Kremlin FIMI campaigns
in Europe:
Spain

The Kremlin — including President Putin personally — has been actively promoting the narrative that Spaniards are sympathetic to Russia and Russians, and are even willing to demonstrate their support on the streets by participating in overtly pro-Kremlin offline events. The most prominent of these events in Spain, and across the EU, is the “Immortal Regiment” — a propaganda campaign that originated in 2011 as a grassroots initiative to commemorate those who died in WWII, but which has since been co-opted by the Kremlin and transformed into a demonstration of support for the Russian government and, since 2022, its aggression against Ukraine.

The May 11, 2025 “Immortal Regiment” march in Madrid was promoted by the Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti as “the largest action in Europe,” reporting an alleged turnout of around 3,000 participants. In reality, the event drew approximately 400–500 people. Organizer Viktoria Samoilova emphasized that “this year there were significantly more Spaniards and other foreigners among the participants.” The inflated attendance figures — exposed by Spain’s leading newspaper El Mundo — suggest that the Kremlin considers such reports critically important and may have set high turnout KPIs for the Spanish event as part of its local malign influence operations.

Viktoria Samoilova plays a key role in coordinating offline actions in Madrid. She is not formally a state official (and has even criticized the Russian embassy in Spain on her Telegram channel), but heads the Association for the Development of Cooperation between Russia and Spain. A pro-war activist, Samoilova frequently organizes and participates in Russian- and Spanish-language events that advance Kremlin narratives — most of which are aimed at influencing Spanish public opinion. One example: Samoilova brought posters commemorating “those who died for Donbas” to a May 11, 2024 pro-Palestinian rally, marching as part of the “Victims of NATO Wars” bloc.

Since 2024, at least seven pro-war events targeting the Russian-speaking audience have been held in Spain. At the same time, Spain-based organizations presenting themselves as “independent local entities” have supported or organized at least eight Kremlin-narrative conferences in 2024. Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels in Spain actively disseminate photos and videos of anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western street actions — usually involving anonymous alleged Spanish activists addressing their fellow citizens. Since 2024, there have been no fewer than ten such actions.

During the Kremlin’s “Knowledge. First” propaganda marathon on April 30, Viktoria Samoilova was given the opportunity to pose a question directly to Vladimir Putin — clear evidence of the Kremlin’s strategic focus on Spain as a potential neutral government in the post-war era, interested in economic cooperation. In his reply, President Putin greeted Samoilova in Spanish (“Buenos días”), praised her “bravery and courage,” and endorsed her proposal to meet with coordinators of pro-Kremlin actions across Europe. Putin also remarked that “there are many people in Spain and in Europe who share our views.” His remarks likely signal both the rising status of Viktoria Samoilova within the pro-war movement in Europe and the prospect of expanded informational, organizational, and financial support for the Spanish cell of formally non-state-aligned pro-Kremlin activists and similar groups.

In his response, Vladimir Putin articulated the Kremlin’s overarching narrative toward Spain: “I have no doubt that sooner or later, we will restore our relations with Europe — that’s inevitable. And that will happen thanks to people like you [referring to Samoilova, an operator of Kremlin influence in Spain], and to people who were born and raised in Spain — some Spaniards were even born and raised in the Soviet Union, the children of families who fled there during the Spanish Civil War. We have a foundation to build on.”

In the worldview constructed by the Kremlin, European governments are being forced to conform to the NATO and EU mainstream, even though they would prefer to maintain friendly relations with Moscow — particularly in trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.

The Kremlin amplifies every statement by a Spanish politician that can be interpreted as pro-Russian in order to reinforce its narrative. One such case was a remark made by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares on February 2, 2025: “We all understand that when peace comes, Europe will still share a very long border with Russia, and we must restore relations with it.” This comment, published in an interview with El Diario, was distorted by pro-Kremlin media, who framed it as proof of Russia’s strength and legitimacy, and presented it as a sign that the “collective West” is to blame for the deterioration of relations.

The Russian state outlet SM News claimed: “The Spanish Foreign Ministry has acknowledged that the EU will have to restore ties with Russia. This is the first such statement from a European foreign ministry, excluding Hungary and Slovakia.” In fact, the full quote from Minister Albares was: “I believe that all Europeans are very clear on what our relationship with Putin should be, as well as our position on the war of aggression. At the same time, we are all aware that when peace eventually comes, Europe will still share a long border with Russia, and we must reestablish a relationship with Russia. However, this must be based on the principles of sovereign equality between states and mutual respect — respect for the European project, which is a project of democracy, pluralism, tolerance, and peace.”

