Russian Disinformation Campaign Intensifies Ahead of Armenian Elections

Experts are warning of a significant surge in disinformation targeting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government as Armenia approaches parliamentary elections next June. The scale and coordination of these efforts suggest a Russia-linked campaign rather than isolated incidents.

While Kremlin propaganda has long been present in Armenia, the current wave represents an unprecedented level of sophistication and intensity.

“The dissemination of narratives has become more organized, circulates more quickly and is significantly more targeted,” explained Hasmik Hambardzumyan, editor-in-chief of the independent Armenian fact-checking outlet Fact Investigation Platform, in an interview. She noted that AI-generated content, including photos, audio, and deepfakes, are appearing in Armenia’s information space for the first time.

According to Sopo Gelava and Givi Gigitashvili, researchers at the Digital Forensics Research Lab (DFRLab), which conducts open-source investigations, “The goal seems to be undermining trust in Armenian institutions, discrediting Armenia’s Western engagement and opening political space for more Kremlin-friendly actors.”

Their research has identified “hostile narratives” spreading across Russian and pro-Russian media ecosystems that portray the Armenian government as corrupt, morally compromised, or secretly aligned with Western intelligence agencies. These messages target both domestic Armenian audiences and aim to damage Armenia’s standing with Western partners.

Armenia-Russia Relations: A Growing Divide

Hambardzumyan’s research indicates another key theme: portraying the West as threatening while presenting Moscow as Armenia’s only reliable protector. Her findings suggest that alongside pro-Russian actors, Azerbaijani and Turkish entities remain active players in this disinformation landscape.

Armenia, a small post-Soviet nation in the South Caucasus, has historically been under strong Russian influence since regaining independence in 1991 following the Soviet Union’s collapse. However, a significant rift emerged after Pashinyan came to power in 2018 through the nationwide Velvet Revolution movement.

Relations deteriorated further when Armenia accused Russia and the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization—a military alliance of post-Soviet states similar to NATO—of failing to uphold security commitments during Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian territory in 2021 and 2022.

Despite these tensions, the South Caucasus region remains strategically vital to Moscow, explaining its apparent interest in influencing Armenian politics.

Armenian Officials Allege “Hybrid War”

High-ranking Armenian officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of conducting what they describe as a “hybrid war” against the country.

“That hybrid war periodically intensifies, for example, when various commentators on Russian TV channels, often unfortunately people bearing remotely Armenian-sounding surnames, try to change the government in Armenia, announce rallies, and so on,” Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan stated during a press briefing earlier this year. He predicted that such interference would “become even more active” as the 2026 parliamentary elections approach.

Russia has consistently denied these accusations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated in November that Russia has “always respected and will continue to respect the sovereign decisions of any nation.”

Sophisticated Disinformation Tactics

Russia appears to be deploying diverse tactics to influence Armenia’s information environment, including pro-Kremlin bot networks and coordinated Telegram groups all promoting identical narratives.

One key network identified is Matryoshka, previously implicated in influence operations targeting the United States, Germany, and Moldova. According to the investigative outlet The Insider, Matryoshka began targeting Armenia and Pashinyan specifically in June—what the publication called “a record lead time” for the network’s pre-election activities.

Launched in 2023, Matryoshka spreads disinformation through AI-generated videos and posts mimicking trusted Western media sources. These bots have distributed clips on social media platforms like X and Bluesky accusing Pashinyan of “destroying Armenia’s cultural code” and promoting “non-traditional values of tolerance.”

Beyond bot activity, Russian actors are utilizing “doppelganger” techniques by creating websites that impersonate established media outlets to distribute fabricated content.

“The DFRLab has documented fabricated scandals and false corruption stories circulating through newly created, impersonating websites and social channels, many of which appeared within a short time frame and amplified each other in a coordinated way,” the researchers explained, adding that technical evidence links these campaigns to Russia.

In July, DFRLab uncovered a disinformation campaign targeting Armenian audiences with false claims that US-backed laboratories were conducting secret military experiments on Armenian civilians with the government’s consent.

This narrative appeared on londontimes.live, a site designed to resemble a Western publication. According to DFRLab, it was disseminated by both Russian and non-Russian pro-Kremlin actors. The story originated from the Russian Foundation to Battle Injustice, an organization founded in 2021 with support from Yevgeny Prigozhin and widely considered a Kremlin-aligned disinformation operation. Prigozhin, the former Wagner Group mercenary leader, was presumed killed in a suspicious plane crash in 2023.

Looking Toward the Election

As Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary elections approach, Moscow appears to be deploying tactics previously tested across other post-Soviet states. DFRLab researchers note that Russia’s “strategic playbook is very similar” in neighboring Georgia and Armenia.

“In Georgia, Russian narratives were amplified by government figures and government-aligned media, making them part of the government’s own communication strategy,” explained Gelava and Gigitashvili. “In Armenia, these narratives are pushed instead by a mix of local pro-Russian voices and Kremlin-linked external actors who target Armenian audiences from outside the country.”

This approach makes Armenia’s situation comparable to Moldova, where identical Kremlin-originating actors, including ANO Evrazia, have been active. ANO Evrazia is connected to Ilan Shor, a pro-Russian fugitive tycoon accused of attempting to derail Moldova’s EU accession process.

DFRLab warns that tactics documented in Moldova “are being repeated and may intensify” as Armenia’s 2026 election draws closer, suggesting the disinformation campaign is likely to accelerate in the coming months.