Armenia re‑elects Pashinyan as parliament amid Russian disinformation push

Parliamentary elections in Armenia resulted in incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan winning a third term. The vote, seen as a test of Armenia’s shift away from Russian influence toward the West, prompted a retaliatory response from Moscow. Russian authorities reduced imports of Armenian goods, warned of changes to discounted gas supplies, and allegedly organized a coordinated online disinformation campaign targeting Pashinyan. Intelligence reports link the effort to the Kremlin‑backed propaganda outfit Storm‑1516 and the Russian marketing firm Social Design Agency, which has been sanctioned by the European Union. The campaign reportedly includes false claims of corruption and fabricated health rumors, and attempts to mobilise the Armenian diaspora residing in Russia to vote for pro‑Russian candidates.