Russia has established a coordinated far-right network spanning multiple European countries, according to intelligence assessments and investigative reporting, marking an evolution in Moscow's hybrid warfare strategy from covert influence operations to openly organized transnational extremist movements.
The network, called the Paladins, was formally launched at a conference in St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Palace in fall 2025, bringing together more than 50 delegates from ultranationalist groups across Europe. The organization was co-founded by Konstantin Malofeev, a Russian oligarch who operates Tsargrad TV, and philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, whose neo-Eurasianist ideology has influenced Russian foreign policy for decades.
The Paladins represent a shift from deniable operations to brazen organization. Unlike previous Russian influence campaigns that operated through cutouts and social media manipulation, this network brings European extremists directly into contact with Russian state-linked figures, provides ideological coordination, and seeks to normalize radical positions within mainstream political discourse.
According to the Baltic Sentinel investigation, the network explicitly promotes neo-Nazi ideology, frames itself as defending "the white race," and calls for a "new Reconquista" targeting Muslims, Jews, and other minorities. Sample messaging includes attacks on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for allegedly "betraying white Europeans."
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. Russia has a documented history of supporting European far-right movements, from financial backing for France's National Rally to coordination with Italian neo-fascist groups. But those efforts typically maintained plausible deniability. The Paladins dispense with such pretense, operating as an open Russian-led international organization.
