Funding for disinformation campaigns targeting Ukraine and the EU is routed through the closed budgets of Russia’s Ministry of Defense. Each year, Russia allocates over $100 million to spread false narratives about Ukraine. When combined with the budgets of Russian state media outlets, the total spending on propaganda exceeds $1 billion annually, says Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, according to UkrInform.
His claim came after US President Donald Trump called Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” and accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia. After the statements, Zelenskyy said Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation bubble.”
“Russia’s campaign budgets against Ukraine, the EU, the Middle East, and the US—where they also exploit Elon Musk’s X platform against US interests—are funded in part through the closed budgets of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” Kovalenko explains.
He gives an example of a production studio that operates several bot farms and creates videos about Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, which receives more than $2 million annually.
“This is just one studio. In total, Russia’s annual campaigns against Ukraine can be funded with sums exceeding $100 million. Europe and Ukraine are particularly targeted,” he adds.
Kovalenko also pointed out that separate budgets exist for state-run media outlets like “Russia Today,” “Sputnik,” and others, which serve a broader propaganda agenda.
“Overall, Russia’s propaganda efforts are funded to the tune of over $1 billion annually,” he concluded.
Earlier, the Ukrainian intelligence agency (HUR) reported that Russian special services were tasked with exploiting diplomatic efforts by the new US administration to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, as well as the 18 February US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia, for subversive psychological operations.
The objective is to portray Russia as a “constructive side ready for peace” while depicting Ukraine’s European partners as “enemies of peace.” Moscow has also ordered the promotion of “victory” narratives ahead of the anniversary of the all-out war. According to HUR, on 24 February, the Kremlin plans to announce a supposed “triumph” in its war against Ukraine.
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