site.btaWith Snap Elections Coming Up, Bulgaria Faces Sustained Russian Information Manipulation Pressure with Domestic Amplification Ecosystem - Report

With the April 19 snap elections coming up, Bulgaria faces sustained Russian information manipulation pressure compounded by a deeply embedded domestic amplification ecosystem, according to a new analytical report by the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) made public Tuesday. Titled "Defending the Vote - Policy Responses to Information Warfare in Bulgaria" , the report says that this country remains among the most vulnerable in the European Union when it comes to resisting information threats - while also being one of the least institutionally prepared.

The report provides an anticipatory threat assessment for the April and November 2026 votes for Parliament and President, drawing on CSD’s extensive Kremlin Playbook research and methodology, network and algorithmic analysis, and narrative monitoring.

According to the CSD analysts, unlike many other European states, Bulgaria’s vulnerability does not stem solely from external hybrid threats but also from a domestic ecosystem in which foreign strategic narratives - particularly pro-Kremlin messaging - are translated, adapted, and disseminated by what the report calls "local actors": networks of partisan media outlets, clusters of low-quality "mushroom" websites, and coordinated channels on platforms like YouTube and Telegram. A key feature of this system is the role of so-called "balancing" media, which reproduce manipulative or misleading content alongside legitimate news, effectively laundering disinformation into the mainstream.

Following are some key findings of the report.

Industrial-scale content production

One of the most striking findings in the report is the scale of content generation linked to pro-Kremlin operations. The so-called Pravda ecosystem - a global network of automated websites associated with the Russian operation known as Portal Kombat - produces nearly 6,000 articles per month in Bulgarian alone.

Rather than targeting human readers directly, this content is designed to manipulate search engines and artificial intelligence systems, boosting the visibility of pro-Kremlin narratives across established local media platforms.

On Telegram, more than 30 channels linked to this network have collectively generated over 180 million views in the past year, attracting close to 100,000 subscribers.

More than 60% of analyzed articles on key political topics originate from sources with a documented history of spreading misleading information. In many cases, mainstream Bulgarian news websites republish such content, further normalizing it for wider audiences.

Key disinformation narratives

Researchers identified seven high-risk narratives likely to be activated during the 2026 election campaigns in April and November:

• Undermining trust in election integrity, particularly electronic voting;
• Demobilizing voters through anti-government messaging;
• Attacking support for Ukraine;
• Challenging EU sanctions against Russia;
• Promoting anti-NATO rhetoric, especially around defense spending;
• Exploiting fears related to the euro and inflation;
• Manipulating sensitive topics such as identity, migration, and cultural sovereignty;

These narratives often overlap and reinforce each other, spreading through shared amplification networks embedded within Bulgaria’s information environment.

Institutional gaps 

The report raises serious concerns about Bulgaria’s institutional readiness. Currently, no national authority conducts systematic monitoring or possesses the technical capacity to independently detect coordinated disinformation campaigns.

Regulatory responses have also lagged. Mechanisms for reporting false information remain ineffective, researchers face limited access to platform data, and content moderation in the Bulgarian language is widely seen as inadequate.

Despite a formal warning from the European Commission, Bulgaria has yet to adopt the necessary legislation to fully implement the EU’s Digital Services Act, further weakening its ability to respond.

Urgent recommendations

The report outlines several immediate and medium-term measures aimed at strengthening election security. These include:

• Establishing a national coordination center for election protection;
• Activating the Communications Regulation Commission as a digital services coordinator;
• Engaging online platforms to implement concrete risk mitigation measures;
• Improving public communication around electoral procedures.