Germany says Russia using media platform Red to sow discontent

Russia is using the online media outlet Red to sow discontent in German society as part of a disinformation campaign waged alongside its war in Ukraine, the foreign ministry in Berlin said on Wednesday.

Russia is using the online media outlet Red to sow discontent in German society as part of a disinformation campaign waged alongside its war in Ukraine, the foreign ministry in Berlin said on Wednesday. "Red presents itself as a revolutionary platform for independent journalists. However, it has close links with the Russian state media outlet RT," a spokesperson for the foreign ministry told reporters in Berlin.

"Today we can confirm that Red is being used by Russia specifically to manipulate information," the spokesperson added. Red is run by Turkish media company AFA Medya, which together with its founder Huseyin Dogru is already the subject of EU sanctions targeting Russia and is accused of "undermining the democratic political process" in Germany.

After they were sanctioned, Red announced on May 16 that it was closing down.