Russian scripts, Georgian voices: How disinformation targets the country’s Western allies: the US, EU, and UK in Georgia

In recent years, Georgian authorities have repeatedly and intensively accused the country’s Western partners, including the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom, of funding civil society organisations to organise revolutions and remove the authorities from power. These accusations are amplified by pro-government media outlets such as TV Imedi and POSTV, aiming to discredit pro-democracy actors, civil society, and undermine Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

A closer examination of these disinformation campaigns reveals an orchestrated effort led by the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR. The available evidence suggests that Georgian Dream and its primary propaganda platforms are effectively serving as instruments of Russian FIMI in Georgia. The cases outlined below demonstrate that Kremlin and Georgian Dream propaganda not only promote identical narratives but also deploy similar tactics, indicating not only a strong alignment of interests but also potential coordination.

These recurring accusations of Western interference are designed to erode public trust in Georgia’s international partners, paint the West as a destabilising force, and ultimately undermine the country’s European integration trajectory.

SVR’s fabricated “Tbilisi Maidan” and the US conspiracy narrative

On August 26, 2024, Russia’s SVR released a statement claiming that the US was orchestrating a “colour revolution” in Georgia ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October. According to the statement, Washington was allegedly funding NGOs, mobilising opposition youth, and preparing a post-election uprising to replicate Ukraine’s Euromaidan.

The SVR described a supposed plan to delegitimise the elections using “evidence” of falsification and to provoke law enforcement during public protests. “Preparations are underway for a “colour revolution” For this purpose, Georgian pro-Western NGOs are recruiting large numbers of individuals to monitor the voting process. They are tasked with identifying and recording “inevitable facts” of the authorities’ use of administrative resources – even in their absence. Washington is allocating additional funds to local opposition youth associations, which are to become the ‘locomotive’ of post-election protests. At the “Tbilisi Maidan,” they plan to present “evidence of falsifications,” announce non-recognition of the election results, and demand a change of power,” the SVR claimed. It further accused the U.S. of preparing “merciless” political and economic retaliation if the government cracked down on the protests. Kremlin-linked media disseminated the statement in a coordinated manner.

Interestingly, the Georgian Dream controlled propaganda media outlets had already “anticipated” the exact same messaging. During the spring 2024 protests, when thousands of Georgians took to the streets to oppose the reintroduction of the “foreign agent law” (widely referred to as the “Russian law”), TV Imedi and POSTV quickly moved to delegitimise the demonstrations. They aired segments titled “Common Signs of a Colour Revolution,” framing the protests as an American-sponsored coup attempt. Shortly afterward, SVR’s aforementioned statement with identical messaging got released – leaving little room for any plausible explanation other than coordination.

Public unrest surged again, this time on an unprecedented scale, after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced not to open Georgia’s EU accession negotiations until 2028. Ruling party officials once again dismissed the protests, claiming they were orchestrated by “foreign agents” and their Western patrons seeking to stage a Maidan-style revolution in Tbilisi.

Following significant reforms by the new presidential administration that affected USAID and NED, Washington’s key civil society support channels, a new target was needed to discredit the persistent wave of public resistance against the ruling party.

From the US to the EU: shifting targets of the disinformation playbook

By February 2025, the SVR had shifted its focus from Washington to Brussels. This came during a period of heightened public protest in response to Georgian Dream’s decision not to open Georgia’s EU accession negotiations.

In a new statement, the SVR accused the EU Delegation in Tbilisi of paying protestors €120 per day to attend demonstrations. “The EU Delegation in Tbilisi has been allocated significant funds to support and coordinate the demonstrations. Each participant in the anti-government protests is to be paid up to 120 euros per day of ‘work’. In the event that the Georgian authorities attempt to block EU channels for financing subversive actions, an option is being developed to deliver cash currency to Tbilisi from the embassies of EU countries in Armenia,” stated the SVR. Within hours, that claim was rebroadcast on Georgian Dream-affiliated media as a fact.

