Hybrid expansion: the kremlin expands its network of «russian houses»
russia has announced plans to expand its network of «russian houses» in ten countries around the world. The announcement was made by yevgeny chaika, head of rossotrudnichestvo — a state agency responsible for promoting russian influence abroad.
The largest number of new centres — eight out of eleven — are planned to open in Africa (Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mali, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo). Armenia and Thailand are also on the list.
A key feature of this wave of expansion is the hybrid nature of the «russian houses» network. The new centres will be established through existing local organisations, including NGOs, cultural centres and universities. This is a deliberate loophole designed to minimise the risk of government rejection and allow russia to operate within local legislation without concluding formal interstate agreements.
More and more countries around the world are recognising the real threat posed by such structures. «russian houses» are instruments of russian hybrid influence disguised as «cultural exchange». That is why a number of countries are deliberately closing or restricting the activities of these centres to protect their national security.
