Belarus’ Media Landscape in 2025: The Regime’s Tight Grip and Moscow’s Growing Influence

The Belarusian media landscape today resembles a battlefield for influence over public opinion. Russia is actively seeking to strengthen the presence of its propaganda platforms in a supposedly “allied” country, exploiting the structural weaknesses of the local media market.

Based on data from SimilarWeb and Ahrefs for the first half of 2025, covering the traffic of news websites most frequently visited by Belarusians, all media outlets can be divided into three main groups: pro-government, opposition/independent, and Russian propaganda platforms. International independent media form a separate but marginal segment. The findings clearly indicate that the threat of disinformation from the Kremlin’s propaganda machine—already sanctioned by the European Union—continues to grow.

This analysis demonstrates that pro-Lukashenka media dominate Belarus’s online news sphere, controlling nearly 60% of the audience. Independent outlets retain about one-quarter of readership, which signals a persistent demand for alternative sources of information. Meanwhile, Russian state-controlled media continue to exert significant external malign influence, with a share comparable to that of independent media.

Structure of Belarus’s Media Landscape by Editorial Policy

Data collected and analyzed from SimilarWeb and Ahrefs reveal a profound imbalance in the Belarusian media environment. More than half of all visits to news websites go to pro-government outlets, while international independent media remain marginal players. The figures below reflect average monthly traffic over the past six months.

Media by editorial policy — average monthly traffic (SimilarWeb, H1 2025):

• Pro-government media — 25.39 million (58.98%)
• Opposition/independent media — 10.05 million (23.35%)
• Russian propaganda outlets — 7.42 million (17.24%)
• International independent media — 0.19 million (0.43%)
  Total — 43.04 million (100%)

Key observations

Pro-government channels dominate the information sphere. Nearly 60% of all visits go to resources under direct state control, reflecting the strength of Lukashenka’s propaganda apparatus inside the country.

Independent and opposition outlets maintain a resilient presence. Despite censorship and blocking, they generate over 23% of total news traffic, showing a notable level of trust in alternative sources of information—particularly among younger audiences.

Russian propaganda remains a powerful force. With a 17% share of readership, Russian state-funded media continue to shape public perception, spreading disinformation and war propaganda aligned with the Kremlin’s agenda.

International independent media (Russian-language versions of BBC and Euronews) hold just 0.43% of the audience. Their marginal presence is due to both targeted blocking and limited coverage of issues most relevant to Belarusians.

Overall, the data confirm that Belarus’s online media space remains heavily controlled by the regime, while being highly vulnerable to external information attacks. Nonetheless, the sustained traffic of independent outlets underlines the continued demand for alternative voices in Belarusian society.

The Most Popular Online Media in Belarus: Structure and Key Players

An analysis of the news websites most frequently visited by Belarusians reveals a media environment split into four distinct categories based on editorial policy: pro-government outlets, independent or opposition media, Russian state propaganda platforms, and international independent publishers. Among these, pro-government media loyal to Lukashenka’s regime remain the dominant force.

Pro-Government Media Dominate the Market

Pro-government outlets continue to be the most influential group within Belarus’s media landscape, capturing nearly 59% of total online news traffic. This dominance highlights the regime’s ability to control the national information agenda and limit the visibility of alternative narratives.

Websites such as Belnovosti, Smartpress, Belta, and SB consistently top the traffic rankings. Beyond simply reporting news, they serve as vehicles for shaping public opinion and reinforcing state-sanctioned narratives, particularly among older generations—the demographic that forms the backbone of their audience.

Top 5 pro-Lukashenko media by traffic:

• Belnovosti.by — 6.77 million
• Smartpress.by — 6.42 million
• Belta.by — 4.80 million
• SB.by — 3.28 million
• Minsknews.by — 1.90 million

Interestingly, pro-government media maintain a more balanced gender distribution among their readership compared to other categories, enabling them to sustain a broad social base. Nevertheless, their growth trajectory has stalled. Audience expansion has effectively plateaued, suggesting that while these outlets retain dominance, their capacity to attract new, younger readers is diminishing.

