Kremlin pushing anti-Ukrainian propaganda across Global South - watchdog

This was reported on Telegram by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Ukrinform saw.

"Director of the Department for Partnership with Africa at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Tatyana Dovgalenko, uttered fake Ru-propaganda that Kyiv is allegedly training militants in the Sahel, and that Western weapons provided to Ukraine are allegedly falling into the hands of terrorists in Africa. At the same time, she portrays the Russian Federation as a ‘guarantor of stability’. The purpose of such statements is to discredit Ukraine and change the world's perception of the war that the Russian Federation is waging against our state," the statement reads.

As the watchdog emphasized, Russia is an important factor in destabilizing Africa as mercenaries from the Wagner Group have participated in military coups and armed conflicts, which allowed the Kremlin to gain access to natural resources across the continent. Moscow seeks to increase political influence in the region in order to strengthen the anti-Western bloc in global politics.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in March the Kremlin ramped up its propaganda efforts to spread its narratives and influence in Africa. In particular, Moscow planned to create centers of cooperation with African bloggers and set up a Russian television network in Africa.