The Kremlin’s propaganda machine has also actively exploited a brief comment by Spanish Ambassador to Russia Ricardo Martínez, who said in an interview with the main state propaganda channel “Rossiya 1”: “Our peoples understand each other very well, and our peoples want to be together in tourism, and we will work [on that],” — said the ambassador on November 10, 2024. This isolated — though extremely troubling statement by a Spanish diplomat was used by the propaganda apparatus to portray a supposed eagerness on the part of European countries to restore relations with the Kremlin.

Since Madrid is pursuing a dual policy — on the one hand expressing a desire to develop tourism with Russia amid missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, and on the other, at least rhetorically, maintaining a tough stance on the war in Ukraine — the Kremlin is likewise balancing its approach. Any actions by Madrid that the Kremlin interprets as unfriendly are immediately explained not as genuine Spanish intent, but rather as the country’s dependency on the broader course of the EU and NATO, while within Spain itself, the Kremlin “discovers manifestations of neo-Nazism.” “Personally, I believe that relations with NATO are one of the main problems of modern Spain,” — said Russian Ambassador to Spain Yuri Klimenko to RIA Novosti on December 18, 2024. In the same vein, the ambassador commented to the propaganda outlet TASS on May 5 regarding proposals by the Spanish government to use frozen Russian assets: “This year, we never cease to be amazed by the variety of statements made in EU capitals, which, in our opinion, once again confirm the inequality of relations within NATO.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry, as in other countries where the Kremlin receives mixed signals and perceives opportunities for division, accompanies flattering statements about Spain from Putin with narratives of “Euro-Nazism.” In a report dated April 25, 2025, it noted: “various forms of neo-Nazism are not uncommon in Spain, and there is noticeable activity by radical nationalist groups.”

To target the Spanish domestic audience, the Kremlin adapts its familiar message box, emphasizing topics that resonate with Spanish society: an anti-Israel narrative — to build trust with certain audience segments, a “decolonial” anti-American narrative, justification of the invasion of Ukraine through a fabricated struggle against “neo-Nazis,” criticism of the behavior of Ukrainian refugees in host countries, promotion of traditional values and opposition to LGBTQ+, as well as a focus on Europe’s dependence on Russian energy resources.

The Kremlin’s primary propaganda and disinformation narrative in 2025 is the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory over Fascism — not because it is a World War II jubilee, but because the Kremlin this year directly links this historical event to a “new victory over fascism” in Ukraine and European countries.

The EU’s blocking of Kremlin-affiliated media outlets has certainly impacted the Kremlin’s operations in the European media space. In response, propaganda efforts have increasingly focused on a sprawling network of Telegram channels — some masquerading as local independent outlets, others presenting themselves as Russians writing the “truth” in Spanish.

In the Latin American space, several pro-war Telegram networks stand out: InfoDefenseESPAÑOL — from the international network of Russian pro-war blogger Yuri Podolyaka, the ROKOT | TORMENTA channel — from the Surf Noise network, created by the Russian pro-war channel “Rokot,” and UKR LEAKS_esp — from the network run by former SBU officer Vasily Prozorov (13 channels).

But the largest channels are Irina 🇷🇺, Eureka News, Vakulinchuk, Alena Rusa, and the most prominent propagandist active across all platforms — Liu Sivaya. She is part of the network of the Russian pro-war Telegram channel “Rybar,” associated with former Russian Ministry of Defense press service employee Mikhail Zvinchuk.

Russian Embassy in Spain (official)

The official pages of the Russian Embassy in Spain provide informational support for the ambassador’s activities and offline events involving him, while promoting predetermined messages. In the highlights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Instagram page, Embajada de Rusia en España, there is a series of stories featuring the letter “Z” as a symbol of support for the Russian army. The embassy’s account feed contains over 100 posts related to the war, accusing the Ukrainian side. A striking example of targeting messages to the Spanish audience is a post from December 14, 2023, quoting President Vladimir Putin, who compares Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, emphasizing the Kremlin’s “humanity.”

