Russian state TV covers Welsh independence march as EU examines French riots disinformation

BBC News reported that EU regulators were looking into potential foreign interference around the French riots, including possible involvement by Russia or Russia-related actors. Francis Scarr, a Russia expert at BBC Monitoring, said the regulators were examining several Russian disinformation networks: Matryoshka, which means Russian Doll, Storm 1516 and Doppelganger.

Scarr said these networks create fake stories, videos, photos and online articles, often using the branding of reputable outlets such as the BBC, France 24, Le Monde and Euronews. They push content favourable to Russia, he said, but in this case the more likely aim was to sow chaos and present France and other European countries as being in complete disorder.

He said that undermines public trust in governments. It may also increase support for parties that make law and order their key promise, such as France's National Rally, which is seen as friendlier to Russia than the current French government.

On the same BBC News programme, Scarr discussed why a Russia One crew travelled to Aberystwyth at the end of September to cover the March for Independence, a Welsh pro-independence rally. The report said around 8,000 people attended. The organisers' estimate was slightly higher, at 8,000 or 9,000.

Alexander Khabarov, Russia One's London correspondent, said in the report that major British media were ignoring the march. He said separatism in the UK was more sensitive than ever because Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were all demanding independence at once.

Scarr said the march was not a major development by the standards that would make it a top story on Russian state TV. He linked the coverage to a Cardiff summit held by the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who said no Westminster government had the right to block a referendum. Scarr said the report fitted a Russian narrative that Western Europe is divided and becoming weaker.

Russian state media also covered that summit, BBC News reported. Scarr said a commentator on Russian state media said 'the single country as we knew it is disappearing', and that the message was 'whatever is bad for the UK is great for us'. Scarr said Europe is increasingly presented as Russia's key adversary, especially as the United States under Donald Trump is seen as more favourable to Moscow. A common theme, he added, links European support for Ukraine to money that could go to European citizens instead.