Armenia is experiencing a surge of disinformation and hybrid attacks from abroad as parliamentary elections approach in June, with officials attributing much of it to Russia. This comes as Armenia aims to shift its foreign policy away from Moscow and repair relations with Azerbaijan following two recent conflicts over the disputed Karabakh region. Despite formal alliances with Russia, Yerevan has suspended its participation in a regional security pact due to perceived inaction from Moscow during its conflict with Azerbaijan.
Armenia’s foreign intelligence service reported widespread “malign information operations,” including false information and conspiracy theories aimed at swaying voters. Analysts, such as Benjamin Matevosyan, argue that Russia sees Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pro-Western policies as an anti-Russian initiative. Gegham Vardanyan from the Media Initiatives Center noted that the disinformation campaigns have intensified with Armenia’s shifting relations with Russia, employing “clone sites” that mimic reliable Western media.
The disinformation also comes from Azerbaijan and Turkey, with Orwellian narratives suggesting that Western cooperation is harmful for Armenia. In response, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan acknowledged the creativity of disinformation actors and the challenge of balancing press freedom with combating malign influences, especially as elections draw near. The European Union has allocated funds to counter such disinformation, but media experts warn that external assistance could be exploited by disinformation operatives. Overall, Armenia is caught in a complex web of hybrid warfare amid significant internal and external pressures.
