Russia Launches Unprecedented Attack Against Armenia: MEDUZA

The Kremlin-controlled bot network "Matryoshka" (known for spreading false information under the guise of reputable media) has initiated a campaign against Armenia's current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of parliamentary elections. According to MEDUZA, this campaign has turned out to be more extensive than those observed during the elections in the United States, Germany, and Poland combined. Additionally, this issue has been highlighted by the publications "Vot Tak" and "Agentstvo." Here are the main theses.

The "Matryoshka" campaign against Armenia has become the largest since the 2025 elections in Moldova. As of early May, based on data from the "Bot Blocker" project, the Kremlin-affiliated bot network has published 343 fake videos about Armenia and its Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which, according to "Vot Tak," is equivalent to 10.8 weeks of continuous operation. For comparison, 409 videos were released before the Moldovan elections (15.7 weeks), 180 videos before the U.S. elections (5.7 weeks), 97 videos in Germany (2.4 weeks), and 14 videos in Poland (0.5 weeks).

The "Matryoshka" campaign against Armenia began quite early, becoming the earliest in observation history. The first publications emerged 243 days before the elections scheduled for June 7, 2026. In Moldova, the campaign started 168 days prior, and in the U.S., 113 days ahead.

Disinformation in Armenia is not disseminated continuously but in waves, a representative from the "Bot Blocker" project explained. The last spike occurred before the European Political Community summit held in Yerevan on May 4, which was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In Armenia's case, "Matryoshka" has first begun spreading misinformation regarding health, specifically targeting Nikol Pashinyan's health. “When arguments about corruption, 'selling the country to the West,' and 'unleashing a war against Russia' run out or cease to work, the only factor left is health, something the individual cannot control,” noted a representative from "Bot Blocker" in an interview with "Vot Tak." Pashinyan's office has denied these claims about the Prime Minister's alleged health issues.

During the disinformation campaign, attempts are made to spread falsehoods through media outlets. On May 11, the Armenian publication "CivilNet" reported that it had been receiving letters for two years urging to 'urgently' fact-check specific publications. Moreover, messages resembling content from global media outlets are, in fact, fake.

“The structure of the messages, the accounts used, the recurring sources, and the narratives being propagated indicate a coordinated disinformation campaign,” journalists in Armenia believe. They provided several examples of such materials, including claims that Pashinyan is allegedly preparing for war against Russia.

The potential military conflict between Armenia and Russia has become one of the themes promoted by "Matryoshka." The disinformation network began releasing fake videos on the social network "X" regarding this topic at least since March 6, as noted by "Agentstvo." Overall, according to data from the "Bot Blocker" project, at least 20 such videos have appeared. Among the claims disseminated by Kremlin-affiliated bots are:

• If Pashinyan wins the parliamentary elections, Armenia will head toward military conflict with Russia.
• Pashinyan has promised to start a war to French President Emmanuel Macron.
• Millions of users on "Polymarket" have bet that Armenia will provoke a conflict with Russia.
• Actors from the series "Office" have urged Armenian citizens not to allow Pashinyan to win, as otherwise, he will "start a war against Russia."

The most recent video on this topic was released on May 11, claiming that Pashinyan’s press secretary confirmed the presence of NATO instructors working in Armenia and that after the parliamentary elections, he would "provoke military conflict with Russia." On the evening of May 9, journalists asked Vladimir Putin about Pashinyan, who had recently hosted Zelensky, providing him a platform to threaten our country. Putin responded, “As for Armenia's plans to join the European Union, that certainly requires special discussion.” The Russian President stated that “this is not our business” but proposed holding a referendum in Armenia on joining the EU.

“We are currently experiencing everything happening on the Ukrainian front. And what triggered it? Ukraine's EU membership, or attempts to join,” Putin added. Previously, the Russian President had already indicated that Moscow is against Armenia's plans to come closer to the EU and the U.S.

The Swedish publication "Blankspot" reported on May 9 that a document regarding the Kremlin's plan for influencing Armenia's elections had been obtained due to hacking the email of a Russian intelligence officer. The document reveals that Russia's goal is to reduce Pashinyan's and his "Civic Contract" party's results in the elections. Among other strategies, it suggests tripling the exposure of pro-Russian content from one million views per day to three million.