These media outlets focus on relaying the official stance of Lukashenko’s government. The data shows that pro-government media outlets remain in the lead but are gradually losing momentum and trust, especially among younger audiences.

Opposition and Independent Media Retain Their Audience Despite Censorship

Independent and opposition outlets collectively attract more than 10 million monthly visits (23.35% of total traffic), underscoring the persistent demand in Belarusian society for alternative and reliable sources of information. While heavily constrained by censorship and political repression, these platforms continue to command about a quarter of the country’s online news audience.

The leaders in this category—Charter97, Zerkalo, and Nasha Niva—draw much of their strength from younger readers, particularly men aged 25 to 34, who actively seek independent news. Yet despite this loyal base, their audience growth has stalled, signaling deeper structural challenges.

The stagnation of opposition media cannot be explained solely by government blocking or persecution. A significant part of the problem lies in the absence of effective digital strategies. Most outlets have failed to transform themselves into competitive online brands capable of leveraging SEO and digital marketing to expand their reach. Their social media presence has provided partial relief from direct censorship, but the efforts have not been dynamic or innovative enough to compete with well-resourced pro-government media.

Another challenge is structural dependency on external funding. Reliance on donor grants often fosters a reporting-oriented culture rather than a product-driven, long-term approach to audience growth. As a result, opposition outlets risk becoming locked in survival mode, unable to invest in brand development or digital innovation.

Top-5 Independent Media by Traffic

• Charter97.org — 6.72 million
• Zerkalo.io — 1.94 million
• NashaNiva.com — 0.95 million
• Belsat.eu — 0.19 million
• Gazetaby.com — 0.07 million

Despite working in exile and under constant pressure, these outlets remain influential symbols of resilience. They continue to appeal to younger, more critical segments of the population. However, censorship, limited resources, and the lack of systematic digital promotion strategies prevent them from expanding their readership in a meaningful way.

Opposition Media in Belarus: Why Growth Has Stalled

• Technical barriers — government blocking restricts direct access, while VPN usage is not yet widespread.
• Weak online promotion — most outlets lack strong SEO strategies or creative digital marketing capable of turning them into competitive brands.
• Dependence on grants — reliance on donor funding fosters a “compliance and reporting” mindset rather than a competitive, product-oriented strategy for long-term audience growth.

Russian Propaganda Outlets—A Powerful Driver of Disinformation

Russian state-controlled media occupy the third-largest segment of Belarus’s news market, accounting for 17.2% of traffic (7.4 million visits per month). They remain a central channel of external influence, saturated with disinformation and Kremlin-driven war narratives.

Among these, Sputnik, Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP), RIA Novosti, and Lenta exert the greatest impact. Sputnik.by alone generates well over 5 million monthly views, ensuring that a significant share of Belarusians are primarily exposed to the Russian interpretation of world events. This illustrates how deliberately the Kremlin is expanding its digital presence in Belarus to shape public opinion in what it officially calls an “ally.”

Top-5 Russian Media in Belarus by Monthly Traffic

• Sputnik.by — 5.29 million
• Belarus.kp.ru — 1.40 million
• RIA.ru — 0.37 million
• Lenta.ru — 0.25 million
• Iz.ru — 0.09 million

The widespread reach of these websites highlights how deeply Russian narratives are embedded in Belarus’s online information ecosystem. Kremlin-controlled media rely heavily on organic search traffic and referral channels, which make them highly visible to Belarusian audiences even without direct promotion.

How Russian Propaganda Captures Google Search Traffic

Perhaps the most alarming trend is the dominance of Russian outlets in Google search results. According to Ahrefs data:

• RIA Novosti attracts more than 330,000 clicks from search engines every month,
• Lenta secures another 230,000,
• Together, they overshadow Belarus’s own state agency Belta, which trails in third place with just 6.5% of search traffic.

