The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, announced this Wednesday that the Czech secret services had unmasked a network financed by Moscow that was spreading pro-Russian propaganda about Ukraine and extending its influence to the European Parliament.
The Prague-based Voice of Europe news portal was being used to spread information aimed at dissuading the European Union (EU) from helping Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
According to Fiala, the pro-Russian network now unmasked by the Czech secret services (BIS) was carrying out activities that “could have a significant effect on the security of the Czech Republic and the EU”.
“This group was dedicated to carrying out operations and activities on EU territory aimed at undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” said the Czech Prime Minister in statements to the press.
“The group’s activity (…) also extends to the European Parliament”, he added, without revealing details.
The BIS indicated that the network was financed from Russia.
“The BIS operation revealed the extent to which Russia is extending its influence to the territories of EU member states and how it is working to influence political processes in our countries,” the Czech secret services stated on the social network X ( former Twitter).
The Czech Government placed on its sanctions list the Voice of Europe, the former Ukrainian deputy and businessman with close links to the Kremlin (seat of the Russian Presidency) Viktor Medvedtchuk and the media entrepreneur Artem Martchevsky, due to their links with the activities from the Web.
According to the newspaper Denik N, European politicians who cooperate with the Voice of Europe information website, which published calls by some of them to stop helping Ukraine, were paid with Russian money, which also financed campaigns for the next European elections. .
The payments involve politicians from countries such as Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Poland, according to the newspaper, which cites a Czech diplomatic source. This source highlighted the involvement of the German far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Artem Martchevsky was responsible for the content published on the Voice of Europe portal, as well as relations with European political leaders, according to the same source.
