Finnish journalist Aro: Serbo-Russian propaganda serious threat to Kosovo, region

Finnish journalist Jessica Aro estimates that Russian intelligence war poses a real threat to global security, including Kosovo.

For more than ten years, she has faced constant threats, including death threats, as a result of her work in exposing Russian propaganda networks. The situation became so serious that it was forced to leave Finland temporarily during 2017 to find peace and physical security.

But despite the pressure, Aro managed to write three books, including Putin's “Carree”.

In an interview for Kosovo Press, it warns that Russian propaganda and dezinformation have become part of the main flow of information in several countries, including Serbia, affecting the Kosovo region as well.

According to her, Russia aims to increase internal tensions and influence the internal policy of the countries of the region through related networks.

The threats came from all my technical devices day and night...” says Aro for Kosovas.

The situation became so serious that it was forced to leave Finland temporarily during 2017 to find peace and physical security.

One of his most difficult experiences was that of facing in court in Helsinki with people who had harassed him.

It warns that these methods include co-ordinated attacks on social networks, hate speech, orientation and attempts to silence critical voices.

I've received several warnings and direct threats of physical danger. I have received death threats, both indirect and direct, from the very beginning. For more than ten years, I've experienced constant threats...”, she confesss among others.

Despite constant pressure, however, she managed to continue her work, documenting the way dezinformation networks operate and “troll fabrics” a term used for false internet accounts that deliberately distribute dezinformation, provoke and attack persons in an organized way.

In the interview for KosovoPress, Aro stresses that Russian propaganda is no longer limited within a country, but functions co-ordinated internationally.

Russian dezinformation and propaganda, as well as informational war messages, are widespread and even part of the mainstream in some parts of Serbian media. In Serbia, this Russian influence is very strong and is also extending to the Kosovo region. Many of the deinformation messages sent by Russian security services and the troll scripts they control are international. Thus, many false messages about Ukraine and Russia's fight against Ukraine are the same in other parts of Europe. For example, Russia tries to claim that it wants peace in Ukraine, while the Russians try to say Russia is not waging any war in Ukraine. Such material is completely international, and Russia tries to push these narrativa into the mainstream media, both here and other parts of Europe”, Aro says.

These messages are not local, they are global, and organised by Russian security services and troll fabrics”, she says, while showing how deep Russian propaganda has penetrated Serbia.

Serbian subx0> Propaganda often coincides with Russian and uses the same methods... Definitely, yes [can be harmful to Kosovo]. For the Kremlin, propaganda is part of the war, and information space is viewed as a battlefield. Therefore, it is very dangerous, especially in Serbia. I investigated the situation there, and it seemed, for example, that the Russian embassy had a huge domestic impact and was also affecting Serbia's domestic policies and internal business. Also, some of the pro-Kremlin Serb activists who have been in direct contact, for example, with Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, are very active and, for example, former violent criminals who have participated in political operations in the area. So it seems to me that Russia is promoting many internal tensions and is strongly affecting domestic policies in Serbia”, she says.

The Finnish journalist estimates that after 2022, Russian propaganda has become even more aggressive, from false profiles to direct messages from the Russian leadership.

According to her, the goal is clear: radicalisation of different groups and influence on political developments in various countries, including those in the region.

“Russian informative warfare poses a serious security threat. For example, by radicalizing real people, by promoting violence, by taking the form of hate speech and mysogenism, and by promoting various kinds of violence. It can also be used as a political weapon, for example by building support for marginal or extreme political organisations in order to increase them very quickly, as well as by recruiting individuals to even participate in war, on the Russian side of the war, as we have seen in Finland”, it adds.

Aro suggests some concrete measures, such as blocking platforms used for propaganda and banning media that serve as media tools.

However, it stresses that the strongest weapon remains public awareness.

“Citizen interface for the way propaganda works and why it's dangerous is the best defence we have,” concluded.

“Ukraine, since 2014, began blocking social networking platforms such as VK and VContact, which is widely used in Russian intelligence warfare. They blocked it and I think it's a very good idea, because the Russians use V Contact to also promote and feed information wars in other countries of the West. Also, another good idea is the blocking and stopping of several Russian channels of information attacks, such as RT, formerly known as Russia Today, as in Baltic countries and Ukraine. However, a very good counter-intervention is increasing public awareness and informing audiences what Russian propaganda messages are and why they are dangerous”, it concludes./Kosovo priss