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Unmasking Spanish-language media pushing Kremlin narratives (Part 2)
Building on our initial analysis of Spanish-language outlets disseminating Kremlin propaganda, Espreso delves further into how these platforms amplify disinformation
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This article builds upon the previously published research on Spanish-language media and pro-Kremlin outlets, which have become instrumental in advancing Russia’s propaganda and disinformation campaigns. The prior piece focused on identifying the key outlets involved, the most prevalent narratives, and a detailed exploration of one of them. You can read the first article here.
In this second part, we delve into the next three narratives that we have identified:
- Claiming Russia’s imminent victory and the defeat of Ukraine and the West.
- Anti-Western sentiment, portraying the EU and the U.S. as imperialist forces.
- Glorifying Russia as a protector and savior from harmful influences.
“Russia is winning the war, the defeat of Ukraine and the West is close”
The misionverdad.com outlet, that we have covered in the first part, also promotes narratives about Russia's supposedly invincible air defense system, claiming it is a response to escalations by Ukraine and the West. Furthermore, it suggests that Ukraine is on the brink of inevitable and rapid military defeat, reinforcing Kremlin-aligned messaging.
In addition to war-related content, the website praises the BRICS initiative and portrays it as a counterbalance to Western influence, while casting the West in a consistently negative light.
- https://misionverdad.com/globalistan/la-inminente-derrota-militar-de-ucrania
- https://misionverdad.com/globalistan/un-balance-geopolitico-de-la-xvi-cumbre-de-los-brics-en-kazan
Additionally, the platform critiques Western financial and military aid to Ukraine, alleging mismanagement and highlighting economic losses for Western nations as a consequence of this support.
The website nuevarevolucion.es highlights Europe’s reliance on Russian fuel while casting doubt on the viability of NATO’s intervention in Ukraine. It characterizes NATO’s presence as an “occupation,” claiming it is economically exploitative and unsustainable.
The outlet ctxt.es focuses on Russia’s military advancements, such as the development of the "Oreshnik" missile system, which it argues provide Moscow with an edge over Ukraine and NATO. NATO is portrayed as the primary provocateur, allegedly escalating tensions and forcing Russia into a defensive posture.
"Oreshnik visits Yuzhmash. With the attack on the Dnipro missile factory, Moscow demonstrates that it is capable of continuing the military escalation in Ukraine. Images of the supersonic hail of explosions over the NATO factory in Dnipropetrovsk have been broadcast ad nauseam in the media."
The articles frame Ukraine as a Western proxy, suggesting its resistance against Russia is unsustainable and that Western involvement unnecessarily prolongs the war. This narrative frequently implies that a Russian victory is inevitable. Additionally, ctxt.es says that the West’s actions increase the risk of nuclear conflict, shifting responsibility for potential escalation onto NATO and its allies.
“How will NATO respond to its defeat in Ukraine? The military defeat of Ukraine is a given, but the most dangerous thing is that it will also, and above all, be a NATO defeat against Russia “by proxy”. If attacked by a superior military force such as NATO, the Russian ruling group will declare an “existential danger” for Russia, which according to its doctrine, which is being corrected to make it more flexible, means the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons.”
“Ukraine is getting closer and closer to the 'Hiroshima moment'. The situation in Ukraine offers Russia more and more military and geopolitical reasons to use tactical nuclear weapons. Russia wants to end the war in an acceptable way. Even after it has conquered the Donbas provinces, it will face continuous attacks with long-range weaponry provided by the United States and its junior NATO partners.”
The so-called ‘alternative media’ Mente Alternativa reposts the disinformation posted by Russian intelligence. "The West's new strategy for Ukraine under Trump: NATO bets on freezing the conflict with a 'peace mission' for occupation, according to Russian intelligence. The West, with no expectations of a strategic victory against Russia, plans to occupy Ukraine under a “peace mission.” According to the Russian SVR, 100,000 NATO troops will be deployed and the territory will be divided into allied-controlled zones."
This media spreads the pro-Kremlin narrative that an evil NATO threatens Russia, bringing the world closer to nuclear war, and Russia is simply forced to respond to the ‘Armageddon desired by the Biden administration’, repeating Kremlin’s fakes about ‘Nazis in Ukraine’.
A Chile-based Spanish-language news website Piensa Chile often quotes Russian foreign intelligence, Russian state propaganda media and reposts their content, including pro-Kremlin narratives and manipulations, demonizing the EU, the US and Ukraine, and promoting Moscow's views.
Notably, Piensa Chile disseminated a false story claiming that the West planned to partition Ukraine. It also circulated claims about Ukraine's imminent defeat on the battlefield, suggesting that Ukrainian forces were on the verge of collapse.
Geoestrategia.es presents itself as a platform operated by the self-proclaimed Spanish Institute of Geopolitics. It is managed by Juan Antonio Aguilar, a former Spanish military officer known for contributing to Russia’s propaganda platforms Sputnik and RT and for frequent visits to Moscow. The outlet has recently moved to a new domain, Geoestrategia.eu.
