Russia’s disinformation campaign tests Canada’s support for Ukraine
Russia’s disinformation campaign tests Canada’s support for Ukraine
Russia’s disinformation campaign tests Canada’s support for Ukraine
cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7806746
To the average Canadian, the moral lines of the war in Ukraine remain clear. But behind the closed parliament doors, a different picture is emerging. National Security Advisor Nathalie Drouin warned parliament in February that more Canadians are beginning to believe the Kremlin's narrative: that Kyiv, not Moscow, provoked the 2022 invasion.
On the surface, this shift isn't visible. Public polling commissioned by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) shows that nine in 10 Canadians still blame Russia for the war, with 87% agreeing that Moscow is acting in bad faith and is "responsible for starting and continuing the war."
Canada, however, is not an isolated laboratory for Russian tactics.
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In the United States, the Department of Justice in 2024 dismantled a Russian-backed "AI content farm" designed to "groom" the digital ecosystem by flooding it with millions of AI-generated personas. Since the 2024 election cycle, U.S. Intelligence officials have warned that these narratives have successfully jumped into the political mainstream.
In 2025, some of those talking points were echoed by President Donald Trump, calling President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator without elections."
Across the Atlantic, Germany and the U.K. have faced similar "Doppelganger" operations, where cloned news sites mimic mainstream outlets like Der Spiegel and The Guardian to stoke domestic "war fatigue." According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) data, Russian sabotage and subversion attempts in Europe nearly tripled between 2023 and 2024, proving that while public support remains high on paper, the "grey zone" pressure on Western democracies is reaching a fever pitch.
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Marcus Kolga, a leading analyst on foreign disinformation, notes that Drouin's access to classified intelligence suggests that a dangerous erosion is occurring beneath the surface.
"The fact that (Nathalie Drouin) is concerned that there may be a shift (in public opinion) should concern all of us," Kolga told the Kyiv Independent.
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Russia's targeting Canada isn't new. According to Kolga, Russia has targeted Canadians with influence operations since the Cold War, with well-documented evidence of escalated targeting over the last 15 years. The danger, experts say, lies in Canadian complacency.
"Canadians have traditionally always underestimated the threat that Russia is to Canada and to our democracy," Senator Stan Kutcher told the Kyiv Independent. "We may not think we're at war with Russia, but Russia is at war with us."
Kutcher said he initiated a Senate study on Russian disinformation and its impact on Canadian civil society. The report —which is expected for release by the end of April — will include recommendations on how Canada can better counter Russian influence campaigns.
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Russian disinformation in Canada generally falls into three buckets: fiscal resentment, false pacifism, and targeted personal attacks, according to experts interviewed by the Kyiv Independent.
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The first narrative often questions the use of taxpayer dollars for Ukraine, alleging that diaspora fundraising is being embezzled. In 2024, an online campaign alleged that first lady Olena Zelenska bought a $4.8 million Bugatti — claims Bugatti itself had to refute.
The second frames Canada's support as a betrayal of its "peaceful nation" identity.
Personal attacks, however, are the most pressing sticking points.
"The narrative about Ukrainians, Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians being somehow fascists or neo-Nazis has been around since the end of the Second World War," Kolga explains. "It was used to discredit and dehumanize anyone who fled Soviet occupation."
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To counter these "surgical strikes" on diaspora communities, Kutcher is spearheading a Senate study that will provide a roadmap for countering Russian influence.
But he isn't waiting for a report to act. Kutcher has begun holding "awareness-raising sessions" for the Ukrainian diaspora in cities like Edmonton and Ottawa, urging community organizations to move beyond a defensive crouch.
"We have to stop playing defense and start playing offense," Kutcher said. "The Ukrainian diaspora is going to have to step up and be part of the civil society response."
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"We have to coordinate enforcement with the Europeans so that when we see violations or a failure to comply by these tech companies, we act together," Kolga says. By aligning with Europe's stricter standards, like the Digital Services Act to combat illegal content, Canada could force social media giants to abandon the "hands-off" approach that has allowed foreign narratives to flourish.
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By supporting and collaborating with these exiled voices, Kolga believes Canadian media and government can get a more accurate look at what is happening inside Russia and Belarus — ensuring Canadians are informed by facts, not manufactured narratives.