Russian disinformation targets New Zealand with Maori websites
The Russian propaganda network Pravda is expanding its activities to New Zealand through Maori-language websites. Experts suggest this indicates Russia's global and long-term strategy.
- As part of the Russian propaganda network Pravda, websites have been created, including in the Maori language, spreading misinformation in New Zealand.
- According to the DFRLab report, the Pravda network has significantly expanded its infrastructure, encompassing 140 domains targeting over 83 countries.
- New Zealand has imposed sanctions on Russian entities, which may be one reason for the Russian disinformation campaign.
The Pravda internet network (independent of the Russian newspaper of the same name) is expanding its operations to New Zealand. As reported by "The New Zealand Herald," citing a DFRLab report, the network promotes two New Zealand news services, including one in the Maori language. The aim of these activities is to divide New Zealand society.
DFRLab, part of the American think-tank Atlantic Council, specialises in analysing disinformation. In February 2025, it published a report indicating that in 2024, the Russian online ecosystem Pravda significantly expanded its infrastructure. At the beginning of 2025, the network consisted of 140 domains targeting over 83 countries.
According to the report, the network previously known as "Portal Kombat" was built by the company TigerWeb from Crimea. From December 2024 to January 2025, nearly 30 new domains were created, including two targeting New Zealand. One of the portals operates in the Maori language.
Russian propaganda tailored to the audience
Bogdan Pliszka from the Polish Geopolitical Society emphasises that Russia tailors its propaganda to different audiences. "The message for Americans is different to that for Brits, and yet another for New Zealanders, because they are interested in different things," he told PAP.
Katarzyna Chawryło from the Centre of Eastern Studies adds that Russia operates globally. "Perhaps New Zealand isn't the first place where we would look for Russian influences, but it doesn't surprise me that even there they have their information networks and are building footholds of influence," she emphasised.
The New Zealand Herald noted that some narratives spread by the Kremlin originated from a Pasifika social media profile, which claimed that China better serves Pacific countries than New Zealand. Pliszka does not rule out the possibility of Russian propaganda cooperation with China. "What China would like to say to Australians or New Zealanders may be dismissed as Chinese propaganda, but it can be voiced by a Russian source and more easily accepted," he said.
Chawryło reminded that Russia and China have many common interests in politics and economics. "The cooperation of such two adversaries in the area of propaganda complicates the defence of the attacked country, even complicating the identification of hostile activities," she added.
"Russia marks these countries as enemies"
Since Russia's attack on Ukraine, New Zealand has provided aid to Ukraine worth over £55 million. Katarzyna Chawryło believes that this may be one reason for the Russian disinformation campaign. "Russia marks countries politically, financially, and militarily engaged in supporting Ukraine as hostile and takes various retaliatory actions against them," she said.
According to her, an additional element is the fact that New Zealand has imposed sanctions on many Russian entities, including media organisations, and in February 2022, the television broadcaster Sky, in agreement with the Broadcasting Standards Authority, suspended the broadcast of RT television.
"If the existing infrastructure, which Russia already had in a given country, was dismantled, for example, by banning the broadcasting of RT stations, then the Kremlin is attempting to build new tools of influence," added Chawryło, emphasising that the goal of Russian propaganda is, among other things, to deter Western countries from supporting Ukraine.