Geoestrategia.es frames Russia's war in Ukraine as a NATO proxy conflict, accusing Europe of instigating the war while avoiding any criticism of Moscow. The platform promotes Russian disinformation about supposed ‘Nazi influence in Ukraine’ and circulates various conspiracy theories. Additionally, it consistently praises Russia and its leadership, including weapons like Oreshnik, while perpetuating pro-Moscow narratives.
“Europe's submission: the real objectives of the U.S. war in Ukraine. In its grand geopolitical maneuvers regarding Ukraine, the United States must have been fully aware of the unlikelihood of dismantling Russia's military strength or eroding its political coherence through conventional warfare or economic sanctions.”
“Concealing defeat: In full delirium, NATO continues to drag the world into war and threatens “pre-emptive strikes” on Russia. NATO countries are considering preemptive strikes against Russia in the event of an armed conflict, said Admiral Rob Bauer, head of the bloc's Military Committee.”
Anti-Western sentiment: Depicting the EU and U.S. as imperialist powers
La Casa de Mitia is a Spanish-language web platform that supports Russia and China while condemning and demonizing the West and Turkey. It advocates for a new multipolar world order and covers the Russia-Ukraine war from a pro-Kremlin perspective. Its articles spread falsehoods about the war, mock the West, and vilify both Western nations and Turkey.
“The number of Ukrainian soldiers is being reduced at a steady and increasing rate: more than 12,000 died in the last week alone.” “Still, Russia is shocked by the blatant lies, double-dealing and naivety of Turkey.”
In an article by Augusto Zamora R., a former Nicaraguan ambassador to Spain and professor of Public International Law and International Relations at the Autonomous University of Madrid, reiterates Kremlin disinformation about the perceived evils of NATO and Atlanticism. It also defends the actions of Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
“NATO has been at war with the world for 25 years. From Yugoslavia in 1999 to Ukraine in 2024.” “The debacle in Syria may make Iran see that it's only possibility of resistance would lie in developing its nuclear potential. In North Korea they understood this in time. In Russia, they have finally understood it.”
The Venezuelan outlet Aporrea.org promotes a pro-Russian and anti-Western perspective, framing Russia and China as leaders of a multipolar world order that resists the “unipolar domination” imposed by the United States, NATO, and their allies. Their actions are depicted as protective efforts to uphold sovereignty, not only for themselves but also for nations marginalized by ‘Western imperial interests’.
Aporrea.org casts NATO, the U.S., and the U.K. as the main aggressors, accusing them of extending their influence through military interventions, economic strategies, and ideological campaigns. In this framing, Ukraine is seen as a mere pawn in a larger geopolitical struggle, with the West leveraging the conflict to weaken Russia while consolidating its dominance across global affairs.
The outlet Diario Octubre pushes a narrative aimed at demonizing both Ukraine and the West, often relying on Russian propaganda and anti-Western rhetoric.
“…the takeover of the country [Syria] by terrorist groups in the service of US and European imperialism.”
“...the European Union (EU) called rebels, when they know that they are terrorists, see how the EU closes their doors. This behaviour of this very anti-democratic and even fascist institution gives them away.”
The platform reposted an RT video titled “Ukraine and the West: A Factory of Lies”, which falsely asserts that Western PR agencies manipulate public opinion about Ukraine and NATO.
“PR agencies that set the news agenda in the West. Top executives of US social media companies with close ties to intelligence services. All united in a vast Western-funded network of influence aimed at manipulating public opinion and cleaning up the image of wars waged against US enemies. The most recent application of these methods is the forced narrative in media coverage of the conflict in Ukraine.”
Another piece originating from the “Madrid Platform against NATO and the Bases” brands NATO as the “empire of lies.” It spreads various false claims, such as NATO and EU forces operating in Ukraine, Russian attacks targeting only military installations, and baseless assertions that Western leaders made deceptive promises to Gorbachev not to expand NATO eastward. Additionally, it includes inflammatory anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, referring to supposed “Ukronazi” elements.
“First, they should know this well, since NATO and the EU have troops stationed in Ukraine, so they know very well who their dead are.”
“Secondly, to date Russian attacks have been limited to military targets and energy centres, in order to cut off the sources of energy for the Ukronazi army.”
“...since after the disappearance of the USSR, the Western leaders promised Gorbachev that NATO would not move one centimeter to the East…”
The outlet Tercera Informacion published an article by Federico Ticchi on his experience at the International Summit in North Korea on Anti-Capitalism, Peoples' Sovereignty and Juche. The publication depicts North Korea as a last Communist bastion with spotlessly clean streets and nice people. But the publication fails to mention that it is the cruelest totalitarian regime in the world.
“Koreans tend to be very respectful of their leaders, almost as if they were gods, because they were the ones who had given them freedom, against the oppression of centuries of invasions from different countries, led by Japan.”
The same individual who runs Nueva Revolución, a pro-Russian, biased outlet, also manages Contrainformación, a far-left, pro-Moscow publication in Spain. This outlet covers Ukraine from a communist and pro-Russian angle, promoting a pro-Moscow narrative. Putin's propaganda often exploits claims about Nazis in Ukraine to justify the war. Contrainformación maintains a strong anti-Western stance, attributing responsibility for the war to NATO rather than Russia. However, its rhetoric against Ukraine has become somewhat less intense over time.
