Pro-Russian narratives are spreading in the Czech Republic despite Prague’s efforts to stop them. A treaty with the US is their latest target.
The Russian narratives are being spread mostly by Czech outlets
In recent years, Russia has lost much of its influence in the Czech Republic. Dozens of diplomats, many of whom also worked for Russian intelligence services, have had to leave the country‘s overstretched embassy to Prague because of the revelations that its agents were behind the explosions at the munitions depot in Vrbětice in the east of the country. The government in Prague also sought to limit Moscow’s capacity to gather intelligence, but that had mixed results. While the expulsion of Russian diplomats) or the restriction of movement of people from Russia to Europe that was enforced following Russia’s large scale invasion of Ukraine) limits the ability of Russian intelligence services to gather information directly from the population, they make up for it with technical means. "The Russians can monitor our telephone communications. They have sufficient technical means to do so, located in the premises of the Russian Embassy in Prague," director of the counterintelligence Security Information Service (BIS) Michal Koudelka warned. He was apparently referring to the so-called "Russian ears" that are on the roofs of Russian embassies in European cities, including Prague. Another important measure adopted after the invasion of Ukraine, was to block/close official Russian propaganda channels such as Sputnik and RT.
Open support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine is still perceived by most Czechs as inappropriate and immoral, and in certain circumstances it can be criminal. Fresh data published by Czech Radio shows that roughly ten percent of the population believes pro-Russian disinformation, and even fewer people regularly read pro-Russian conspiracy websites.
However, Russian and pro-Russian propaganda has always been there to some extent, and it seems to be gaining traction as the war in Ukraine is nearing its eighteen months mark. Also, those willing to believe and spread the pro-Russian narrative never really disappeared.
Although the main official channels of Russian propaganda have been blocked in the Czech Republic, the Kremlin still manages to get its main narratives across to a part of the public. "Domestic" disinformation websites are still functioning (some of them were blocked only for a few weeks after the invasion, after which their blocking was lifted). Even Russia's state-run Sputnik has found its unacknowledged successor. Its telegram channel with 16,000 followers has been taken over by the newly launched 42TCen.cz. The website, however, carefully hides the identity of its authors, even when they interview – via encrypted e-mail – various pro-Russian politicians or other public figures of the same mindset. Disinformation also spreads through other channels, emails and social networks, and its danger lies in the fact that it undermines trust in the state and its institutions.
Russian disinformation is targeting a Czech – United States treaty
Disinformation and Russian-led information operations are expected to challenge the ratification of the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between the Czech Republic and the US, which was signed in Washington in late May by Defence Minister Jana Černochová. BIS head Michal Koudelka warned that Russia would try to thwart the ratification of the agreement.
"It can be assumed that the Russians will use all their means, including hard disinformation, even of a personal or intimate nature, a fifth column in our country and so on, to prevent the approval of this treaty," Koudelka told MEPs. He too pointed out that disinformation aims to lower the morale of the public in democratic countries, to break the cohesion and unity of the North Atlantic Alliance, and to reduce trust in democratic institutions, elected politicians and the state.
The treaty, which regulates the legal status of US soldiers while on Czech territory, was signed by Czech Minister Černochová and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in May. It now needs to be ratified by both chambers of Parliament and signed by President Petr Pavel. The Chamber of Deputies is expected to discuss the document on 27 June.
After the signing of the treaty, Černochová assured that it was not an agreement on the deployment of US troops or bases on the territory of the Czech Republic, as the document is often interpreted by the pro-Russian part of the political spectrum or by the denialist media.
For example, the leading conspiracy website Aeronet described the document as a "letter of invitation" for US soldiers, who will be able to "build as many barracks as they want" on the territory of the Czech Republic.
Ladislav Vrabel, a pro-Russian activist and convener of anti-government demonstrations, uses similar rhetoric. "Very soon you will have American soldiers here, because the government is meanwhile signing an agreement with the Americans for the Czech Republic to be reoccupied by soldiers. And you are patiently enduring it," he says in one of his video posts, according to Czech Television.
Another convener of anti-government actions, the chairman of the non-parliamentary PRO party, even used a parallel to the 1968 occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops.
The first small protests against were organised before it was signed, and others took place soon after. At the end of May, for example, about a hundred demonstrators, called by the Communist Party and equipped with Russian and Soviet flags, gathered in the centre of Prague.
The Ministry of Defence has repeatedly explained that the treaty itself does not entitle American soldiers to stay in the Czech Republic. It would have to be approved by Parliament, as it has been until now.
The current situation, if it escalates further, may resemble the circumstances of the negotiations on the construction of part of the US missile shield – a radar – in the Czech Republic more than fifteen years ago. Back then, a section of society opposed the idea, which was also at the core of the first major Russian disinformation campaign in the Czech Republic. The project was eventually abandoned.
"At that moment, we actually saw for the first time a massive disinformation campaign and fifth column efforts to cancel or undermine such a treaty in our country," recalled Michal Koudelka, the director of counterintelligence.
Apparently, the coming weeks will show how strong the possible Russian campaign and the protests of the opponents will be. But the Czech Republic can be expected to have a hot political summer this year.
