Russian media spread false information claiming that Greece, together with several EU states, had allegedly blocked the introduction of new restrictions on issuing visas to Russian citizens. The original source of this claim was the Greek outlet Pronews.gr, which did not cite any official sources but instead referred to a post on the social network X by an anonymous user under the nickname Spetsnaℤ 007. The fake was debunked by fact-checkers from The Insider.

The user, who identifies himself as a “citizen of the Russian Federation”, has previously spread pro-Russian disinformation. In particular, in March 2024 he claimed that Russia’s Pacific Fleet was heading toward the coast of Yemen for a possible confrontation with British and U.S. ships. He illustrated this “news” with a photo from a rehearsal of a naval parade in Kronstadt in 2018.

There is no evidence that Greece or any other countries actually blocked an EU decision. Agentstvo noted that Pronews.gr has repeatedly spread fakes: in 2022, the outlet falsely attributed offshore accounts in the Seychelles to Josep Borrell, and in 2023 it reported the alleged destruction of a secret NATO bunker in Ukraine.

The Insider and The Bell removed their publications, while Vot Tak replaced the fake news item with a correction. At the same time, Kremlin-linked outlets, including TASS, RIA Novosti, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, and others, continue to spread the false information.

Europe has released the first comprehensive measurement of structural indicators of disinformation spread on major online platforms. The study covered six services across four EU member states – France, Spain, Poland, and Slovakia. The report presents findings on the prevalence of disinformation and outlines issues related to monetization and cross-platform presence. The report was prepared by researchers from Science Feedback.

According to the analysis, the highest level of disinformation prevalence was recorded on TikTok, where about 20% of posts on topics of public interest contained misleading or false information. Facebook followed with roughly 13%, and X/Twitter with 11%. Lower levels were found on YouTube and Instagram (around 8%), while the lowest level was detected on LinkedIn – just 2%.

The report also examines the so-called “disinformation premium”, referring to the engagement advantage enjoyed by low-credibility sources. On most platforms, such sources significantly outperform high-credibility accounts in terms of engagement. On YouTube, low-credibility sources receive on average eight times more interactions per post per thousand followers. Similar trends are observed on Facebook (about seven times), Instagram and X/Twitter (about five times), and TikTok (about two times). LinkedIn is the exception, where no significant difference was observed.

Regarding monetization, publicly available data are still insufficient for precise cross-platform comparisons. Researchers note that some disinformation sources generate revenue primarily on YouTube and partly on Facebook. The authors stress the importance of implementing Article 40 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which would enable transparent and standardized access to data on financial flows.

The study also found that low-credibility sources are often present across multiple platforms. They show greater interest in X/Twitter and Facebook, while LinkedIn and Instagram attract more high-credibility sources. Disinformation actors reach particularly large audiences on YouTube, whereas their relative presence on other platforms is more limited.

The researchers emphasize that differences between platforms demonstrate how product policy and algorithm design play a crucial role. LinkedIn’s example shows that it is possible to create an environment that does not reward disinformation with additional visibility. These are precisely the systemic risks the European Digital Services Act seeks to mitigate, and structural indicators are intended to become the basis for ongoing oversight and academic research.

Russian Telegram channels are spreading false information claiming that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan allegedly purchased a mansion in Canada for $17 million with the help of Armenian-born actress Arsinee Khanjian. In reality, there is no evidence of such a purchase, and the so-called “investigation” was published by a little-known and dubious outlet. The fake was debunked by VoxCheck fact-checkers.

The claim first appeared on September 10, 2025, on the website The Times of Canada. The article alleged that Pashinyan had bought the Saint George Mansion in Ontario, citing supposed sources in the Canadian Real Estate Association. However, the publication provided no documents confirming the purchase. Moreover, it contained several errors, including incorrect information about the number of rooms in the mansion, which undermines the credibility of the claim.

The mansion was indeed sold for $17.1 million, but there is no confirmation that Pashinyan or Khanjian were involved in the deal. No reputable English-language or Canadian media outlets reported on it. The only publication came from The Times of Canada (timescanada.ca), a website registered just six days before the “investigation” was released. This suggests the site may have been created specifically to spread disinformation.

In addition, the article listed a Canadian journalist, Sean Preville, as its author, yet there is no mention of this publication on his social media accounts, nor does his professional portfolio include any reporting on Armenia. Furthermore, a genuine and reputable outlet with a similar name operates under a different website (thetimesofcanada.com), while the fake site provides no contact information or description.

The fake likely emerged amid political tensions in Armenia, including calls to dissolve Pashinyan’s team over alleged corruption links. Similar manipulations have circulated before: Russian outlets have previously fabricated a story claiming that the prime minister’s wife had allegedly siphoned off $3.4 million from a children’s oncology fund.