Moldovan Recipe Repeated in Yerevan: Russia Launches Full Digital War to Block Armenia's European Passport

The Kremlin's disinformation machine is in overdrive in the South Caucasus, and Armenia is its latest target. This isn't just a minor information war; it's a full-scale digital assault aimed at disrupting Armenia's parliamentary elections on June 7 and preventing its pivot towards Europe. After seeing their influence wane in Moldova, Hungary, and Romania, Moscow is deploying its most aggressive tactics to retain control over a historical ally.

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After the major failures recorded by pro-Russian forces in the Republic of Moldova, Hungary, and Romania, Moscow is using all remaining asymmetric levers to avoid definitively losing control over a former historical ally.

The playbook is eerily familiar, echoing the Russian intelligence services' operations during Moldova's 2025 elections. The central narrative weaponized by Russian propaganda labs is fear: a victory for the pro-European Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, they falsely claim, will drag Armenia into a direct military conflict with the Russian Federation. To lend credence to this lie, they've produced over a dozen deepfake videos purportedly showing Pashinian and French President Emmanuel Macron, fabricating a secret deal where France would support Yerevan militarily in exchange for Armenia opening a new front against Russia post-election.

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France would support Yerevan politically in exchange for a secret promise that Armenia will open a military front against Russia immediately after the elections.

Adding to the arsenal, the Storm-1516 network, under scrutiny by German and French intelligence, has been activated. This network, known for destabilizing democratic institutions, is not only spreading political propaganda but also financial disinformation. They've falsely accused Pashinian of embezzling millions from the Eurasian Economic Union to fund his campaign. This digital offensive is unfolding against a backdrop of increasingly strained relations between Yerevan and Moscow, highlighting Armenia's precarious geopolitical position and the intense pressure it faces.

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Storm-1516 acts intensely since January. In addition to classic political attacks, the network has launched corruption accusations against the Armenian prime minister, falsely claiming that he embezzled 11 million dollars (9.5 million euros) from the Eurasian Economic Union funds intended for digitalization to illegally finance his election campaign.