RT and TASS

Despite the blocking of Russia Today in 2022, seven channels of the network continue to operate, maintaining reach through the Spanish-speaking audience from other countries. The network’s channels include: RT en Español (228.1K subscribers, average reach — 27.1K), RT Videos (35K / 3.1K), RtrepoRTeros (13.3K / 3.2K), RT Play (21.2K / 2.6K, inactive since February 25), RT Ultima Hora (41.8K / 13.6K), RT en vivo (10.3K / 1.8K), RT Latinoamerica (31.2K / 6.8K). A similar situation exists with the blocking and retention of reach for the Spanish-language channels of the propaganda agency Sputnik: Sputnik Mundo (77.4K / 5.3K) and Sputnik Mundo Visual (20K / 5.8K). On March 24, 2023, the Spanish-language channel of the state agency TASS was created (not blocked): TASS - Agencia rusa de noticias — 33.5K subscribers, average reach — 4.7K.

International Network of “Rybar” Channels

The Kremlin places significant emphasis on bloggers who are not directly affiliated with the state but disseminate pro-war propaganda narratives. This reduces the likelihood of being blocked in Western countries and allows the message to reach an audience that is more skeptical of overtly Kremlin-aligned sources. In Spain and Latin America, there are several large Telegram networks operating in this format. A notable feature of the Kremlin’s Telegram networks in Latin America is the absence of open competition between channels, which actively reference each other, complementing and expanding narratives. The largest network of channels broadcasting Kremlin narratives to the Spanish-speaking audience is associated with the Russian military blogger “Rybar” and its founder Mikhail Zvinchuk, who works with the Russian Ministry of Defense. He has acknowledged the existence of a network comprising 130 channels.

List of Participants

- Liu Sivaya — the largest Spanish-speaking Kremlin propagandist. Currently residing in Moscow, she records daily videos reviewing major world political events with a focus on the war in Ukraine. Key narratives of Liu Sivaya include praising Vladimir Putin and his policies while discrediting Western leaders, glorifying Russian soldiers, shifting responsibility for war crimes to Ukraine, and criticizing NATO and the EU. One of her regular segments is “Exposing Western Propaganda.” Her Instagram has 62.9K followers, YouTube — 455K. Liu Sivaya covered the “Immortal Regiment” event in Madrid in 2022 and has visited annexed Mariupol multiple times. Her Telegram channel has 142.1K subscribers, average reach — 77.9K. She most frequently mentions the channels Irina🇷🇺 (1,011 times), Vakulinchuk (218 times), “Rybar” (67 times); her channel is mentioned by: Irina🇷🇺 — 416 times, Eureka News — 248 times, Rokot — 236 times, InfoDefenseESPAÑOL — 172 times. Liu Sivaya also mentions Rokot — 80 times and TASS - Agencia rusa de noticias — 50 times.

- Eureka News — 13.3K subscribers on Telegram, average reach — 740. The channel has been cited 101 times by the security-affiliated channel “Two Majors” (English version), as well as Rokot (93 mentions). Eureka News mentions “Rybar” — 3,326 times, “Two Majors” (English) — 950 times, Vakulinchuk — 311 times. The channel was the original source of the report on the killing of helicopter pilot Maxim Kuzminov in Spain. It was Eureka News’s post (9 reposts, 11 likes, 455 views) that TASS agency referenced. The connection with “Rybar” is confirmed by the number of mutual posts. The channel also publishes Russian military briefings. It has a Spanish-language Twitter account with 40.9K followers.

- Vakulinchuk — 14.6K subscribers on Telegram, average reach — 2.7K. Mentions Rokot — 474 times, Eureka News — 311, Irina🇷🇺 — 261, Liu Sivaya — 218, Alena Rusa — 164. It is mentioned by “Rybar” — 337 times, UKR LEAKS_esp — 328 times. Often the first to publish photos and videos from offline events in Spain, aligning with Kremlin narratives.

- Irina🇷🇺 — 76.2K subscribers on Telegram, average reach — 12.4K. The channel has existed since April 13, 2022. Mentions Liu Sivaya — 1,026 times, InfoDefenseESPAÑOL — 422, Rokot — 366. It is mentioned by “Rybar” — 655 times, Liu Sivaya — 418 times. In addition to anti-American and anti-NATO posts, it reports on corresponding offline events in Spain.

- Alena Rusa — 16.7K subscribers on Telegram, average reach — 2.9K. Mentions Rokot — 164 times, InfoDefenseESPAÑOL — 160 times. It is mentioned by: Vakulinchuk — 164 times, Rokot — 143 times.

