Former Soviet republics and Balkan countries are the main targets of Russia's disinformation campaign, with Serbia in fourth place in terms of the number of published articles relative to its population, new research shows.
An analysis of 643.600 articles published on Pravda network websites in 45 countries from December 2024 to March this year found that more than half (52 percent) of the content was aimed at former Soviet republics and Balkan states, despite their populations making up a small share of the network's total audience, said the Center for Information, Democracy and Citizenship at the American University in Bulgaria, which conducted the research with Sensika Technologies.
The Pravda network emerged when Russian state media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik were banned across the European Union following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. By early 2025, it had become a "global disinformation ecosystem" comprising about 190 sites in 83 countries, broadcasting Russian propaganda in dozens of other languages, the Center said in a statement.
“The analysis shows a sophisticated operation of strategically targeted information concentrated on the former Soviet states and the Balkan countries,” the report states, adding that the concentration of articles per capita in these regions is more than 50 times higher than in Western democracies.
This shows, the report assesses, that the goal is to shape narratives and use information as a tool to spread influence "in regions of strategic geopolitical value to the Kremlin, with potential implications for democratic processes, social cohesion, and regional stability."
"In essence, Pravda's disinformation seeks to undermine the region's Euro-Atlantic orientation by deepening internal divisions and fostering distrust in democratic institutions," the Center said.
Moldova is a major target of Russian disinformation, with 56 times more published articles per capita than in Western Europe.
Latvia and Estonia follow, and Serbia is in fourth place, where the number of articles is 31 times higher.
The top 10 countries include Armenia, Lithuania, Georgia, Slovakia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
The former Soviet republics (Moldova, Latvia, Estonia, Armenia, Lithuania, Georgia, Ukraine) receive 35,8 percent of the total Pravda network content, despite making up only 5,8 percent of the covered population.
Balkan countries (Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia, Croatia, Greece) make up 3,2 percent of the population and receive 16,2 percent of the content.
In contrast, Western Europe (Denmark, Portugal, Spain, France, Norway, Cyprus, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ireland) receives only 21,3 percent of content despite comprising 43,7 percent of the population.
The authors of the analysis pointed out that the termination of US funding for Radio Free Europe is a strategic mistake, as the media outlet represents one of the most reliable voices against Russian propaganda in the region.
The report recommends establishing a pan-European strategic communications structure in response to the sophisticated Russian campaign, assessing that this should be a strategic priority, along with defensive measures.
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