Sport has long been a potent stage for international and ideological contest. Throughout its history, Russia has used global sporting events not merely as a matter of national pride but as tools for influence, disruption, and international posturing. The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics exemplified this strategy: a coordinated campaign of digital manipulation, reactive propaganda, and hybrid influence operations in pursuit of wider geopolitical goals. In this analysis, we explore how the Kremlin treated the Milano-Cortina Games not just as a sporting event, but as a strategic opportunity to weaken public trust in Western institutions, stoke societal tensions, and assert ideological counter-narratives. Through disinformation, cyber influence, and memetic warfare, Russia exploited global attention to advance its geopolitical objectives.

Dr Natasia Kalajdziovski, Senior Intelligence Analyst
Sam Collard, Senior Intelligence Analyst, Security Alliance

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High Technology Cyber Investigation Association (HTCIA) Silicon Valley Chapter