Slovakia to expel the manager of a pro-Russian media Voice of Europe

Slovakia has withdrawn the temporary protection it had granted to Artem Marchevsky, an associate of former pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. A pro-Russian Ukrainian entrepreneur was accused of running a pro-Kremlin influence campaign in Europe in the run-up to the European Parliament elections.

Pro-Russian Ukrainian media-manager Artem Marchevsky was placed on the Czech sanctions list in March 2024. Shortly after, he relocated from Prague to Slovakia, where he received temporary protection.

In May, the European Union placed Voice of Europe, Artem Marchevsky and Viktor Medvedchuk on the sanctions list as a result of Czechia’s proposal. 

“Viktor Medvedchuk used the Voice of Europe media platform to run a Russian influence operation aimed to undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty and freedom of Ukraine. Artem Marchevsky was directly involved in the operation of Voice of Europe in Czechia until his listing on the national sanctions list,” the Czech Foreign Ministry reported.

Artem Marchevsky operated the Voice of Europe website, registered in the Czech Republic, which disseminated anti-Ukrainian propaganda, according to Czech intelligence services. This website was recognized as a “pro-Russian propaganda network.”

Earlier, Marchevsky was the general producer of the 112 Ukraine TV channel.

After an investigation into his activities, Slovak authorities revoked his protection in the country in July.

Without providing more details, the Slovak ministry stated in an email to Reuters that “an examination of the facts that met the conditions for its revocation preceded the revocation of temporary protection.”

Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok stated he had no information on this case, Denník N reported. At the same time, he confirmed that the ministry has been handling the investigation, in collaboration with the Slovak Information Service (main domestic and foreign intelligence agency).

In March 2024, the Czech Republic added Marchevsky to its list of sanctions, along with pro-Russian politician, Putin’s ally, Medvedchuk, and the news website voiceofeurope.com. The EU also imposed sanctions on them. The Czech authorities cited as the reason his alleged attempts to influence and bribe politicians in EU member states.

According to the Czech intelligence services, pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, along with Marchevsky, ran the Prague-based Voice of Europe to spread Russian influence. The pro-Russia platform hosted interviews with European politicians, including those from Slovakia: pro-Russian ex-prime minister Ján Čarnogurský, far-right MEP Milan Uhrík, and Smer MP Erik Kaliňák, chief adviser to Prime Minister Robert Fico.

In our research we have identified news websites in the EU and the US which reposted or quoted articles and interviews produced by the pro-Russian media platform “Voice of Europe”. Later, this website resumed its operation, having migrated to a hosting in Kazakhstan.

The citations of this notorious website helped identify other news sites in Europe which promoted pro-Kremlin narratives, and the politicians who supported their efforts. Russian state propaganda media cited the EU-based website’s articles to confirm the “authoritativeness” of the information shared. 

In the Voice of Europe case we have seen that Moscow attempts using EU-registered news websites disguised as neutral or alternative to legitimize Russian propaganda narratives and increase the credibility of its statements, as few readers would believe Russian state propaganda outlets like RT and Sputnik.

Anton Shekhovtsov, a visiting professor and researcher at Central European University and at the Research Center for the History of Transformations, published a list of European politicians who were promoted by the Russian agents of influence via its recently disclosed front organization “Voice of Europe” on YouTube, starting in August 2023.

The list includes politicians known for pushing pro-Kremlin agendas and making pro-Russian statements, such as German far-right leader Maximilian Krah, French nationalist Thierry Mariani, Slovak right radical Milan Uhrík, and the radical leader of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.