Last year, the Hoaxy a podvody team exposed a coordinated network of Telegram channels that systematically spread Russian propaganda across European countries. At the center of this network is the Czech channel Selský rozum, whose activities have been officially confirmed by the Czech Security Information Service (BIS) and Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications.

According to the BIS report for 2024, among the channels “controlled from Russia”, Selský rozum continued activity directly linked to Russian intelligence services. The channel was created immediately after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In February 2024, it even publicly called for the collection of personal data about the Czech manufacturer of Vampire rocket launchers and its employees, indicating coordination with Russian intelligence structures.

The network operates according to a simple but effective scheme. Short news items from Russian propaganda outlets, including those under sanctions, are mass-translated into different languages and synchronously published across affiliated Telegram channels. Identical messages appear simultaneously across all participants in the network, creating the illusion of “multiple sources” and “public support”.

Last year, researchers identified nine such channels; their number has now grown to eleven. In Slovakia, the key propaganda platform was the TVOTV.sk channel, which, after the investigation was published, changed its name to Púchoviny – an ironic reference to David Púchovský, the founder of the Hoaxy a podvody initiative.