Russian officials have accused Western countries of using online influence campaigns to encourage dissent in the North Caucasus and of pressuring South Caucasus states to distance themselves from Moscow. The allegations came in separate statements, with Russian authorities announcing plans to identify people allegedly producing AI-generated content for the North Caucasus and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko framing the South Caucasus as an arena of confrontation between Russia and the European Union.

On 21 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District, Yuri Chaika, said authorities expected a sharp increase in the use of artificial intelligence by “unfriendly countries” to produce and distribute content on sensitive regional issues. Speaking at a meeting in Pyatigorsk chaired by Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, Chaika that the main threat was shifting from foreign funding of established non-governmental organisations to support for decentralised online communities and direct engagement by Western intelligence services with opposition-minded citizens. According to Chaika, Russian agencies were working to identify residents involved in creating what the authorities describe as “destructive content”. However, Chaika did not identify the videos in question or present evidence of Western intelligence involvement.

The meeting also outlined the authorities’ response. Regional administrations, law enforcement agencies and organisations monitoring youth communities are coordinating efforts to track online activity and counter perceived information threats. A pilot content centre has been established in Pyatigorsk to produce documentaries and AI-generated material intended to preserve historical memory, strengthen Russian civic identity and promote interethnic and interfaith harmony. Russian officials have foreign actors for encouraging unrest in the North Caucasus, including during protests in Ingushetia in 2019 and antisemitic riots in Dagestan in October 2023. In the latter case, regional authorities and Putin blamed outside actors, including Ukrainian-linked channels, for contributing to the unrest, claims that were disputed.

In a separate statement on 22 October, Grushko the EU of treating the South Caucasus as an arena of confrontation with Russia. Speaking on the sidelines of the 19th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum in Istanbul, he insisted that the bloc was putting pressure on countries seeking membership or considering closer integration with Europe. Grushko argued that such states were being required to surrender their independence before joining the EU by aligning with its common foreign and security policy. “And 80 percent of these statements they make about Russia. Therefore, it is simply impossible not to see the risks,” he noted.

Grushko’s remarks were also directed at Armenia’s pursuit of closer relations with the EU. According to Grushko, Moscow expected Armenian leaders to understand the risks associated with European integration, while stressing that the South Caucasus was not isolated from existing regional ties. Russia, he maintained, believed that reducing the influence of countries outside the region would contribute to stability and that regional states should resolve their problems through negotiations.

Together, the statements point out Moscow’s concern over growing Western engagement in the Caucasus, with officials framing online dissent and closer ties with the EU as potential strategic threats to regional stability and Russian vital interests.