RIA receives over 330,000 visits from search engines, and Lenta receives over 230,000 visits per month. This means that when searching for information about the world and their own country, Belarusians are more likely to see Russian narratives.

This shows how Kremlin media dominates the information competition for the Belarusian audience. It’s important to note that even sanctions and restrictions from the EU haven’t lowered their visibility in search results, because Google’s algorithms rank these sites.

We identified the main search queries with the word “news” based on Ahrefs data and found that RIA receives the largest share of search traffic—20%, and Lenta—7.2%. The Belarusian publication Belta ranks only third with 6.5%. They are followed by the Russian-sanctioned Izvestia and Sputnik.

Opposition media, on the other hand, are virtually absent from search results. Only Zerkalo gathers about 1% of traffic.

International players like the BBC and Euronews demonstrate relative success in queries about “world news,” thanks to the authority of their domains and effective search optimization. But these remain exceptions rather than competitors to Moscow’s vast digital infrastructure.

Why Search Engines Favor the Kremlin

The analysis of Belarusian user queries reveals that the most popular searches are associated with international events, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the economy, and political news. Crucially, however, it is Russian propaganda platforms that consistently rank as the leading destinations for these searches.

Independent Belarusian media struggle to gain visibility due to limited SEO expertise, modest marketing budgets, and the blocking of their websites inside the country. This leaves them structurally disadvantaged. Consequently, Russian state-controlled outlets often attract Belarusians actively seeking independent perspectives.

This reliance on search is critical: organic traffic remains the most stable and enduring source of readership, as it reflects genuine user intent. Securing top positions in Google results therefore translates into near-monopolistic control over what information users encounter. The Kremlin exploits this dynamic with precision, embedding its narratives directly into the most popular searches.

Strategic Implications

Ahrefs data confirm a troubling trend: Russian propaganda websites dominate Belarus’s information space at the search level, while opposition outlets remain marginalized. This reflects a systematic and long-term Kremlin strategy to entrench disinformation in Belarus and gradually shape the country’s political and social discourse in Moscow’s favor.

What Belarusians Search for on Google: Interests and Information Traps

Data from the Ahrefs platform for the first half of 2025 reveals that Belarusians are highly active in searching for news via Google. Combined, queries related specifically to news topics exceed 1 million searches per month.

Main News Interests of Belarusians

• Global events. The most popular query is “world news” (172,000 searches). This level of interest reflects a strong curiosity about international developments, especially Russia’s war in Ukraine and wider global politics.
• Local news. Queries such as “Belarus news” (84,000), “Grodno news” (26,000), and “Minsk news” (6,700) highlight demand for information about everyday life inside the country. However, independent outlets often fail to meet this demand, with many facing domestic blockades or operating from exile.
• The Russian agenda is prevalent. Searches like “Russian news” (54,000), “RIA news” (42,000), “Lenta news” (2,400), and “breaking news Russia and the world” (13,000) show that Russian propaganda resources remain deeply integrated into the Belarusian search ecosystem.
• War in Ukraine. Queries such as “Ukraine news” (44,000), “war in Ukraine latest” (3,400), and “special operation news” (9,500) consistently rank high, confirming that Russia’s war remains one of the most pressing topics for Belarusians.
• Brand Search for Alternative Sources. Despite their relatively small volumes, searches for “independent Belarus news” (10,000), “Zerkalo news” (9,900), and “Nasha Niva news” (1,500) show that a segment of the audience is deliberately seeking alternatives to state-controlled and Russian media.

Why Search Works in Favor of Russian Propaganda

The core problem is that Russian outlets capture the majority of search traffic. Google’s algorithms consistently rank RIA.ru and Lenta.ru higher than Belarusian independent sites, largely due to their enormous content volume, consistent publication frequency, and well-developed SEO strategies.

