Russian companies systematically legalise Russian money in foreign markets and finance networks of influence. Only in Europe, there are more than 31,000 companies whose beneficiaries are Russians. 1,400 of such companies are owned by Russians under sanctions.

Western companies support key sectors of the Russian economy paying their taxes to Russia: only up to 9% of nearly 1,500 global companies have left the Russian market. The remaining ones continue to sponsor the war (19.5% – German, 12.4% – American, 7% – Japanese).

In 2023, analysts recorded at least 155 companies whose products are directly related to Russia’s war: the supply of parts for military equipment and weapons.

At least 250 foreign nationals from 65 countries have acted as so-called observers during the illegal elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine since 2014. They have become the backbone of Russia’s network of influence on Western society and continue to push the Russian agenda in the European Parliament, national and local parliaments and governments of Western countries.

There are more than 500 pro-Russian NGOs around the world through which the Kremlin authorities implement and finance projects, forums, rallies and information activities based on Russian propaganda methods.

250+ people and companies responsible for lobbying for Russia’s interests at the political level live outside Russia and may not be Russian citizens, but are happy to work for Russian money

The offices of the main Russian propagandists continue to operate in European capitals: “Russia Today, TASS, RIA Novosti (office in Germany, Berlin, Steglitz district), Moskovsky Komsomolets (office in Germany, Frankfurt, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Strasse 41), NewsFront (offices in Bulgaria, Serbia, Germany, France, Spain, the UK and Hungary) (as of May 2022).

In Riga, Argumenty i Fakty, a newspaper associated with the Secretary of the Russian National Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, is freely available at a newsagent. Russian channels are also available via satellite in Latvia.

Russian propaganda circumvents sanctions through 250 websites posing as think tanks or media outlets. About half of them are in English, while the rest distribute materials in French, German or Italian.

Opinion leaders, experts and journalists working for various media outlets in different countries who spread Russian narratives and become the leading sources of Russian disinformation for their readers

Most Russian and Belarusian athletes are simultaneously military personnel and are actively involved in spreading propaganda and legitimising military aggression.

Orthodox churches in Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, and some parishes in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and many other European countries are subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Church. Separately, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is developing an active infrastructure for working with Ukrainian refugees