Pro-Kremlin Matryoshka bot network publishes AI-generated images mocking Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan

The pro-Kremlin Matryoshka disinformation network has launched a new campaign against Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of the country’s June 2026 parliamentary elections, according to insights from the Bot Blocker Project (antibot4navalny) shared with The Insider.

According to the analysts, Matryoshka began its pre-election activities in Armenia with a record lead time of eight months. Last year in the U.S., the bots started spreading disinformation on Jul. 15, three and a half months before Election Day (Nov. 4). Ahead of Moldova’s parliamentary elections, the bots went live on Apr. 13 — five and a half months before the Sept. 28 vote.

The bots are spreading videos on X and BlueSky disguised as content from Western media outlets. These clips criticize Pashinyan for “destroying Armenia’s cultural code” and “imposing non-traditional values of tolerance.” They also accuse his administration of threatening opposition journalists and bloggers, as well as promoting an “unrealistic and dangerous” plan to create a “Fourth Republic.” The term refers to a declaration proposed by Pashinyan at the congress of his Civil Contract party and adopted by a vote of the participants. The document envisions extending the current government’s mandate for another five years after the 2026 parliamentary elections, adopting a new constitution through a referendum, formally renouncing Armenia’s territorial claims to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), and pursuing a course toward joining the European Union.