In February 2025, Imedi TV aired a manipulative “investigation” questioning the purpose of an EU-funded youth seminar in Georgia, insinuating it was a preparation of a covert regime-change effort. The report drew parallels with earlier US-funded seminars on peaceful resistance, portraying both as tools for foreign-orchestrated destabilisation in Georgia.

Staged or fabricated videos of paying protesters were earlier released by TV Imedi and POSTV. In May 2024, amidst the protests, both disseminated videos allegedly depicting “members of the United National Movement distributing money in the regions to bring protesters in Tbilisi”. Upon further inspection, it is clear that the video does not back up this claim – the shots were taken from far away and in most cases, making it impossible to make any conclusions; video angles do not allow to identify individuals depicted in the video; the videos have no audio.

TV Imedi and POSTV also shared a video released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The MIA claimed that one of the detainees confessed to receiving 1 200 Georgian Lari from opposition leaders for damaging a police car. Interestingly, both channels deleted news articles and posts regarding this incident from social media. Moreover, no evidence was presented by the MIA to confirm the claim made by the young detainee, and no investigation was launched against the opposition leaders.

This pattern of accusation, media amplification, and lack of evidence would soon repeat with a new target.

New target: “British operation” to topple Georgian Dream

In a notable escalation of its disinformation campaign, the SVR turned its focus to the United Kingdom in mid-2025. After the UK Embassy in Tbilisi announced a small grant program to support electoral observation during Georgia’s municipal elections, scheduled for October 2025, Russian Duma member Andrei Lugovoi released a two-part documentary titled “Georgian Front” on RuTube. The film claimed that British intelligence had infiltrated Georgian ministries to seize the civil sector and prepare a colour revolution.

The documentary was widely disseminated on Russian Telegram channels and shared by Kremlin-aligned figures, including First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Vladimir Dzhabbarov. Pro-Kremlin Georgian platforms, such as “GeWorld(opens in a new tab)” and the Facebook page “Javakheti Diaspora of Russia,” further spread the film within Georgia’s information space.

On June 5, the SVR followed with a formal accusation, alleging that the UK was uniting Georgian NGOs and opposition parties to overthrow the government. “The British intend to push organisations to consolidate efforts with opposition parties. London plans to significantly increase funding for Georgian NGOs to radicalise anti-government activities,” the SVR claimed.

As usual, TV Imedi and POSTV swiftly echoed the SVR’s talking points. When the UK Embassy announced on June 11 that it was cancelling its grant program due to the hostile environment created by Georgian authorities, both channels launched a smear campaign accusing the UK of foreign interference. The Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, escalated the rhetoric by accusing the UK Embassy of funding extremism and supporting extremist organisations allegedly seeking to destabilise Georgia.

A coordinated disinformation machine

Strong alignment of the disinformation campaign between Russia’s intelligence services and Georgian propaganda media outlets reveals a clear pattern of coordination. POSTV and TV Imedi have consistently repeated SVR narratives before and shortly after their release, often using staged or unverified video “evidence” to create an illusion of credibility and reinforce the Kremlin’s messaging.

The overarching goal is to undermine public trust in democratic actors – civil society, opposition, and independent media – by branding them as agents of foreign subversion. Russia’s strategic aim is to sow anti-Western hostility, erode Georgia’s ties with its Western partners, and keep the country within Moscow’s sphere of influence.

High level Georgian authorities echo Russian disinformation narratives in verbatim. Moreover, Georgian state institutions, such as the State Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs, have been weaponised to legitimise and propagate false claims, which are then packaged and disseminated through affiliated media.

The synchronised messaging of Russia’s intelligence services and Georgian pro-government media merits further investigation – particularly regarding potential financial and legal links. The convergence of narratives, timing, and targets points to more than coincidence; it suggests a deliberate and systematic campaign to destabilise Georgia’s democratic trajectory.

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Article and pictures first time published on the EUvsDisinfo web page. Prepared for publication by volunteers from the Res Publica - The Center for Civil Resistance.