On the occasion of one year since the start of the Russia’s full-scale invasion on Ukraine, the European Union External Action Service (EEAS) and EU Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized a panel discussion “Evolution of propaganda narratives on Ukraine”, on 24 February 2023 in Sarajevo. The discussion brought together panellists from the Western Balkans, Ukraine and the Middle East.

Ambassador Johann Sattler, Head of EU Delegation and EU Special Representative to BiH said: “This war is not just taking place on the battlefield. The war is also taking place in many other fields, including information space. The mechanisms to manipulate information that Russia has created, including in the years prior, have become a powerful instrument of war, used at a global level.  Integrity, professional journalism and strong civil society are crucial during war times, when information manipulation takes place and disinformation spreads.”

The panel discussion is part of a wider EU activity „Connecting Media Communities in the Age of Disinformation“, that is taking place on 24^th and 25^th February in Sarajevo. It gathers journalists, fact-checkers, media professionals and academics from the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership countries, Middle East and North Africa and beyond. The aim of the activity is to increase synergies across borders, as well as to map the needs of the media communities and support their work.