One notable statement from the outlet reads:
"The war in Ukraine and anti-imperialism. A successful Russian invasion of Ukraine would embolden the United States to pursue a path of world domination by force, amidst an intensification of global colonial divisions and the deepening of international antagonisms."
La Pluma is a Spanish-language media outlet, which sometimes publishes opinion pieces with anti-Western and pro-Kremlin views, including those by pro-Russian author Rafael Poch, often uses graphic collages that positively portray Russia and demonize the West and the US. It refers to RT and other Russian propagandists in its articles. It shifts the blame for the war to NATO and the West, fails to condemn the Russian invasion, and has been regularly publishing predictions of Ukraine's inevitable defeat for three years.
“You do not spare criticism of NATO's anti-Russian policy, stating that “the way Russia was treated at the end of the Cold War was a short-sighted policy of the United States and the Atlanticists”. Is this not a way of explaining Russia's reaction with its “special military operation” in Ukraine? Did not the Ukrainian state's policies towards its Russian-speaking population in the Donbass contribute to its outbreak?”
“The main concern of the US, which also explains its policies -including NATO's war in Ukraine in its eagerness to encircle Russia- is the loss of its hegemonic power capacity, due to the economic expansion of China and other emerging powers.”
“Ukraine, year three. The transformation of Russia. The Russia of today is not, nor will it be, the USSR of yesterday, but the logic of the struggle between the state-subordinated capitalism characteristic of Russia and Western transnational capitalism is giving rise to a transformation of great importance for the world as a whole.”
“Ukraine, year three. Ukraine loses the war.
What is left of Ukraine will be in charge of organizing instability in those occupied territories with the help of NATO, forcing the establishment of Russian police and “anti-terrorist” administrations there with the usual panoply of violence, attacks, torture and missing persons.”
Glorification of Russia as a defender
The narratives presented on Aporrea.org advocate for sovereignty and challenge alleged NATO and Western oligarchic influence, while promoting an alliance between Russia and China as a counterbalance to global oligarchic powers. Aporrea.org suggests that Russia and China work together to challenge the dominance of Western-backed global institutions and economic systems, promoting a so-called multipolar world
The outlet RedRadioVe, through narratives presented in the article, highlights a commitment to a culturally resilient, independent, and sovereign Russia that values its internal diversity, historical figures, language, and a deep-rooted connection to Russian traditions and self-determination.
The narratives presented on Africando.org promote a multipolar world where Western global influence is challenged, while highlighting Russia’s sovereignty and victimization. One of the key ideas is the framing of NATO as a tool of global plutocracy and neoliberal interests.
In contrast, Russia is presented as a victim, unfairly targeted and accused by NATO and other Western forces.
“...in Romania, the grooms of the plutocracy of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and NATO/European Union (EU)/G-7 cancelled, under the childish pretext of Russian interference, the presidential election, where the sovereignist Călin Georgescu was the overwhelming favorite…”
An article published on Insurgente.org suggests that Russia is unbeatable and that the EU is a disgrace. The piece claims that the governments of Western nations, by continuing to act as “lackeys” of the United States, are steering their countries toward catastrophic conflict. It warns that the EU risks losing vital trade partnerships, particularly with Russia, and could suffer devastating military consequences. The article states:
“The governments of Western countries are heading towards a conflict that is greatly detrimental to them because of their stubbornness in continuing to be lackeys of the United States. In addition to losing a trading partner and supplier of raw materials, such as Russia, the EU risks suffering bombings on its own territory and seeing its own military infrastructure reduced to ashes. Russia has shown its power…”
https://insurgente.org/los-aplausos-de-la-verguenza/
Network of pro-Russian Telegram channels in Spanish
Pro-Russian actors leverage social media platforms like X, Facebook, and especially Telegram to amplify pro-Kremlin and anti-Western narratives, leveraging their algorithms to spread content rapidly to large audiences.
Telegram, in particular, has become a crucial platform for pro-Russian groups to disseminate propaganda, mobilize support, and engage audiences across multiple countries. The key Telegram channels and groups listed below, which share news (propaganda) reports in Spanish, significantly contribute to the Kremlin's influence operations.
- https://t.me/ukr_leaks_esp/
- https://t.me/sputnikmundo/
- https://t.me/infodefSPAIN/
- https://t.me/ucraniando/
- https://t.me/surf_noise_sp/
- https://t.me/pravdaescom/
- https://t.me/rybaresp/
- https://t.me/tass_es/
- https://t.me/elzoomrt/
- https://t.me/frentemilitargeo/
- https://t.me/pravdaescom/
- https://t.me/rtnoticias/
- https://t.me/smolny7/
- https://t.me/elresumenmilitar/
Thus, Spain’s media landscape shows a distinct focus for Russian propaganda due to historical ties between Moscow and local communist and far-left movements (since Soviet Union times). Additionally, Russia's influence is strengthened by support from friendly outlets in Latin America, particularly from countries with leftist dictatorial regimes like Cuba and Venezuela. While the outlets identified exhibit different levels of bias, they all contribute to Russia’s information warfare abroad.
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