The European Union recently imposed sanctions on Tsargrad TV, an Orthodox Christian television channel notorious for spreading Kremlin propaganda and anti-cult rhetoric. Owned by Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, Tsargrad has justified Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while fueling hostility toward religious minorities.
As EU High Representative Josep Borrell stated, “Our message is clear…we remain steadfast in our commitment to Ukraine and will support its struggle for freedom and sovereignty.” The latest round of EU sanctions aims to “further weaken the Russian war machine” by freezing assets and restricting transactions. On that occasion, the SPAS TV Channel of the Russian Orthodox Church was also put under EU sanctions as shown by Human Rights Without Frontiers.
In a recent investigation published on BitterWinter.org, experts Ievgeniia Gidulianova and Willy Fautré exposed Tsargrad’s dissemination of disinformation and promotion of intolerance.
Tsargrad: Inciting Hate and Disinformation
Active since 2015, Tsargrad brands itself a “conservative” Russian Orthodox news source. However, the channel frequently publishes disinformation and inflammatory statements, including against Jehovah’s Witnesses and Scientologists.
Quoting Alexander Dvorkin, an anti-cult activist, Tsargrad has attacked Scientology saying it is a “threat” to state security’s Russian agenda. The channel aired Dvorkin’s claims that Scientology operates as an “international intelligence service” spying on Russian politicians.
Such rhetoric aligns closely with Russia’s crackdown on religious freedom under the guise of combatting “extremism.” Indeed, interviews with Dvorkin (who is known to have spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda) appeared around the same time as police raids on Scientology facilities in Russia.
Regarding banned Jehovah’s Witnesses, Tsargrad denigrated members as “stunted adherents of a heretical doctrine” who won’t be allowed to “cling in pairs to passers-by.” This vindictive language encourages further persecution of Witnesses as Russia continues imprisoning members for practicing their faith.
Tsargrad also spreads disinformation related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As the EU resolution states, Tsargrad has justified occupying Ukrainian territories while promoting the forced removal of Ukrainian children to Russia.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Reintegration, the channel “financially supports aggression” against Ukraine through its pro-Kremlin messaging. Likewise, the US Treasury has sanctioned Tsargrad for serving as an “intermediary organization between pro-Russian European politicians and [Russian] officials.”
The Oligarch Behind It All
Billionaire Konstantin Malofeev is the individual for Tsargrad’s propaganda and intolerance. He has been under US sanctions since 2014. Played a role in fueling the conflict in eastern Ukraine by acting as a coordinator, between Kremlin officials and separatist groups. Recently the US authorities seized millions of dollars from one of his accounts, which he was using to evade sanctions.
A Russian nationalist and devout Orthodox Christian, Malofeev aims to promote traditional values and monarchism in Russia. His advocacy extends to restoring Russia’s historical empire and territorial claims over former Soviet states like Ukraine.
Through Tsargrad and affiliated entities, Malofeev spreads his ultraconservative ideology while supporting Putin’s aggressive foreign policy. And despite past sanctions, the TV channel had continued operating and expanding its global reach.
An International Response
Facing pressure from Western democracies, Tsargrad can no longer broadcast freely around Europe. The EU specifically called out the channel’s attempts to “manipulate media” and “increase destabilization of neighbouring countries.”
In addition to the actions taken by the EU various countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Japan have implemented sanctions, against Tsargrad and Malofeev in the year. These sanctions are intended to restrict the dissemination of information and propaganda originating from Russia.
Nonetheless, Tsargrad continues disseminating hate speech and justification for the Ukraine invasion online. Though banned from European airwaves, the channel retains its captive audience within Russia through state-controlled media.
As leading democracies attempt to counter Russian disinformation, it remains difficult to balance sanctions while preserving civil liberties like free speech. However, channels like Tsargrad pose too serious a national security threat with their implantation of Kremlin talking points.
Through up-to-date legislation and coordinated international actions, the Western alliance hopes to mitigate outlets weaponizing media to undermine democracy and human rights. Targeting beneficiaries like Malofeev also follows the money funding propaganda—whether through TV programming or online trolling campaigns.
While keeping sanctions narrowly tailored, the US and EU must continue calling out tortured rhetoric and hypocrisy from extremist mouthpieces like Tsargrad TV. Protecting free expression doesn’t equate to tolerating purposeful disinformation and defamation—especially amid armed conflict and humanitarian disasters engineered by Putin’s regime.
