Russian Propaganda Events Tracked Across Italy, Cagliari Among Most Targeted Cities

A comprehensive report detailing Russian propaganda activities across Italy reveals that Cagliari ranks among the top cities targeted for pro-Kremlin influence operations. The dossier, titled “The Putin Plague,” documents 192 instances of violations against European regulations on Russian propaganda over a twelve-month period ending in February.

The report, presented at the headquarters of the radical association Adelaide Aglietta in Turin, highlights that watchdog groups successfully managed to cancel 24 of these events through coordinated intervention efforts.

“Thanks to our intervention, 24 of these were cancelled, with the help of the Ukrainian communities, the Ukrainian Embassy, other associations, and political figures,” explains Laura Botti, who edited the document.

According to Botti, many of these propaganda efforts took the form of films and documentaries that have been sanctioned by the European Union for reproducing narratives that align with the Russian government’s positions. These productions allegedly aim to “distort reality and the conflict to gain public support” in Italy, which the report characterizes as “the soft underbelly of the European Union.”

The monitoring group claims certain media figures are complicit in these operations, referring to “so-called journalists” who frame their activities as resistance against “mainstream thought” and “Western media.” This framing attempts to legitimize content that European authorities have determined violates regulations designed to counter foreign influence operations.

The dossier details how activists have responded to these events, sending approximately one hundred certified communications to municipalities, police headquarters, and prefectures across Italy. “We continued to send certified emails to inform them of these events and to ask them to issue a ban on the screening of these documentaries,” the report states, while emphasizing they “never asked to prevent the debates” themselves.

Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, appears to be a particular focus for these propaganda efforts. The city is tied with Turin at the top of the list with five organized events, two of which were subsequently cancelled following intervention. This suggests the strategic importance of Sardinia, with its significant NATO military presence, as a target for Russian influence operations.

Bologna also experienced five events, with one cancellation, while Pradamano (province of Udine) and Genoa each had five events with no reported cancellations. Other notable hotspots include Arezzo, Florence, and Pisa, which each saw four events scheduled, with one cancellation.

The geographic spread of these activities indicates a coordinated approach to target diverse regions throughout Italy, from major northern cities to central and southern locations. Experts in disinformation suggest this pattern aligns with broader Russian strategy to exploit regional differences and political divisions within European countries.

This report comes amid heightened European concerns about foreign interference operations, with the European Union expanding its sanctions regime against Russian state media outlets since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Italian authorities have been increasingly vigilant about foreign influence activities, particularly as the country maintains significant economic and cultural ties with Russia despite supporting EU sanctions.

The monitoring efforts by citizen groups like those behind “The Putin Plague” report represent part of a broader civil society response to foreign disinformation campaigns, working alongside government efforts to counter propaganda that European authorities consider harmful to democratic processes and information integrity.