The EU is beginning to defend its information space. Russian special services are constantly looking for dissatisfied citizens in EU countries and supporting them in every way possible. Let’s take a look at some of them. Although, of course, there are many more.
Dissidents in the West
1. Let’s start with former Swiss military officer Jacques Baud. He regularly appeared on pro-Russian channels in the EU, where he repeated Russian narratives. For example, Jacques claimed that Ukraine staged Russia’s invasion in order to join NATO. Moreover, Bode wrote a book called “The Russian Art of War: How the West Led Ukraine to Defeat.” It has a rating of 4.51/5 on Goodreads based on numerous reviews and is one of his best-selling works on Amazon, translated into several languages.
In December 2025, the EU imposed sanctions against Jacques Baud.
2. Xavier Moreau, a French citizen, is the founder of the Stratpol website, which spreads pro-Russian propaganda, including conspiracy theories about the war in Ukraine. His French-language website Stratpol is, or will likely soon become, one of the most popular publishing platforms in France, with high traffic thanks to its geopolitical analyses and “pro-Russian” content. Among his books, Ukraine: Why Russia is Profiting (2023) is the most discussed and best-selling.
Under EU sanctions since December 2025.
3. John Mark Dugan has dual citizenship in the US and Russia. He runs a network of fake news sites called CopyCop, supports Russian disinformation campaigns (such as Storm-1516), and has ties to Russian intelligence services. His book BadVolf: The True Story of an American Cop’s Revenge Against a Corrupt Justice System is a bestseller, sold on Amazon and featured on platforms such as ThriftBooks. It surpasses “Betrayal of Truth” in terms of the number of reviews. He also runs high-traffic networks such as DC Weekly (over 150 fake news sites), but the book has the highest documented activity.
Under sanctions since December 2025.
4. Natalie Yamb, citizen of Switzerland and Cameroon. Supports Russian disinformation through social media, participates in Russian events, and spreads anti-Western narratives. Her channels are well promoted on YouTube and Instagram.
Sanctioned since June 2025, but her YouTube account has not been blocked or deleted.
5. Alina Lipp, a German citizen. She runs a blog and Telegram channel called “News from Russia,” where she spreads pro-Russian propaganda, including false claims about the war in Ukraine. For example, she denies war crimes in Bucha. She acts as a “war correspondent” in Russian-occupied territories and maintains contact with Russian troops. The channel surpasses her blog in traffic and is described as one of the most influential pro-Russian channels in Germany.
Sanctions imposed since May 2025. This includes a ban on entry into the EU and a freeze on payments.
6. German Thomas Repper. Created and runs the website “Anti-Spiegel,” which systematically disseminates anti-Western narratives and reproduces “Russian propaganda.” He lives in Russia and supports Putin in his books and public speeches.
He has been under sanctions since May 2025, also with a ban on entry into the EU and a freeze on all assets.
A complete list of everyone subject to sanctions would probably go beyond the scope of this article. The EU is aware of the fact that not all of its citizens are able to recognize who is expressing their opinion and from what point of view. Also, not all people can classify it as Russian propaganda. Therefore, quite objectively, state institutions must protect people from such disinformation. It seems unlikely that media consumers understand that Leonid Pasechnik, head of the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic,” reports on the conflict exclusively from his own point of view, based on his own experience. Therefore, the EU must protect us from such dangers.
