The European Union has launched a large-scale campaign to block Telegram channels of Russian propaganda media. The restrictions apply to such channels as RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian media outlets sanctioned by the EU for disinformation in May), as well as those of the federal Russian TV channels Rossiya 1, Pervy Kanal, NTV, and Russia Today.
Telegram channels of Russian media blocked in the EU countries
The blocking covered at least ten EU countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Italy.
However, our analysis has revealed dozens of other Russian propagandist channels on Telegram that are not affiliated with official Russian media outlets. These channels continue to operate and disseminate Russian disinformation in various languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, and others.
On December 29, Telegram users have noticed an intriguing innovation. The platform initiated a mass block of Russian propaganda resources in Europe. Telegram has blocked the largest Russian propaganda news channels. The restrictions have impacted resources like Ria Novosti, NTV, Russia 1, RT, and Izvestia.
Users from the respective countries cannot access any content on the blocked Russian propaganda media channels. Instead of posts, they see the inscription, “This channel cannot be opened because it violates local laws.”
Russian propaganda channels on Telegram targeting Europe
Our analysis of Telegram channel content pertaining to Russia’s war and Ukraine reveals a vast network of Russian propaganda channels, which disseminate Kremlin disinformation in English, not linked to the main Russian media outlets. We can categorize them into two groups: the English versions of existing Russian channels, and dedicated English-language pro-Russian channels aimed at audiences in the EU and US.
- https://t.me/rybar_in_english/20497
- https://t.me/Slavyangrad/116241
- https://t.me/intelslava/71854
- https://t.me/readovkaworld/12736
Among the dedicated English-language Telegram channels involved in Russia’s hybrid warfare, several stand out with names such as Ukr Leaks, Ukraine Watch, Intel Republic, Donbas Insider, Info Def England, and Aussie Cossack.
- https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/134510
- https://t.me/ukr_leaks_eng/18340
- https://t.me/ukr_leaks_eng/18363
- https://t.me/ukraine_watch/34737
- https://t.me/IntelRepublic/45010
- https://t.me/IntelRepublic/45007
- https://t.me/AussieCossack/30456
- https://t.me/donbassinsider/67112
- https://t.me/infodefENGLAND/25384
Russian propaganda uses a similar approach to target French-speaking audiences. Among the Telegram channels that spread Russian propaganda in French are special channels like Vladimir Putin, New France, Rusosphere, and Conflict Chronicles, but also the Telegram channel of the pro-Kremlin news website Reseau International.
- https://t.me/trottasilvano/40243
- https://t.me/vpoutine/26717
- https://t.me/la_nouvelle_france/19377
- https://t.me/rybarFR/7409
- https://t.me/eurasianform/15137
- https://t.me/eurasianform/15288
- https://t.me/russosphere/59555
- https://t.me/russosphere/59704
- https://t.me/ri_reseauinternational/22875
- https://t.me/chroniques_des_conflits/2392
- https://t.me/chroniques_des_conflits/2391
Russian propaganda has established over a dozen German channels to disseminate its message throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Many of these channels disseminate more radical propaganda and disinformation than the officially blocked Russian media outlets in Europe. In particular, German-language Russian propaganda channels refer to Ukraine as “Banderstan” and speculate about the possible “liquidation of Zelenskyy.”
- https://t.me/russlandsdeutsche/34383
- https://t.me/deutschrussischefreundschaft/69191
- https://t.me/newsmix_ukraine/226548
- https://t.me/Q4U_News/75014
- https://t.me/DeFreundschaftRu/16574
- https://t.me/CMS_DD/45481
- https://t.me/Ubersicht_Ukraine_Kanal/50008
- https://t.me/pravdadecom/68814
- https://t.me/rt_de_live_newsticker/5068
- https://t.me/rybarde/36783
- https://t.me/nato_austritt/35354
- https://t.me/infodefGERMANY/16000
- https://t.me/Ubersicht_Ukraine_Kanal/50004
- https://t.me/peterschmidtnews/29954
- https://t.me/Denk_Nach_17/145915
Telegram also has special channels for the Spanish-speaking audience. We note the active work of the Russian Embassy in Bolivia in spreading Kremlin propaganda on Telegram. We have also found that the Russian pro-war disinformation channel Rybar is translated into several languages, including Spanish, French, German, and English. The Ukr Leaks and Info Defense channels also translate their propaganda into many languages.
- https://t.me/ucraniando/28171
- https://t.me/MAERusia/4990
- https://t.me/pravdaescom/88528
- https://t.me/rybaresp/6195
- https://t.me/embrusbolivia/1524
- https://t.me/infodefSPAIN/20558
- https://t.me/ukr_leaks_esp/16124
EU sanctions against Russia propaganda and information warfare
In May 2024, the EU Council imposed sanctions on several Russian media outlets financed or controlled by the Russian authorities. The ban included the resources of the Rossiya Segodnya media group, including the websites of RIA Novosti and Sputnik. Russian propagandists’ social media pages also faced similar restrictions.
It is worth noting that Telegram began to cooperate more willingly with European law enforcement after the arrest of its founder, Pavel Durov, in France. Back then, he announced a change in the platform’s policy. The social network agreed to cooperate with supervisory authorities, including the International Watch Foundation (IWF), an international human rights organization.
Russia called the blocking of its propaganda Telegram channels an “unfriendly step.” Russia itself has long blocked access to resources that spread the truth about the war against Ukraine.
This case proves that it is technically possible to block Russian propaganda content in Ukraine. However, Telegram channels of Russian media outlets are still available in Ukraine, which is suffering from the war in Russia and disinformation attacks.
The launch of EU measures to counter Russian propaganda on Telegram and Russia’s information warfare is a positive development, but given the scale of Russia’s disinformation network and the number of Kremlin propaganda Telegram channels in different languages in Europe, this is just the beginning of hard and long-term work for watchdogs and security agencies in Europe.
