# EODE PRESS OFFICE/ REVUE DE PRESSE – PRESS REVIEW – ГАЗЕТА/ WHAT IS RUSSOSPHÈRE? (FOLLOWING THE US GOOGLE AND THE BBC, 2023)

What is russosphère?

Russosphère describes itself as « a network in defence of Russia ». Made up of several social media groups on different platforms, it was created in 2021 but fully launched in February 2022 – just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The network swiftly gained over 80,000 followers.

Is Russia trying to expand its influence in Africa?

Russia has been trying to expand its influence throughout Africa in recent years. Close to a year since the invasion of Ukraine, activists aligned with Russia are pushing pro-Kremlin messages in Africa using a coordinated French-language network spanning Facebook, YouTube, Telegram and other online channels.

Researchers find new pro-Russia influence campaign targeting Africa : …
www.npr.org/2023/02/01/1152899845/a-pro-russian-social-media-campaign-is-trying-to-influence-politics-in-africa

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/africa/2022-02-17/russia-has-big-plans-africa

Is Africa one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities?

President Vladimir Putin has said Africa is one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities and has spoken about offering: Russia has been boosting its diplomatic links in the region, with various African heads of state visiting Moscow since 2015 – six of them in 2018 alone.
Russia in Africa: What’s behind Moscow’s push into the
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-45035889
See all results for this question

Are disinformation campaigns affecting Africa’s pro-Russian message?

It is difficult to assess the impact of specific disinformation campaigns, but in Africa the pro-Russian message is being heard – amplified, say analysts, by local influencers cultivated by Russia. « The success of people like Luc Michel is because of his opposition to France.

Russia in Africa: How disinformation operations target the continent
www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-64451376

Is Russia gaining political influence in Africa?

Russia has pioneered a model of disinformation to gain political influence in Africa that is now being replicated by other actors across the continent. Disinformation campaigns that have been detected and publicly documented.

Is Russia gaining political influence in Africa?

Russia has pioneered a model of disinformation to gain political influence in Africa that is now being replicated by other actors across the continent.

How many followers does Russosphere have?

Russosphere emerged in mid-2021 and has amassed more than 65,000 followers and subscribers across platforms including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, as well as the messaging app Telegram and the Russian social network VKontakte.

Researchers find new pro-Russia influence campaign targeting Africa : …
www.npr.org/2023/02/01/1152899845/a-pro-russian-social-media-campaign-is-trying-to-influence-politics-in-africa

Is a social network helping Russia expand its influence?

A large social network that promotes anti-Western and pro-Kremlin ideas is helping Russia expand its influence at the expense of France in some of its former colonies in Africa.

Russia in Africa: How disinformation operations target the continent
www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-64451376
* NOTE 1
Du 2 au7 février 2023, attaque massive internationale de l’OTAN contre le géopoliticien Luc Michel et ses réseaux pro-russes de la ‘Russosphère’ : plus de 50 articles en 15 langues, émissions TV, « rapports » bidons …

* NOTE 2
« Luc Michel, tsar de la propagande russe en Afrique » (Euractiv, France) et « un des plus grands propagandistes du Kremlin en Afrique » (TéléMoustique, Belqique), disent les médias de l’OTAN : “A large social network that promotes anti-Western and pro-Kremlin ideas is helping Russia expand its influence at the expense of France in some of its former colonies in Africa. Called Russosphère (Russian Sphere), typical posts accuse France of modern-day « colonialism », eulogise Vladimir Putin, and call the Ukrainian army « Nazis » (…) Experts say that such misinformation drives mistrust between African nations and the West, and contributes to a lack of support for Ukraine on the continent (…) the surprising figure behind it: a 65-year-old Belgian politician…” (BBC, 02 2023).

* NOTE 3
The Belgian (Flemish) daily newspaper De Morgen already wrote in December 2022: “Michel will now act as a geopolitical entrepreneur to enlarge the Russian sphere of influence in Africa: “a group of independent entrepreneurs, we have invented the concept of hybrid warfare. We work with Russia, but we don’t pay for security services. A hybrid war feeds on different ways: military, diplomatic and communication. I do the latter. “And then there is the Belgian, the activist Luc Michel, with whom it all started. He, together with the ideologue Jean Thiriart (…) with the organization of the elections, shaped the instruments of the reconquest of the Soviet empire and created a space, from Lisbon to Vladivostok”. Michel is delighted with the results of the last referendums in the People’s Republics of Luhansk, Donetsk,

* Lire ausi :
Esquisse de la guerre hybride. L’action de Luc Michel en tant qu’ ‘entrepreneur géopolitique indépendant’
https://www.palestine-solidarite.fr/esquisse-de-la-guerre-hybride-ix-mon-action-en-tant-qu-entrepreneur-independant/
# ЕВРАЗИЙСКИЙ СОВЕТ ЗА ДЕМОКРАТИЮ И ВЫБОРЫ (ЕСДВ)/
EURASIAN OBSERVATORY FOR DEMOCRACY & ELECTIONS (EODE):
http://www.eode.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/EODE.Eurasia.Africa/