Founded in the spring of 2026, Sovintern officially aims to bring together activists from different countries around socialist values. According to an investigation by the independent Russian publication The Insider, however, the network also appears to be promoting an anti-Ukrainian, anti-American, and anti-NATO narrative, as well as recruiting foreign citizens to support Russia’s war effort.
The declared objective of Sovintern, an international socialist organization created by Russia in the spring of 2026, is to inform and connect left-wing and far-left activists from various countries, with the aim of forming an international network.
The name of the organization recalls the Comintern, the Communist International established during the Soviet era. This was used by Moscow to coordinate the communist parties from other countries and to extend Soviet influence beyond the borders of the USSR.
At the founding forum of Sovintern, organized in April, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally delivered the welcome speech, a sign of the importance given to the initiative by the Kremlin.
According to The Insider, the organization might also have a role that goes beyond its declared political activity. Several of its members could be involved in recruiting foreign citizens for the Russian army, as well as in identifying individuals who could contribute to spreading messages favorable to Moscow.
Why are left-wing activists targeted
According to the investigation, Moscow would particularly target individuals who identify themselves as socialists, communists, or antifascists.
The message promoted by the Kremlin presents the war against Ukraine as a fight against fascism and NATO.
This narrative may find a favorable ground among Western activists who are already critical of the United States or the North Atlantic Alliance.
The strategy would not only aim at recruiting fighters.
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