As a result, even when Belarusians search for local or international news, they are disproportionately directed to Russian sources. This creates a dangerous dynamic of informational dependency, where Kremlin propaganda becomes the default news provider for a significant portion of the population.

The Kremlin’s Expansion: Why Russia is Capturing Belarus’s Information Space

The intensification of Russian media activity in Belarus is not accidental—it reflects a deliberate geopolitical strategy. The Kremlin has grown increasingly dissatisfied with Lukashenka’s refusal to openly back the war in Ukraine or commit Belarusian troops to combat. State media in Belarus have largely avoided framing the invasion positively, which clashes with the central message of Russian propaganda.

Moscow has therefore moved to bypass Minsk’s cautious stance and directly target Belarusian audiences. Its efforts focus especially on readers of pro-government outlets, who are considered more receptive to gradual shifts toward Kremlin narratives.

Russia’s information campaign in Belarus serves several purposes:

1. The campaign aims to exert pressure on Lukashenka by influencing domestic opinion to support Moscow’s war.
2. To inject themes of Russian aggression and “special operation” narratives absent in Belarusian state media.
3. The goal is to lay the foundation for a more profound integration between Russia and Belarus, a process that could potentially lead to a de facto annexation.

This strategy underscores a broader reality: the Kremlin views Belarus not as a sovereign partner but as an information battleground, where propaganda tools are used to realign public opinion in favor of Moscow’s long-term political and military objectives.

International Independent Media — A Marginalized Segment

Despite enjoying high levels of credibility worldwide, international independent outlets account for less than 1% of the Belarusian audience. State-imposed blocking and inadequately tailored or timely coverage for local audiences contribute to their limited reach.

• BBC.com — 0.15 million monthly visits
• Euronews.com — 0.04 million monthly visits

Although their influence in Belarus’s digital information space remains marginal, the role of these platforms as alternative and trustworthy sources of news is critically important. They provide a counterweight—however small—to the dominance of both state-controlled and Russian propaganda channels.

The result is a polarized media environment: on one side, the overwhelming dominance of pro-government and Russian-backed outlets; on the other, a resilient but constrained segment of independent media, much of which operates in exile.

Trends: Who Is Winning the Battle for Belarusian Readers?

According to SimilarWeb data, the largest shares of traffic to Belarusian news websites come from search engines and direct visits. In both of these categories, pro-government and Russian media hold the upper hand. By contrast, opposition outlets rely heavily on social media traffic, which remains limited due to blocking and platform restrictions.

• Pro-government media maintain their stronghold largely thanks to direct traffic—evidence of brand recognition and user loyalty—but their audience growth has stalled.
• Opposition media depend on social platforms, making them vulnerable to algorithmic changes and censorship.
• Russian outlets steadily expand their influence, leveraging organic search optimization and referral networks.

Generational divides are evident: young audiences lean toward opposition media, while older generations remain more loyal to pro-government and Russian sources.

Traffic Sources in Belarus (H1 2025)

• 41.7% Organic traffic (search engines): users actively search for news and land on media websites — Russian propaganda outlets dominate this channel.
• 35.4% Direct traffic: primarily benefits pro-government outlets, reflecting strong brand recognition and habit-driven readership.
• 12.9% Referral traffic: significant portions come from partner links and Russian web ecosystems.
• 6% Social media traffic: the lifeline for opposition outlets, particularly via Telegram, Facebook, and X (Twitter), though overall volumes remain small.
• 4% Paid search traffic: a negligible share, constrained by limited marketing budgets across all media segments.

Demographic Differences in the Belarusian Media Audience

Audience demographics reveal a clear divide between pro-government and opposition media in Belarus. State-controlled outlets attract a disproportionately older readership, while opposition and independent outlets appeal more strongly to younger and middle-aged users.

• 18–24 years old: roughly equal in both groups, about 10% of the audience.
• 25–34 years old: opposition outlets lead with 22%, compared to 17% for pro-government media.
• 35–44 years old: evenly split at around 15