The report analyses Russia’s disinformation campaign targeting Ukrainian grain exports, directed at the countries of North Africa and the Middle East (MENA). It demonstrates that Russia treats food security as a battlefield of informational warfare, exploiting the region’s susceptibility to anti-Western messaging and its own growing political and economic presence. Seeking to weaken Ukraine’s position on global agricultural markets and increase the dependence of developing countries on Russian exports, the Kremlin promoted a series of false narratives—accusing the West of causing the food crisis, undermining the credibility of Ukrainian supplies, and whitewashing Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea.
The report shows how the Russian information ecosystem—primarily RT Arabic, Sputnik Arabic, and networks of affiliated websites and social media accounts—leveraged local media, bots, troll farms, and aligned commentators to amplify these messages. Quantitative analysis (2022–2025) reveals clear peaks of interest in the topic during key events, such as the start of Russia’s invasion or the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The data indicate that in 2024, the dominant narratives portrayed Russia as a “guarantor of global food security,” a trend reflected in word clouds and popular hashtags that frequently include the Russian flag and other pro-Russian motifs.
The findings also point to the activity of inauthentic accounts, often previously involved in COVID-19 disinformation campaigns and now reinforcing pro-Russian narratives related to grain exports. The report highlights that Africa and the Middle East provide Russia with a favourable environment for testing influence operations: weaker content moderation, widespread distrust of the West, and the extensive reach of Russian state media all facilitate the spread of manipulated narratives.
The authors conclude that coordinated disinformation concerning Ukrainian grain has become an instrument of Russian policy aimed at weakening Ukraine, destabilising global food markets, and expanding Russia’s influence across the Global South. The report underscores the need to strengthen information resilience, support fact-checking initiatives, and promote alternative, reliable sources of information in the MENA region.
