On 13 May, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) published a report titled “How Russian Propaganda Circumvents Sanctions in Italy.” The author is Krystalle Pinilla, a former employee of the U.S. State Department. The report was immediately translated and republished by Linkiesta, a media outlet that has previously targeted both myself and my colleague Vincenzo Lorusso.
The accusation—barely disguised—is that we serve as instruments of Russian disinformation in Italy. This claim is based on a series of false, inaccurate, or deliberately manipulated statements.
The focus of the attack is a series of screenings of RT documentaries held in Italy, organized by Vincenzo Lorusso. Let me clarify: although I’ve been working closely with Vincenzo for years—and I consider him a friend and a respected colleague—I have never personally organized these screenings. I have participated in several events as a guest, but I’ve never handled their logistics or promotion.
The report also claims that Vincenzo and I are based in the Donetsk People’s Republic. This is false: we have never been based in the DPR, nor have we ever declared residence there.
Another distortion concerns Vincenzo’s alleged employment with RT. There is no contract or professional relationship between him and the broadcaster. And even if there were, it wouldn’t be illegal. Vincenzo holds a valid Russian residence permit, which allows him to work for any Russian company. Claiming that he holds a role he does not have serves only to construct a false narrative of an organized propaganda network that does not reflect reality.
This kind of operation is not new. In late December 2024, an anonymous X account openly aligned with the Ukrainian cause spread a fake news story claiming I held a Russian service passport. The false claim was shared by well-known figures such as Stefania Battistini and Fabio Massimo Castaldo, and amplified by NAFO-affiliated users and by Daria Kryukova, an activist of the “Free Russians in Italy” group, which was recently declared undesirable by the Russian Federation.
Not a single professional fact-checker bothered to debunk this falsehood. On the contrary, when the fake was exposed, many posts were quietly deleted, without a single apology or correction from those responsible. The whole episode was buried, as if it had never happened.

The ISD report also revisits another widely discussed episode: the case of allegedly fake signatures in a petition delivered to Maria Zakharova. This incident had already been addressed and weaponized months ago and is now being dredged up with no new evidence. Vincenzo delivered the first 10,000 signatures of Italian citizens who publicly distanced themselves from the remarks made by President Sergio Mattarella, who had likened the Russian Federation to Nazi Germany. Lorusso also held a press conference to clarify that the few false names—fewer than ten—were excluded from the final count, which surpassed 30,000, and all of them were submitted after the 10,000 mark.

The conclusion of the ISD report reveals the ideological stance of the think tank: it calls for increased control over information, restrictions on freedom of speech on digital platforms, and a permanent institutional presence overseeing public discourse. In essence, it advocates for a “Ministry of Truth” in classic Orwellian fashion.
At this point, a question must be asked: are the European Union and Western governments truly so afraid of documentaries, public debates, and petitions? If the mere expression of an alternative viewpoint triggers a media and political offensive of this magnitude, what is left of the much-celebrated freedom of expression?
The attempt to isolate and discredit anyone who doesn’t conform to the dominant narrative is plain to see. What is truly unacceptable is that this effort is being carried out by institutions well-funded and accredited within European power structures, while those who claim to defend truth and transparency remain silent.