremlin propaganda and fact manipulation were tolerated for a while, European countries started closing RT branches after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian networks also don't operate in foreign languages in the U.S. However, Kremlin's efforts to influence narratives and distort reality in the interest of Russian propaganda persist.
To impact public opinion beyond Russia, the Kremlin increasingly uses veiled methods. Not all manifestations of the "Russian hand" become widely known, and those that are evident don't always come with real evidence and exposure of the complete "chain" from the sponsor to the executor, as seen in the Hubert Zeipel case. However, the wheels of justice grind slowly but surely.
Forgery for Falsehood
"Ukrainian army launches missile strike" — this claim, referencing a BBC video report, was spread by Russian channels and pro-Kremlin Telegram channels immediately after the tragedy at the Kramatorsk railway station in the Donetsk region. On April 4, 2022, 61 civilians, including seven children, were killed in a rocket strike, and 121 more were injured.
The use of BBC branding made it appear like a genuine report, but poor English revealed it as a forgery. After some time, the BBC leadership debunked the fake. Still, the fake report that looked authentic spread quickly across the internet. Fact-checkers from the German media company BR found links to it in German, English, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Hindi, and French. This means that even after media refutation, for some part of the audience, the impression "not everything is so clear-cut" may persist.
Imitating International Media is a common tactic in Russian propaganda for Information manipulation.The spread of fake information on the internet under the guise of real news with the visual style of European journals and their online front pages is a common tactic of Russian propagandists. This was emphasized in a EU study reported by Bloomberg. Imitation includes visual styles of European journals and their online front pages. Information advantageous to the Kremlin is disseminated under pseudo-covers of Al Jazeera, Euronews, CNN, BBC, and other authoritative news sources.
Among the recent examples is a fake cover of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo circulated by Kremlin-controlled media in October 2023 after a terrorist attack in Israel. The headline, "Sorry, Israel! We believed our weapons would stay in Ukraine," implies that Ukrainian weapons supposedly ended up in the hands of Hamas.
The disinformation counteraction center noted that there is no such issue with that cover, as evidenced by the publication's social media pages. However, this is part of a massive disinformation campaign suggesting that Hamas is fighting with weapons obtained from Ukraine.
PHOTO: Fake Charlie Hebdo cover(on the left) created by Russian propagandists. The real cover is on the right. SOURCE: CPD
Personal Connections: Unveiling Kremlin Influence in the West
One of the most well-known pro-Russian journalists is Tucker Carlson. In his evening political talk show, Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, he covered not only global conspiracies but also delved into Russian propaganda clichés about biolabs in Ukraine, Nazis, and more. Ukrainian media even dubbed him the "American Solovyov," and FOX News eventually severed ties with the pro-Russian host.
Every country has its own "Kremlin defenders." The Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security revealed the most prominent Western media figures spreading Russian propaganda, almost openly collaborating with Putin's regime.
Among them are Alina Lipp (Germany), Thomas Röper (Germany), Wyatt Reed (USA), Max Blumenthal (USA), and Laurent Brayard (France). They perform two tasks: create an illusion of support for Russia globally, targeting the Russian audience, and disseminate Russian narratives, propaganda, and misinformation to foreign audiences through media and social networks.
Russian propaganda narratives in the West are advanced by representatives of The International Schiller Institute, retired military personnel, former and current European and American politicians, diplomats, officials with access not only to Russian but also mainstream Western media.
Those who would prefer not to disclose ties with the Kremlin, at least financial ones, are exposed by investigative journalists. Earlier in this article, we mentioned Hubert Seipel, a German journalist, documentarian, and writer. Seipel received €600,000 for a book project from offshore accounts linked to Russian oligarch Alexey Mordashov. This marks the first known instance of Putin's circle paying renowned Western journalists, confirmed by the Cyprus Confidenta investigation. In response, the Hoffman and Campe publishing house withdrew Seipel's books from sale.
Buying Loyalty
The Russian government will allocate 80 million rubles to encourage Kremlin-friendly foreign journalists. Details about two competitions with prizes and award ceremonies in Moscow in 2023 and 2024 can be found on the Russian State Procurement website.
The competition's objectives include encouraging journalists to cover so-called humanitarian projects with Russian involvement, transmitting a positive agenda to enhance Russia's influence and raising awareness among foreigners about Russia's role in projects aimed at improving the quality of life. The contractor is tasked with informing journalists from 79 countries, including the USA and EU countries, about the competition.
