La salle de presse ISD-Investigation: An anti-Ukrainian community on X as gateway for Russian propaganda in the Czech information space

ISD-Investigation: An anti-Ukrainian community on X as gateway for Russian propaganda in the Czech information space

PoliticsPolitical parties / Political lifeDiplomacy / InternationalEurope
ISD / AFP / CASM research project

ISD / AFP / CASM research project

London, September 5, 2025:  One month before the Czech parliamentary elections, an investigation released by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), an independent research organisation dedicated to safeguarding democracy and human rights, reveals that a Czech-language community on X promotes content that reinforces hostility towards Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, portrays Russia as unfairly demonised, and seeks to erode support for Czech foreign policy positions. 

ISD-Investigation: An anti-Ukrainian community on X as gateway for Russian propaganda in the Czech information space
(ARCHIVE) A woman casts her ballot during the Czech parliamentary elections on October 08, 2021. AFP/ MICHAL CIZEK
Partager cet article sur les réseaux sociaux

Key Findings 

  • ISD identified a loose community of 70 presumably pseudonymous Czech-language accounts that systematically share anti-Ukrainian content, pro-Russian propaganda and conspiracy theories.  
  • The community includes a core group of micro-influencer accounts (that post original content multiple times a day in response to ongoing events) and amplifier accounts that primarily repost content. 
  • Reposted content includes material from Russian state media and other sources promoting pro-Kremlin messages. Material is frequently repackaged for Czech audiences and redistributed throughout the community. 
  • Despite limited reach, the community functions as a conduit for Russian propaganda. By aligning messaging with anti-establishment and populist parties, it could play a role in online political discourse around the October 2025 parliamentary elections. 

    READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION HERE 

This report has been released as part of the research project titled "Exploring the interplay between pro-Kremlin ecosystems and extremist movements in Europe", co-funded by the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF)
The sole responsibility for any content supported by EMIF lies with the author(s) and it may not necessarily reflect the positions of the EMIF and the Fund Partners, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the European University Institute.

ISD / AFP / CASM research project

ISD / AFP / CASM research project

Contacts

Créer gratuitement votre compte pour accéder aux contacts des communicants MediaConnect

C'est parti !