Russian propaganda has become one of the largest sources of disinformation in the Albanian-speaking media space, increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to translate and distribute misleading content in Albanian.
According to Kreshnik Gashi, Editor-in-Chief of Kallxo.com, Russia has already established an entire network of websites that republish manipulated materials originally sourced from foreign pro-Russian outlets. Speaking on “Përballje Podcast,” Gashi warned that Moscow’s digital propaganda machine is strategically targeting Albanian audiences through AI-generated or translated disinformation.
“Russia is already prepared and has started filling the online audience with half-truths or inaccurate information — content that can even mislead ChatGPT,” Gashi explained.
He detailed how this disinformation system works: Albanian-language websites automatically pull content from external sources without any editorial oversight.
“ChatGPT absorbs materials from about twenty portals. When half of those are pro-Russian and spread disinformation, the information generated later becomes manipulated and unreliable,” Gashi added.
According to him, this has caused a massive influx of AI-assisted translations of pro-Russian narratives into Albanian, designed to appear authentic but in fact crafted to influence political opinion and distort facts about Kosovo and the region.
“They use AI to translate and adapt their content about Kosovo. In just one week, more than 70 manipulated materials were identified — mostly related to local elections,” Gashi revealed.
He emphasized that such operations are not harmless online noise but a deliberate campaign to shape perceptions, manipulate political discussions, and undermine public trust in reliable institutions.
“When an audience is bombarded with thousands of false news items, it begins to live in an artificial reality. That’s modern propaganda — it doesn’t force you to believe one lie; it makes you doubt every truth,” he concluded.
This warning from Gashi underscores the urgent need for stronger media literacy, independent journalism, and fact-checking mechanisms in Albania and Kosovo to resist the spread of Kremlin-backed digital manipulation.
