From denazification to the Golden Billion: an inductive analysis of the Kremlin’s weaponisation of digital diplomacy on Telegram

In the wake of the Russian Federation’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent Western ban on Russian state media such as RT and Sputnik, journalistic reports have highlighted an emerging phenomenon in which the Kremlin weaponises its diplomatic channels (such as social media accounts of embassies and consulates) to circulate propaganda narratives aimed at undermining Western support for Ukraine. The present paper aims to make an empirical contribution to on-going research on the confluence of the Kremlin’s digital diplomacy and its foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) tactics around the time of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by analysing a dataset of 129 official, public Telegram channels pertaining to Russian embassies and consulates. Using methods from both network analysis and computational text analysis, we address two research questions: (1) what is the modus operandi of the Kremlin’s global network of public Telegram channels, in particular in relation to the affordances of public broadcasting channels on Telegram? and (2) what are the propaganda narratives that are circulated by these broadcasting channels? In light of these questions, we find that the Kremlin’s diplomatic Telegram channels form a coordinated communications network purposely constructed in response to the war. Furthermore, this network connects to known sources of pro-Kremlin disinformation on Telegram, and circulates vernacular concepts and propaganda narratives aimed at undermining Western support for Ukraine. These findings contribute to our understanding of the Kremlin’s role in a new global disinformation order, and spark a further reflection and discussion on the responsibilities and political economies of platforms.