In early November, the US State Department reported that the Russian government is financing a disinformation campaign in Latin America. The aim is to undermine support for Ukraine and promote anti-NATO and anti-American sentiments.
The Kremlin plans to leverage established contacts with media in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and other countries for a misinformation campaign through local media.
As noted by the State Department, in all likelihood in Chile, Russia has assembled a group of journalists and opinion leaders from various countries in the region. The working mechanism involves the Russian team creating content, and Latin American editors "localizing" and publishing it in local media as "organic" for the target audience.
"The main themes of the operations focus on attempting to convince the Latin American audience that Russia's war against Ukraine is justified and that they can unite with Russia to defeat neocolonialism. These themes align with Russia's broader false narrative that it is a leader in fighting neocolonialism, while in reality, it is engaged in neocolonialism and neo-imperialism in its war against Ukraine and resource extraction in Africa," reports the US State Department.
It's worth adding that RT and Sputnik continue their broadcasts in Latin America, expanding their audience on the Telegram messenger, created in Russia.
Media Purchase Raises Kremlin Influence Concerns
Recent rumours surrounding the new owner of Forbes have sparked considerable resonance in the media.
Citing five audio recordings and one video, The Washington Post reported that Russian businessman Magomed Musayev asserts he has acquired the entire Forbes media group. The oligarch shared details of the deal in private conversations with his business partners, suggesting that American entrepreneur Austin Russell, who claimed in spring 2023 to be purchasing the media group for $800 million, is merely the "face" of the deal. Both Russell and Musayev later denied this.
However, media acquisitions are often indirect, involving "friendly" funds or individuals, making control challenging to trace. The presence of Russians in management and pro-Kremlin content supports such suspicions.
Well-regarded international sports publication insidethegames.biz, known for covering corruption in Olympic sports, was acquired by the Hungarian investment fund Vox Europe Investment Holding Ltd.
Immediately following this, the editorial leadership transitioned to Anna Abdulyan, previously associated with the Russian boxing federation. She, along with the new owners of the publication, is linked to Umer Kremlinov, a figure close to Putin's oligarchic circles.
PHOTO: The peculiar investment fund has acquired reputable international sports publication insidethegames.biz . Anna Abdulyan, who previously worked in the Russian Boxing Federation, now leads the editorial team. SOURCE: Russian Boxing Federation.
Kremlin Propaganda Imitates
Highlighting a shift in Kremlin strategies is Eugene Fedchenko, director of the Kyiv-Mohyla School of Journalism and chief editor of the StopFake project, known for debunking fakes and propaganda. The system now revolves around small media outlets and local influencers. "It's a decentralised, disguised effort involving local figures seamlessly integrated into the local media landscape," explains Fedchenko in a comment for The Gaze. According to him, such media exist in almost every European country: direct ties to Russia are hard to prove, but they are united by common narratives produced by the Kremlin. The main themes include amplifying fears, inducing panic (nuclear war, migrant threats, etc.), and stirring public opinion. References to Russia are not prominent but strategically placed. The overarching discourse is effectively anti-colonial, openly anti-NATO, generously intertwined with local issues.
An example is the Spanish channel Canal RED, founded by left-wing Spanish politician Pablo Iglesias. Initially a small YouTube channel, it quickly grew and is now present even on cable networks. Its leading figure is Inna Afinogenova, a Russian who previously worked for RT in Spanish. While she condemned the war and left RT in April 2022, she now promotes the same narratives as Russia's state networks. Her pro-Kremlin disinformation in programs has attracted attention from Spanish media.
PHOTO: Former collaborator of the Russian propagandist TV channel RT, Inna Afinogenova, rejects accusations of further work for Kremlin but enthusiastically spreads Kremlin narratives. SOURCE: RT screenshot
"Iberian Spanish is a vast language group, so it's no wonder that Russia's significant attention is now focused on this region and the global South as a whole. Moreover, no Latin American country has implemented anti-Russian sanctions, allowing both official work through RT or Sputnik and unofficial channels via loyal media and social media bots," concludes Eugene Fedchenko.
European media will need to scrutinise the roots of their information sources carefully. Kremlin generously spends petrodollars on covert propaganda and influence, presenting a significant challenge ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections.