DIU: Kremlin expands network of so-called “Russian Houses” to strengthen its influence in Africa
Russia is waging a covert war for the minds of Africans by expanding a hybrid network of so-called “Russian Houses” to strengthen its influence on the African continent.
According to Ukrinform, the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported this.
"The supply of weapons and direct military assistance to African military juntas is only part of Russia's strategy to consolidate its influence on the continent. In parallel, Moscow is waging a war for the minds of Africans, deploying a hybrid network of so-called 'Russian Houses,’" the statement reads.
The opening of ‘Russian Houses’ in Africa is carried out through the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) in cooperation with the Center for Public Diplomacy—an organization founded in 2024 with the stated goal of expanding the network of “Russian Houses” on the African continent.
The official mission of the Center for Public Diplomacy is to convey “reliable” information about Russia to Africans. The center’s director general is Dmitry Savelyev, a State Duma deputy from the All-Russian Political Party United Russia.
A steering group coordinates the project in Africa:
Executive Director Natalia Krasovskaya, who, as a co-founder, also heads the Consortium of Russian Universities for Cooperation with African Countries;
Advisor to the Executive Director Leonid Isaev, who is responsible for organizing delegation visits to Africa and is a research fellow at the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
Deputy Executive Director Valeria Manovitskaya—Head of the Department of Educational Projects, and coordinator of Rossotrudnichestvo and the “Russian Houses” in Africa.
Moscow plans to open offices in eight African countries: Nigeria (Lagos), Sierra Leone (Freetown), Togo (Lomé), Mozambique (Maputo), Mali (Bamako), Senegal (Dakar), Liberia (Monrovia), and São Tomé and Príncipe (São Tomé).
The main target audience is young people. The “Russian Houses” will conduct systematic ideological indoctrination, in particular through the screening of Soviet and Russian films and the distribution of ideologically aligned literature.
A separate focus is on preparing young Africans to move to Russia as labor migrants or students: They will be presented with an image of a “happy Russia” and taught the Russian language.
"The reality, however, is starkly different from this picture. For many African students in particular, a trip to Russia ends with signing a contract with the occupying forces and dying in assault units on the front lines of the criminal war against Ukraine,” the DIU emphasized, noting that the international community has been repeatedly informed about these people’s stories.
The Kremlin’s ultimate goal is to raise an entire generation of ideologically loyal Africans who will not ask uncomfortable questions about the Russian Federation’s criminal and harmful activities on their territories. This is strategically necessary for Moscow, as the real goal of its presence in Africa is the massive and uncontrolled depletion of natural resources—effectively plundering African nations with catastrophic consequences for future generations, particularly in the economic and environmental spheres, the intelligence report emphasized.
"A telling example is Sudan, where Kremlin-controlled groups have contaminated water resources with mercury through predatory artisanal gold mining. Pollution of this scale takes years to remediate — it is an environmental weapon of slow destruction. The local population in this scheme is regarded purely as cheap labor — both in Russian-operated enterprises within African countries and in facilities inside Russia itself, where Africans end up after being 'prepared' through the 'Russian Houses'. The Kremlin's promises of development and partnership, along with the ideological conditioning of African populations through the 'Russian Houses' network, are cover elements for classic colonial exploitation and plunder in Africa,” the DIU noted.
As reported by Ukrinform, according to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Russia systematically uses UN mechanisms to expand its own propaganda network in Africa.