Executive Summary
Following the recent surge of irregular migration into Ceuta, RT's English (1) and Spanish (2) editions were among the first FIMI state outlets to establish the narrative around the crisis. Their coverage focused on portraying the Spanish government as unwilling and unable to respond. RT Spanish highlighted (3) footage of a migrant allegedly shouting “¡Viva Pedro Sánchez!” after entering Spain irregularly, encouraging audiences to associate the migration surge directly with the Spanish government. They also stressed that Spain and Morocco described (4) bilateral relations as “excellent,” hinting that the government cared more about politics than about the local population.
These narratives were subsequently amplified and expanded across the Spanish-language Telegram network affiliated with InfoDefense, both targeting Spain and Latin America.
FIMI channel Desinformador Ruso questioned (5) where the Spanish army was during what it described as the attempted takeover of Ceuta, arguing that it “no longer defended Spain” but NATO's interests. The same channel mocked (6) the government's response, claiming that the army had been deployed only to “serve paella” to migrants while authorities prioritized medical examinations over border protection. Rokot Tormenta similarly argued (7) that Spain was losing Ceuta and Melilla while Spaniards defended their country only by “eating paella and taking a siesta.” The Latin America-targeting FIMI channel Los Sombreros Blancos reposted (8) Desinformador Ruso's publication on the lack of Madrid's support despite repeated appeals from local authorities, again portraying the government as deliberately abandoning its own citizens.
Another Latin America-targeting channel El Ojo Noticias posted (9) a video of migrants jumping over the fence with the following comment:
“Ceuta declared an 'absolute migration emergency' following a new wave of illegal border crossings. The regional government stated that its available resources had been exhausted,”
adding that the town is asking Madrid for help. Guerras y Geopolítica posted (10) a video of a fight on a Ceuta street, stating, “first confrontations between migrants and Ceuta locals have begun.”
These narratives were actively reinforced through mutual reposts across the network, with channels such as Desinformador Ruso, Rokot Tormenta, Los Sombreros Blancos, and Geopolitica Actual repeatedly amplifying (11, 12) one another's content.
Some borderline conspiratorial messages were also present. Geopolitica Actual suggested (13) that Donald Trump's unexpectedly positive meeting with Pedro Sánchez in Ankara explained the subsequent migration surge, implying that Washington had pressured Madrid into allowing migrants to enter Spain, adding, “but hey, at least we won the World Cup!”
The campaign also extended to X, where English-language FIMI actors adapted the narratives for international audiences. RT correspondent Chay Bowes described (14) the arrival of migrants in Ceuta as proof that Europe had lost control of its borders, writing that anyone reaching Ceuta gained “automatic entry into EU territory” before asking: “Can you imagine this happening in the US or China? Never.” The FIMI-affiliated X account Lord Bebo similarly framed (15) the arrivals as an immediate security threat, stating that he had counted “0 women” among those entering Spain and implying that Europe was admitting only potentially dangerous young men.
Although the campaign is only beginning, it already demonstrates that the migration crisis is being used to reinforce broader anti-European narratives.
Across platforms, Kremlin-aligned FIMI actors portray Spain and Europe as weak, externally controlled, and incapable of protecting their citizens, using the crisis to further undermine trust in democratic institutions.