Ukraine and the West Turn Russia’s Propaganda Playbook Against Moscow
A network of anonymous social media accounts is using Russia’s own propaganda tactics to undermine Kremlin-aligned military governments across West Africa, AOL.com reported Wednesday, citing a broader analysis of the covert information campaign.
Mystery Accounts Mirror Russian Disinformation Methods
The accounts, active since mid-2025, operate primarily in French across X, Facebook and TikTok. They target the coup-installed governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. All three regimes broke from Western partners and forged close ties with Moscow.
Their methods closely echo established Russian disinformation techniques. The accounts generate AI-produced imitations of local news broadcasts. They create counterfeit versions of Russian state media pages carrying false headlines. They cross-link and amplify one another to inflate apparent reach in search rankings.
Fabricated content has included a fake Burkina Faso state television report claiming the country was sending soldiers to fight for Iran. Another post used a doctored screengrab mimicking Russia’s Sputnik outlet. It suggested Russians were being warned to evacuate Mali ahead of a jihadist offensive.
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France Is the Leading Suspect
The accounts carry names such as La Dépêche Africaine and Scoop Africa. An investigation by Radio France Internationale and France24 traced their origins earlier this year. France has a documented history of running covert social media operations on the continent.
The content aligns squarely with French geopolitical interests. France’s foreign ministry declined to comment when asked directly about the accounts.
Paris has also escalated its public information operations. In 2025, the ministry launched French Response, an openly combative account on X. The account has mocked Russian claims about Mali and taken direct aim at American officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Background: Russia’s Grip on the Sahel
Moscow spent years building influence across the Sahel through military contractors, state media and public diplomacy. Burkina Faso became a particular focal point. The country hosts African Initiative, a nominally independent Russian news outlet that analysts describe as a vehicle for Kremlin messaging.
Russian propagandists cultivated a regional personality cult around Burkina Faso’s junta leader Ibrahim Traore. Posts in the new counter-network have sought to erode that image. One claimed Russian intelligence privately views Mali’s Assimi Goita as paranoid and difficult.
An Ethics Question Without Easy Answers
The campaign raises uncomfortable questions for Western governments. Fighting disinformation with disinformation risks corroding the broader information environment. Large-scale state deception, even in service of democratic interests, sets precedents that are difficult to contain once established.
