Soft power Foundation with links to the Kremlin revealed

Pravfond spent millions of euros financing pro-Russia propaganda and legal defences, leaked papers show

- Andrew Roth

Leaked internal papers have exposed the activities of a Russian state-backed legal defence foundation that European intelligence agencies and analysts say is in fact a Kremlin influence operation active in 48 countries.

Documents from Pravfond (the Fund for Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad) indicate that the foundation finances propaganda websites and helped pay for the legal defences of convicted arms traffickers and assassins.

The group has spent millions of euros to finance propaganda and legal campaigns. Public data also shows that Pravfond's local partners have received millions in state subsidies from European countries where it operates local branches, raising questions about the use of public funds and national security concerns.

More than 40 Pravfond documents, obtained by the Danish public broadcaster DR from a European intelligence source and shared with a consortium of journalists including the Guardian, show that the organisation has had a number of former intelligence agents as directors of its European operations.