Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine damages human lives and the environment not only on the ground by direct military attacks, but also through a mass flood of lies and false narratives into the digital world. Often overlooked, however, is that online debates about the Arctic are also infected by Russian propaganda.  

Bellona will share results of the research conducted together with the American Sunlight Project on disinformation tactics of the Russian state media propaganda targeting English speaking audience and pushing for false narratives about the Northern Sea Route. 

Our panel will show examples of how false narratives about the effectiveness, safety and environmental sustainability of the Northern Sea Route have been pushed to the international media sphere by Russian state actors, why they are false and how this information distortion can damage the environment and climate in the Arctic. The panel discussion will address questions on how to confront disinformation and limit its influence on the environmental and climate policy in the region. 

Speakers:

• Benjamin Shultz, Lead Researcher, American Sunlight Project, Germany: Russian Disinformation About the Northern Sea Route 
• Ksenia Vakhrusheva, Bellona Foundation, Bulgaria: The Northern Sea Route Reality Check: What To Watch Out for When Reading About the NSR?
• Andrey Danilov, Sami Activist; Member of the International Committee of Indigenous Peoples of Russia: The Influence of Propaganda on Sami Activists in Russia
• Liubov Velychko, Freelance Investigative Journalist, Ukraine: Russian disinformation in the Arctic