Russian state-linked media outlets and pro-Kremlin social media channels have intensified disinformation and propaganda targeting Kosovo in the run-up to the country’s snap parliamentary election on Dec. 28, analysts and media monitors say.
In articles and posts published in recent weeks, Kosovo is frequently portrayed as a corrupt, Western-controlled entity hostile to Serbs, while its statehood is routinely questioned, with references to Kosovo placed in quotation marks or described as a “so-called state” or a “quasi-state.”
Terms such as “Serbophobia,” “persecution of Serbs,” and “Albanian criminals” feature prominently in content disseminated by Russian state media, including RT and Sputnik, as well as by pro-Russian Telegram channels, according to monitoring by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Several of these outlets have amplified calls urging Kosovo Serbs to support Serb List, the main Serb political party in Kosovo, which has well-documented ties to Belgrade. Other Serb political parties competing in the election receive little or no coverage.
In one post published on Dec. 21, the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel “Balkanar” claimed that Kosovo’s political system was a “European leader” in criminality, citing a report by the Kosovo Institute for Justice that said 28 parliamentary candidates faced criminal charges. The post offered no comparative data with other European countries but described the findings as revealing the “true face” of Kosovo’s democracy.
A day earlier, the same channel criticised the United States for pushing implementation of the Kosovo-Serbia agreement reached in Ohrid in February 2023, claiming Washington was turning Serbia’s sovereignty into a binding principle of U.S. foreign policy.
Another post accused Kosovo authorities of prioritising public relations over protecting Serb rights, without providing evidence, referring to the opening of a pedestrian bridge linking the predominantly Albanian south of Mitrovica with the Serb-majority north.
Researchers say the “Balkanar” channel is linked to the Russian propaganda network “Pravda,” which also publishes content in Albanian. A June report by fact-checking platform Hibrid.info found that Pravda-affiliated websites had spread Russian propaganda narratives to Albanian-speaking audiences, often disguised as independent news portals.
In an Albanian-language post published on Dec. 26, Pravda described Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti as “Serbophobic” and accused him of pursuing “anti-Serb deception.”
Meanwhile, Russian and pro-Kremlin Serbian-language media have portrayed Serb List as the only legitimate political representative of Kosovo Serbs. On Dec. 23, RT published an article quoting Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric calling on Serbs to vote so that Serb List would secure all 10 seats reserved for the Serb community in Kosovo’s 120-seat parliament.
Those 10 seats have traditionally been won by Serb List, except in the February election earlier this year, when one mandate went to politician Nenad Rasic. Russian outlets have echoed Serb List officials’ claims that Rasic does not represent Kosovo Serbs.
Jeta Loshaj of the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies said outlets such as RT Balkan and Sputnik Serbia act less as primary sources of information and more as “narrative multipliers,” with their content recycled by Serbian tabloids and then circulated in northern Kosovo.
She said that during sensitive periods such as elections, these narratives typically frame Kosovo through two lenses: the victimisation of the Serb community and hostility towards the West, particularly the European Union and NATO.
“The impact is not linear, but potentially cumulative,” Loshaj said, adding that such narratives build on existing grievances, fear and distrust, and are used to undermine democratic processes and confidence in electoral institutions.
Media researchers also warn that artificial intelligence is amplifying the scale and speed of disinformation.
Abit Hoxha, an assistant professor at the University of Agder and the University of Stavanger in Norway, said networks such as Pravda were increasingly producing content designed less for human readers and more to “feed artificial intelligence systems.”
New technologies enable the mass production of coordinated content in local languages, imitation of domestic media styles, the creation of audio and video deepfakes, and the automation of fake accounts that simulate public support, particularly during election periods, analysts say.
Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik are sanctioned in Kosovo under U.S. and European measures imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While authorities say internet providers are required to block their websites, regulators acknowledge that full enforcement remains difficult due to the dynamic nature of online platforms.