Russia Turns Language Programs Into Propaganda Tools in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East

Russia is leveraging Russian-language teaching programs across Asia and Africa to expand its political influence and disseminate propaganda, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council on November 30.

The Center reported that “Rossotrudnichestvo  is launching a new project under which groups of so-called master’s students of the Russian language from the Moscow Linguistic University will be sent for internships to various countries around the world. For a month, they will work in schools, universities, and educational centers in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.”

While Moscow presents these initiatives as cultural exchanges, Ukrainian analysts stress that their real purpose is geopolitical.

The Center noted that Russia routinely uses educational and humanitarian projects to promote its narratives, cultivate influence among local elites, and build supportive networks in international forums.

These initiatives are being expanded most actively in the Global South—from South Asia to Central Africa. As the Center emphasized, “behind cultural presence, Russia traditionally hides economic and military-political instruments. Such programs are essentially part of broader influence operations that the Kremlin conducts through its network of ‘Russian Houses’ and affiliated organizations.”

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War in Ukraine

Sold for a Passport: Russia’s Recruitment Pipeline Sending Young Africans Into Its War

May 20, 2025 15:05

Overall, Russia has enlisted citizens from 128 countries to fight in its war against Ukraine, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation, a Ukrainian government body under the National Security and Defense Council.

The center reported that since launching the full-scale invasion in 2022, Moscow has created a global recruitment system that relies on fake enlistment hubs, private intermediaries, and its own diplomatic and cultural institutions. Many foreign recruits, the agency says, were lured or pressured into joining through manipulation, coercion, or promises of financial reward.

Earlier, Ukraine’s military intelligence service said it has gained access to encrypted Russian military communication terminals operating both on the Ukrainian front lines and at Russian sites in Africa, according to multiple statements released by the Main Intelligence Directorate.

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