Every year on May 9th, a familiar yet unsettling scene unfolds across European cities. People gather, holding portraits of soldiers, adorned with orange-and-black ribbons, and waving red flags. While organizers present these gatherings as acts of remembrance, a deeper, more troubling reality lies beneath the surface. What Europe witnesses on Victory Day is the visible tip of a vast, state-funded influence network that Moscow has meticulously built over decades, sharply expanding its reach after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. For the Kremlin, the millions of Russian diaspora members living abroad aren’t just a community; they are a resource to be exploited. Since 2014, and especially after 2022, Russian special services and foreign policy structures have systematically transformed these diaspora networks into an active element of hybrid warfare. Their goals are crystal clear: to lobby against sanctions, create the false impression of grassroots support for Moscow’s aggression, gather intelligence, and actively discredit support for Ukraine.
This intricate system isn’t some improvised effort. It’s a carefully crafted architecture composed of ostensibly cultural or humanitarian organizations that are, in practice, directly controlled by Russian state institutions and diplomatic missions. For instance, Rossotrudnichestvo coordinates activities through its network of “Russian Houses” in dozens of cities, acting as cultural hubs that subtly promote state narratives. The Russkiy Mir Foundation finances educational initiatives that, alongside learning the language, simultaneously push political agendas. Pravfond supports various NGOs and media outlets across Europe, cleverly framing any restrictions on Russian-language content as “discrimination.” And myriad “compatriot coordination councils” effectively unite local diaspora organizations, ensuring they speak with a single political voice – a voice that invariably echoes the messages of the Russian Foreign Ministry. These aren’t just cultural exchanges; they’re integral parts of a sophisticated influence machine.
In numerous European capitals, Russian special services and diaspora structures meticulously prepare for mass events: rallies, car parades, historical reenactments, and somber flower-laying ceremonies. While local pro-Russian movements and diaspora organizations – such as the Nezakladnam CR movement in Prague or Russian Houses in Sofia, Warsaw, and Bucharest – often appear as the formal organizers, the operational design behind their cultural façade is strikingly transparent. These events become powerful platforms to spread specific messages: calls for an end to sanctions, demands for “peace at any cost” as a thinly veiled plea to halt military aid to Ukraine, accusations that the West is “inflaming the war,” and the conspicuous display of Russian and Soviet symbols in public spaces. What should be a day of solemn remembrance is repurposed into a platform for disinformation and political pressure, all coordinated through Russian embassies and state-affiliated institutions.
The “Immortal Regiment” marches, which once began as a genuine, heartwarming grassroots initiative commemorating family members who fought in World War II, have long since been co-opted and centralized by the state. The scenarios, the designated speakers, and the symbols displayed are now centrally coordinated, leaving little room for spontaneous, personal remembrance. Disturbingly, portraits of Stalin often appear alongside ubiquitous Soviet flags. Slogans like “We can repeat,” a direct reference to military conquest, echo through European streets. This isn’t memory; it’s a chilling rehearsal for a new war, a flexing of ideological muscle. To permit these Russian diaspora events to proceed without proper oversight is effectively to provide public space for a campaign that legitimizes an ongoing war on European soil. The events witnessed on May 8th and 9th are not merely memorial marches; they are deliberate platforms for diaspora influence networks and, potentially, for operational activities by structures directly connected to Russian intelligence services.
Europeans must grasp that these seemingly innocuous actions organized within their countries are not coincidentally accompanied by clear anti-sanctions and anti-Ukraine military aid messages, calls for “peace at any cost,” and accusations that the West is “inflaming the war.” These are not random expressions of opinion; they are integral tools of hybrid aggression that Russia employs to destabilize and divide European societies. Therefore, countries where Russian latent structures might operate must significantly enhance their scrutiny of such organizations’ funding transparency. They must rigorously apply foreign influence control mechanisms, clearly distinguishing between genuine cultural initiatives and politically motivated events. Crucially, they must actively support independent Russian civic initiatives, as these represent an essential counterbalance to the Kremlin’s pervasive propaganda.
Effective measures in this context include restricting the use of military and totalitarian symbols, such as St. George ribbons, the Z symbol, and Soviet symbols, which have become emblematic of aggression. Furthermore, banning public calls that justify Russia’s aggressive war is paramount. International cooperation, particularly within European and Euro-Atlantic structures, is vital. This collaboration must include sharing assessments regarding the activities of specific organizations to ensure a coordinated and effective response to the security challenges facing European societies. Another powerful tool is coordinating with Ukrainian and allied diasporas to organize alternative actions, thereby creating a counter-narrative and preventing a Russian monopoly on public discourse. As history repeatedly shows, only through unity can the grave threat posed by the Russian Federation’s actions be overcome. To the continuous frenzy of victory rhetoric that Russian propaganda relentlessly pushes, a robust barrier must be opposed. European societies must not be allowed to be divided, especially on the critical issue of supporting Ukraine in confronting the aggressor. We must unite to ensure that the slogan “European never again” decisively defeats the Russian “we can repeat,” guaranteeing that the aggressor is held accountable and that peace returns to Europe.