In Latin America, the “Rybar” network operates two channels:

- “Sex, Cartels, Frida Kahlo” — 30,000 subscribers, average reach — 8,300. 761 of its posts have been reposted by “Rybar.” The channel covers criminal showdowns and publishes anti-American and homophobic content. In March 2022, it disseminated disinformation about the trafficking of human organs allegedly for transplantation into wounded Ukrainian soldiers. “Rybar” reposted the post about “black-market transplantologists.”

- “Tales from the Favelas” — 3,900 subscribers; inactive since January 2024. 204 of its posts have been reposted by the “Rybar” channel.

Channels positioning themselves as foreign news outlets

- InfoDefenseESPAÑOL — 27,500 subscribers. A news channel within the international network of pro-war blogger Yury Podolyaka (one of 31 news channels). The Spanish-language InfoDefense covers the war in Ukraine less intensively but displays a distinctly anti-American, conservative, and conspiratorial slant. One of its main distributors is Viktor Ternovsky (27,500 subscribers), an employee of the Sputnik Mundo news agency, which is part of the state-owned “Russia Today” holding. The Spanish-language InfoDefense is cited by other pro-Russian Spanish-language channels like ROKOT | TORMENTA (20,600 subscribers) and Ucraniando (31,200 subscribers).

- UKR LEAKS_esp — 14,200 subscribers, with an average post reach of 1,400. A propaganda news channel from the network of former SBU officer Vasily Prozorov (13 channels). Since April 2014, Prozorov has collaborated with Russian intelligence services and now focuses on “exposing the crimes and lies of the scoundrels who took power after the Maidan.”

- Rokot | Tormenta — 20,600 subscribers, 1,600 reach. (Ucraniando — 525 mentions, InfoDefenseESPAÑOL — 449 mentions.) Part of the Surf Noise network, created by the Russian pro-war channel “Rokot” (15 channels aimed at “fighting fakes”).

The channel Desinformador ruso (9,800 subscribers) positions itself as an “anti-globalist platform” that reports on intelligence and attacks, and coordinates volunteer efforts through a Telegram bot. In a welcome post dated March 10, 2024, the channel’s author writes: “My name is Borya, I live between Lepe and Vladivostok, and I’m passionate about Spanish and Latin American culture. On this channel, you’ll find news the system doesn’t teach you, Russian songs with Spanish subtitles, original articles, interesting stories, memes, and agitprop material.”

The channel makes heavy use of ironic language, stickers, and memes, and likely aims to appeal to a youth audience. The channel was created on March 8, 2024, and currently has 182 subscribers. Without reposts, its posts receive up to 1,000 views. It has been reposted by the following: 392 times — by the Rokot channel (from the Surf Noise network created by the Russian pro-war channel “Rokot”), 319 times — by the Nuevos paradigmas channel (anti-American and anti-Israeli), 316 times — by the Ucraniando channel (anti-Ukrainian, pro-Russian), and 258 times — by InfoDefenseESPAÑOL (from the international network of top pro-war blogger Yury Podolyaka).

On February 16 2025, the Desinformador ruso tg-channel proudly reported a leak of data belonging to servants from the organization Medios de Prevención Externos Sur SL, and sarcastically recommended using only their services. On the same day, the channel stated it was collecting personal information — via bot — on “persons of interest,” the first of which was Alberto Rojas, a photojournalist from El Mundo, whom the channel accused of illegally entering Russia’s Kursk region and collaborating with Ukrainian military and intelligence.

On February 17, the channel published a post with details about him and a link to a “full dossier”. On February 4, the channel suggested attacking Spanish ski resorts. On January 30, it posted cyberattack targets — seaports and government agencies — in order to “punish the Spanish authorities” for an incident involving Russian sailors. On January 17 and 20, and again on February 4, it published photos and data on killed “Spanish-speaking mercenaries”. On January 17, the channel made indirect threats toward journalist Keik Minuesa and the channel La Sexta, part of the Atresmedia group: “What we know for sure is that we will not allow ourselves to be called ‘murderers.’” Thus, the channel — which coordinates cyberattacks and doxxing of Spanish-speaking soldiers and journalists involved in Ukraine — serves as a hub linking several Spanish-language pro-war networks that actively disseminate its content.

1. https://t.me/vicsa_channel/5293. Viktoria Samoilova Channel. 12/05/2025. On the outcomes of the “Immortal Regiment” event.
2. 29:00 https://yapolitic.ru/75768-moskva-kreml-putin-101124. 10/11/2024. Spanish Ambassador to Russia on the development of tourism.
3. https://t.me/liusivaya Liu Sivaya - the major Kremlin propaganda channel in Spanish.