International Reporters: the new website where foreign propagandists spread Russian disinformation
For over a year, the Kremlin-funded website International Reporters has been masquerading as a professional news outlet in order to spread Russian disinformation. Using a misleading name that implies its content contains real journalism, the website assembles propagandists from all corners of the globe to promote the Kremlin’s false narratives that justify the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and celebrate Russia’s foreign policy. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this new propaganda tool, which pollutes the information space and intentionally misleads the public.
"I wish you great success. We will do everything to support your project," Vladimir Putin publicly announced to International Reporters’ co-founder Christelle Néant — a French blogger who became Russian via naturalisation — in July 2023.
The multilingual website was launched a few months later, in November 2023, publishing straightforward headlines such as, “The British political and power establishment continues to push Ukraine into the abyss” and “New sanctions against Russia and Belarus. How the EU is killing its farmers.” Today, the website features seemingly journalistic content created by a dozen propagandists from eight countries who glorify Russia’s occupation of Ukraine, its military “successes” and its foreign policy in articles and videos produced in French, Russian and English. This team of propagandists includes Adrien Bocquet, a man originally from France who settled in Russia, obtained Russian citizenship, and is known for spreading disinformation about the war in Ukraine in French media; Andrea Lucidi, a pro-Kremlin Italian who appeared in a video displaying the Russian “Z” symbol in support of the invasion and who later requested and received “asylum” in Russia; and Vanessa Beeley, a British national who previously worked with the Russian propaganda channel RT and supported former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Putin’s promise to support the outlet certainly materialised: in the first nine months of 2024, International Reporters received over 27,000 EUR (around 27,888 USD) from ANO Dialog Regions, an organisation controlled and funded by the Kremlin, which was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for its role in spreading Russian disinformation, particularly during US elections. International Reporters also received direct funding from Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development in 2024.
"Behind its misleading name, International Reporters is actually a new website serving Moscow’s interests. Funded by the Kremlin’s propaganda networks, it uses foreign propagandists — often based in Russia — to reach an international audience. Their so-called 'reports' disseminate Russian narratives justifying the invasion of Ukraine and promoting the Kremlin’s policies on a global scale. RSF condemns this propaganda tool, which pollutes the information space.
The Kremlin’s Propaganda Machine
Although International Reporters has a relatively small audience — just over 56,000 subscribers on Telegram, around 12,000 subscribers on VKontakte, and nearly 20,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) — its strength lies in its contributors, who are key figures in Russian propaganda and include the website’s co-founders: Viktoria Smorodina and Christelle Néant.
Viktoria Smorodina, listed as the editor-in-chief on the International Reporters website, also runs the Russian limited liability company Laboratory for Attention, created in October 2023, whose primary activity is financing International Reporters. She built her career in Rostov, a region in southwestern Russia, after graduating from the New Media Workshop, a “journalism” training program controlled by the Kremlin, co-created by ANO Dialog — the parent company of ANO Dialog Regions — and led by Vladimir Tabak, a propagandist who worked for the Russian presidency. ANO Dialog has been under European Union sanctions since 2023 for spreading disinformation about the war in Ukraine.
Christelle Néant, listed as co-editor-in-chief of International Reporters, is also a graduate of the New Media Workshop. Originally from France, she has lived in Russian-occupied Donbas since 2016 and obtained Russian citizenship in 2021. She previously worked for local propaganda outlets and founded the French-language propaganda site, Donbass Insider, which was a precursor to International Reporters. She has been under Ukrainian sanctions since 2019. The main contributor to International Reporters, Christelle Néant films herself conducting interviews with the local populations of occupied cities in eastern Ukraine, such as Avdiivka and Mariupol.
Both women actively promote the website. While Viktoria Smorodina promotes the “journalism” profession in schools in Rostov-on-Don, a city in southwestern Russia, Christelle Néant frequently appears in pro-Kremlin media. In November 2024, their series of "documentaries" on Mariupol won the “Best Special Project” prize at the 2024 Astra Award, a competition where the Kremlin rewards its most loyal supporters. The Astra Award was created in 2023 by the New Media Development Fund, which is owned by Alexander Malkevich, a Russian entrepreneur who heads a disinformation network in occupied Ukrainian territories.
The Kremlin’s foreign media alliances
International Reporters is currently expanding its network in Africa: during the 2024 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the platform signed a cooperation agreement with the Cameroonian media group For You Media, directed by the politician Serge Matomba. The Cameroonian outlet later began showcasing work by the International Reporters’ team, publishing an opinion piece by Andrea Lucidi and frequently inviting Christelle Néant to participate in debates on For You Media’s television channel. The agreement also includes training workshops taught by Russian journalists.
Founded in 2022, For You Media promotes pan-Africanist rhetoric, as well as pro-Russian and anti-West narratives. It has also been known to recruit former journalists from Afrique Media TV, which is known for its editorial ties to the Russian state media RT. Both International Reporters and Serge Matomba did not respond to RSF’s request for interviews.
Ukraine and Russia come in 61st and 162nd place, respectively, out of 180 countries and territories in the 2024 RSF World Press Freedom Index.
