Pro-Kremlin actors launch large scale disinformation campaign targeting Armenia's elections

A large-scale pro-Kremlin disinformation run is targeting Armenia up of its parliamentary elections connected 7 June, researchers say.

In total, 343 fake videos were published by aboriginal May, prompting analysts to picture the cognition arsenic 1 of the astir extended successful caller years — 2nd lone to the run observed during Moldova's 2025 election.

According to researchers, the run began successful aboriginal March and was portion of "Matryoshka" — a pro-Kremlin disinformation cognition that has progressively utilized artificial intelligence.

Among the fabricated videos, a cardinal communicative claims that a triumph for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whose run focuses connected a pro-European direction, could trigger a warfare betwixt Armenia and Russia.

The corporate Antibot4Navalny, which studies bot networks, said it had identified much than a twelve fake videos featuring Pashinyan and French President Emmanuel Macron, which repeatedly beforehand the mendacious assertion that the 2 leaders struck a "secret deal": French backing successful the predetermination successful speech for Armenia launching a warfare against Russia aft a victory.

On 11 May, 1 video falsely claimed that Pashinyan's property caput had confirmed the beingness of NATO instructors successful Armenia, and that, pursuing the parliamentary elections, helium would "provoke a subject struggle with Russia."

However, fabricated media reports are not the lone instrumentality utilized successful this disinformation campaign. Researchers accidental bots are besides spreading mendacious claims connected societal media platforms specified arsenic X successful an evident effort to undermine Pashinyan.

No grounds supports these allegations. It is besides worthy noting that, though immoderate of these posts garnered tens of thousands of views, researchers accidental the figures were artificially inflated.

The purpose of the campaign

The predetermination run has unfolded against a backdrop of increasing practice betwixt the EU and Armenia, highlighted by the archetypal EU–Armenia summit held successful the state successful aboriginal May.

Several elder European figures attended, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and France's President Macron.

The gathering was marked by a shared committedness from some sides to fortify bilateral relations.

"Today’s EU–Armenia acme sends a wide awesome of the EU's steadfast committedness to deepen our relations with Armenia, and to fortify practice crossed galore caller areas, bringing Armenia and its radical person to the European Union," Costa said.

During the summit, Pashinyan said Armenia was entering "a caller play of peace, of consolidation of a antiauthoritarian regime, and this really, surely creates a bully situation for the improvement of our bilateral relations."

Two months aft the run began — and conscionable days aft the acme — Russian President Vladimir Putin drew a examination betwixt Armenia and Ukraine during a property league successful Moscow connected Victory Day, informing that Armenia could look akin consequences if it pursued person integration with the EU.

"We are each presently feeling the consequences of the concern successful Ukraine. How did it each begin? With Ukraine's accession — oregon alternatively attempted accession — to the EU. That was the archetypal step, the precise first," Putin said.

He added that consequent developments — including governmental upheaval and struggle — stemmed from that archetypal move, calling it "a superior problem".

On 26 March 2025, the Armenian parliament voted by a ample bulk to motorboat a process towards EU accession, successful a determination backed by Pashinyan's Civil Contract party.

Moscow, however, has repeatedly accused Western actors of interference. As aboriginal arsenic January, Russia claimed the EU was encouraging the Armenian authorities to rig the parliamentary elections.

On 20 January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said fiscal enactment pledged by the EU's apical diplomat, Kaja Kallas, to Armenia amounted to a "sincere" confession and an "admission of guilt".

Those claims echo accusations made during Moldova's caller elections, which were yet won by pro-European forces.

Matryoshka and Storm 1516

Alongside the Matryoshka run targeting the election, different pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign, known arsenic Storm-1516, is besides spreading mendacious narratives targeting Pashinyan connected societal media, according to researchers from the South Carolina-based Clemson University's Media Forensics.

Germany's overseas quality agency, the BND, and France's Viginum agency, a authorities assemblage monitoring disinformation campaigns, picture Storm-1516 arsenic a Russian accusation manipulation web that utilized coordinated disinformation campaigns with the purpose of destabilising antiauthoritarian institutions.

According to Clemson's research, the run has been progressive since January and dispersed mendacious claims astir Pashinyan's predetermination promises, successful summation to allegations that Pashinyan utilized $11 cardinal (€9.5 million) successful funds from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), earmarked for digitalisation, to covertly concern his campaign.

According to Ella Murray, a integer power expert astatine Clemson, Storm-1516's methods successful the Armenian run amusement they are evolving.

"Particularly, they person expanded their unchangeable of influencer networks and fake selling bots," she said. "Additionally, they person started utilizing accounts purporting to beryllium section and country-specific."

"Russian campaigns are targeting Armenia for the aforesaid reasons they interfered successful elections successful Moldova and Hungary," Murray continued. "They privation to discredit pro-Western candidates and reassert determination influence."