Armenia faces intensifying disinformation campaigns, says Prime Minister’s spo

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spokesperson, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, warned on Wednesday of intensified disinformation campaigns targeting Armenia.

She made the remarks at an event organized by the Public Relations and Information Center, an analytical government agency.

Baghdasaryan presented studies conducted by the government into disinformation campaigns and hybrid threats.

“I am confident that this meeting will yield the most effective results for all of us. I want to thank everyone for their active cooperation, because the state cannot act alone in the fight against hybrid warfare. Resilience can be achieved through active collaboration, involving non-governmental organizations, media platforms, and independent investigators,” she noted.

Baghdasaryan also emphasized the government’s readiness for ongoing cooperation to prevent disinformation campaigns.

“Our studies show that disinformation campaigns are not only present but are also intensifying, and they can only be prevented through your active engagement,” she said, addressing those present.

According to her, disinformation and hybrid threats are not new phenomena for Armenia.

“This phenomenon is not new to us; we have been confronting it since 2021. However, as in the rest of the world, in Armenia these campaigns significantly intensify in the context of pre-election processes,” Baghdasaryan noted.

The Prime Minister’s press secretary also presented statistical data highlighting the increase in intensity.

“If in the previous 11 months we recorded around 72 cases, then in just one month—from March 15 to April 15, 2026—these cases increased by 42. This shows that 2–3 or more disinformation campaigns are being recorded daily,” she said.

According to Baghdasaryan, the methodology for spreading disinformation has also changed.

“Whereas previously disinformation was mainly based on entirely false news, the manipulative news now circulating often includes some facts connected to reality. A real fact is taken, false information is added, and a complete narrative is created that can mislead the public,” she said.

She emphasized that the targets of disinformation campaigns are not individual persons but the state and public trust.

“The target of disinformation campaigns is not any official or political party; the target is the state and public trust. In an environment of massive information noise, it is very difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood, and this is the most effective way to undermine public confidence,” Baghdasaryan noted.

According to her, such processes are also aimed at reducing trust in democratic values and electoral processes.

“Their objective is the targeting of our democratic values; public trust, including reducing trust in the upcoming elections, to create the impression that the election results are predetermined,” she said.

Baghdasaryan added that in conditions of information overload, objective information becomes less visible.

“When a person is confronted with false information every day, they become detached from reality, and as a result, accurate and objective information gradually diminishes amid the public noise,” she said.

She also highlighted the important role of information officers in state institutions.

“In these conditions, the work of press services, spokespersons, and information officers across various state agencies is becoming increasingly complex,” the Prime Minister’s press secretary concluded.