VSQUARE SPECIAL REPORT
How Central Europe was trapped by Eastern input
Russian influencing strategies are like a swarm of bees: they consist of many small factors that don’t match one particular frame. VSquare Project report presents an analysis of Russian propaganda influencing, which turns out to be the main weapon used in a quiet information war.
How Banned Russian and Belarusian Wood is Sneaked Into the EU
Not long after imposing sanctions on wood imports from Russia and Belarus, Europe saw an influx of wood supposedly coming from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Firehose of Falsehood
The EU has imposed sanctions on Russian propaganda outlets, such as Russia Today and Sputnik News. But the Kremlin-directed official channels are just the tip of the iceberg.
There is a large ecosystem of pro-Kremlin and alt-right disinformation websites operating in Central and Eastern Europe.
Inside Viktor Orbán’s Response to the War in Ukraine
„Human Life Has No Value There“: Baltic Counterintelligence Officers Speak Candidly About Russian Cruelty
NewsFront: Slovak lawyer producing pro-Russian propaganda
The Slovak-language version of NewsFront is currently disseminating pro-Russian claims about the invasion of Ukraine. Who is the creative force behind the Slovak NewsFront site? The findings of the Investigative Centre of Ján Kuciak (ICJK) suggest it could be lawyer and member of the Slovak Union of Antifascist Fighters, Vladimír Zemko.
NewsFront: From Crimea with hate
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as we found out, NewsFront has been playing a significant role in spreading anti-Ukrainian narratives in some Visegrad countries – especially in Slovakia. A complex redistribution scheme allows Kremlin propaganda to avoid bans and reach audiences in the region.
The Slovak Trail of Russian Businessmen with Connections to Putin
Bypassing sanctions
EU imposed sanctions on selected goods shipped to Russia and Belarus. Few transport companies found a way to transport them anyway, despite restrictions. Border Guard maintains that our borders are shut tight, and controls are thorough. We have decided to verify that claim, and found a Polish company that agreed to transport restricted wares.
Paweł Reszka: Reporter’s Journal
Notes from Ukraine written by Paweł Reszka, journalist of “Polityka” magazine, originally posted in Polish on his Facebook account.
