By Dr. Iryna Ptashnyk, Research and Policy Advisor, Razom We Stand

Europe’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is not just an environmental and economic challenge; it has become a geopolitical battleground. At the heart of this struggle is Russia, whose disinformation campaigns have targeted renewable energy markets with a fierce determination to maintain its dominance in Europe’s energy supply. 

Despite the EU adopting the European Media Freedom Act, which includes safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions, more must be done. The Kremlin’s disinformation machine continues to do everything it can to keep Europe reliant on Russian oil and gas, exploiting vulnerabilities and undermining the very policies designed to safeguard the continent’s energy independence.

For decades, many European countries—especially Germany and Austria—relied heavily on Russian fossil fuels. This dependence created a critical vulnerability Russia has weaponised, particularly as these nations seek to transition to renewable energy sources. Through a web of disinformation, Russia is working to erode public trust in renewable technologies, playing on existing economic fears and political divisions to slow down Europe’s energy transition.

Russia has long recognised the value of disinformation as a tool for geopolitical influence, and it has invested heavily in this approach. In 2021 alone, the Russian government allocated more than $1.5 billion to its disinformation apparatus, increasing that budget to $1.9 billion in 2022. State-sponsored media outlets like RT (Russia Today) and Rossiya Segodnya, along with a well-oiled network of troll farms, fake social media accounts, and covert funding, have become key players in promoting false narratives.

This disinformation effort is particularly intense in the energy sector. As one of the world’s largest exporters of hydrocarbons, Russia has a deep-rooted interest in discrediting renewable energy initiatives, which pose an existential threat to its economy. Fossil fuels make up more than 35% of Russia’s national budget, and with Europe attempting to move away from Russian gas, Moscow has every reason to destabilise this shift.

As Europe accelerates its green energy transition, the scale of Russian disinformation has increased. According to NATO’s Information Environment Assessment from May 2022 to May 2024, Russia is the leading source of hostile communications related to renewable energy on social media and online news outlets. By flooding the information space with false narratives, Russia seeks to create confusion and doubt about renewable energy technologies, suggesting they are impractical, unreliable, or even harmful.

In the first half of 2024, half of the EU’s electricity generation came from renewable sources, while the share of Russian gas imports to the EU dropped from 45% in 2021 to 18%. These shifts have been a severe blow to Russia, which depends heavily on fossil fuel revenues. The more Europe weans itself off Russian energy, the less leverage the Kremlin has to wage its bloody war of destruction in Ukraine.

It is precisely at this moment of vulnerability for Russia that its disinformation campaigns have gone into overdrive. Whether it’s promoting conspiracy theories about the environmental impacts of wind turbines or sowing fear about the economic costs of solar power, Russia is using every tool at its disposal to slow the pace of Europe’s transition to renewable energy.

Russian disinformation campaigns are highly targeted, using microtargeting techniques to appeal to specific demographics and regions. In the Baltic states, for example, Russian media has framed local energy independence efforts as failures, attributing rising electricity and gas prices to green energy policies rather than external factors like sanctions or global market dynamics.

Germany has also become a primary target of Russian disinformation. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is sympathetic to Moscow, has built much of its electoral success in regions like Thuringia and Saxony on an anti-wind energy platform. The party dishonestly claims that wind turbines disturb residents and harm wildlife, messaging that resonates with voters concerned about local environmental impacts. The AfD’s growing influence threatens Germany’s renewable energy initiatives and its broader climate goals.

In the EU, Russia is working to exploit rising energy costs, using them as a pretext to argue that renewable energy is too expensive or unreliable. By stoking economic fears and promoting scepticism, Russian disinformation tries to steer public opinion against climate action.

Interestingly, even as Russia works to undermine Europe’s renewable energy transition, it has been quietly expanding its own renewable energy capacity. By June 2024, Russia’s installed renewable energy capacity reached 6.16 GW, having doubled in the past five years. Russia’s oil and gas producers are increasingly turning to renewable energy, which reduces costs and logistical challenges.

Russia’s disinformation campaigns are thus not about skepticism toward renewables per se, but about maintaining its economic dominance in Europe’s energy markets for as long as possible.

The European Union must take immediate and coordinated action to counter Russian disinformation. Public awareness campaigns, fact-checking initiatives, and media literacy programs are crucial to equipping citizens with the tools to identify and reject false narratives. Independent journalism that focuses on energy and climate issues must be supported, and journalists themselves should receive training on digital literacy and fact-checking related to energy topics.

Governments and institutions need to enhance their cooperation, establishing a permanent body independent of governments to respond swiftly to disinformation challenges. Only by working together can European countries protect their energy transition from Russian interference.

If Europe allows itself to be swayed by disinformation, it risks delaying its transition to a cleaner, more secure energy future. Worse, it risks continuing its reliance on Russian fossil fuels, which funds not only Moscow’s economy but also its war efforts. The battle for renewable energy is not just a matter of environmental sustainability; it is a fight for Europe’s independence and security.