Russian influence operations in Italy have moved beyond the use of basic bot farms towards the recruitment of real journalists, influencers and local content creators, combined with the active use of artificial intelligence technologies, according to research by Alberto Pagani, an intelligence and cognitive warfare expert at the University of Bologna.
According to the published findings, Russia systematically trains foreign media professionals through specialised SputnikPro and RT Academy programmes. The introduction of generative AI has reportedly enabled the Pravda network to increase its output to as many as 7.5 million articles per year, while the number of AI-related operations rose from 41 in 2024 to 147 in 2025.
Italy’s particular vulnerability to such threats stems from the absence of political leadership, a unified national doctrine for countering influence operations, and rapid coordination between security agencies, diplomats and the postal and communications police.
At the same time, the country’s democratic institutions cannot legally prohibit citizens from studying in Moscow, receiving foreign grants or expressing pro-Kremlin views as long as such activities formally remain within the law.
Unlike France, where leading political forces have reached a consensus in condemning Russian interference, key Italian politicians have avoided forming a cross-party position on the issue.
To address this gap, Pagani proposes that Italy establish a transparency register for foreign funding and create a civilian body dedicated to cognitive defence.
