Documents reveal that a Russian state fund is behind extensive influence campaigns in the EU, including Denmark. According to DR, the documents from the Moscow-based fund Pravfond show that millions are spent on disseminating content that several experts describe as Russian propaganda. DR, in collaboration with European colleagues and with access to the documents from an unnamed European intelligence service, uncovered the fund’s activities. Pravfond finances a number of media outlets that distribute content in various European languages. Experts, including Mark Galeotti, director of the consultancy firm Mayak Intelligence and adjunct professor at University College London, describe the content as Russian propaganda. Galeotti, who has reviewed the documents for DR, states that Russia views it as a political war against the West, seeking to create division and undermine Western societies. Last year, Pravfond received an amount equivalent to 18 million Danish kroner, primarily funded by the Russian state. Some of these funds have been used for projects in Denmark, in which a woman with a Russian background has been involved. The documents also reveal that money has been allocated to operating the online media site EuroMore, launched shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. EuroMore contains Danish content on the “special operation in Ukraine,” “Russophobia in Europe,” and “protection of the Russian language.” Mark Galeotti describes these activities as “political warfare” and emphasizes that Russian influence activities have significantly intensified recently. This story emerged through a collaboration between several Nordic and European media outlets, including SVT, NRK, ZDF, Der Spiegel, The Guardian, and Le Monde. Despite reaching out to Pravfond and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DR has not received any comments.

Read the danish version here