Russia replicates ISIS propaganda tactics, experts say

European media warn that Russian intelligence services are using recruitment methods similar to ISIS practices, leveraging disinformation and social media, according to Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation on Telegram.

According to several European outlets, Russian intelligence is conducting targeted psychological operations within the European Union, using approaches similar to those employed by ISIS between 2013 and 2019.

These propaganda campaigns focus on marginalized Russian-speaking groups, presenting ideologically appealing narratives, religious or nationalist. They try to draw them into online communities, where the dissemination of disinformation accelerates radicalization.

First, recruited individuals receive small tasks: gathering intelligence, setting fires, passing on information about military and critical infrastructure, and other one-off actions. Analysts say that key factors in recruitment are financial vulnerability and a readiness to adopt the proposed ideology.

The goal of this recruitment approach is to create a network of so-called disposable agents: low-cost operatives acting inside European countries for Russia’s interests to sow distrust in national institutions and undermine public order.

This interference increases polarization in societies and fuels protest sentiments while complicating the work of security services. Experts advise authorities and society to strengthen engagement with vulnerable communities, promote media literacy, dismantle disinformation hubs, and collaborate with social media platforms to remove propaganda content.

We remind you, ISIS is a radical Islamist terrorist organization that was established in Iraq. It is infamous for its brutal terrorist attacks, recruitment via social media, and its objective of establishing a caliphate in the Middle East.

Between 2013 and 2019, ISIS leveraged sophisticated propaganda to recruit supporters through social networks, online outlets, and videos that blended religious and political messages, appealing to feelings of belonging and heroism—particularly among marginalized or economically vulnerable young men.