Russian state media RT spreads disinformation in Germany by sowing fear about COVID-19 vaccines, while Russian domestic media promotes vaccination campaigns, creating a contradictory propaganda strategy.

On August 26, 2021, German public broadcaster ARD reported that the Russian state-funded media outlet RT in Germany is disseminating disinformation by exaggerating side effects and fatalities related to COVID-19 vaccinations to sow public fear. RT grossly distorts data from Germany's Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) on suspected vaccine side effects and deaths without contextualizing that these are unconfirmed suspicions and not causally linked. In contrast, Russian domestic media, including RT's English site, actively promotes vaccination campaigns to increase uptake amid low public willingness, particularly in Moscow. This contradictory messaging highlights a strategic propaganda dilemma for Russia, undermining trust abroad while fostering vaccination at home. RT's anti-vaccine narratives are widely shared in German-speaking conspiracy and right-wing circles, including AfD affiliates, amplifying societal divisions.