DR documentary faces criticism over sensationalism and Kremlin ties

A new DR documentary series, Krigsplan Europa, has sparked debate over its portrayal of Russia’s military buildup near Europe’s borders, with critics accusing it of sensationalism and uncritical promotion of Kremlin-linked figures.

Former Danish Defence Intelligence Service chief analyst Jacob Kaarsbo, now an independent security policy advisor, gave the documentary two out of five stars in a review for Altinget. He argued it was marred by “sensationalism and acting as a microphone stand for one of the Kremlin’s influence agents,” referring to Russian professor Sergei Karaganov, who has close ties to the Russian government.

Kaarsbo told DR’s P1 Morgen that Karaganov is not merely a hardliner but an active propagandist used by Moscow to spread fear in the West. “He is made an uncritical mouthpiece, presented as an academic. That’s extremely dangerous because it’s Russian information warfare directly into Danish living rooms,” Kaarsbo said.

He added that the documentary failed to properly disclose Karaganov’s role, stating that his purpose is to scare Danes into believing an imminent nuclear war to deter Western action.

DR’s editor-in-chief for the documentary, Casper Walbum Høst, rejected the criticism, insisting Karaganov’s background was fully disclosed. “We stated that Western intelligence agencies identify him as someone close to the Kremlin. He himself says his statements usually align with Kremlin policy,” Høst told P1 Morgen. He also noted that Karaganov is on the EU sanctions list, barring him from entering the EU.

Høst defended the inclusion of Karaganov, arguing it was important to understand Russian perspectives. “The strength of Western democracy is that we dare to hear the opposing side. I think it would be far more dangerous not to discuss or show this.”

Berlingske’s Russia correspondent Emil Rottbøll also criticized the extensive coverage DR gave the documentary across its platforms, calling it a mismatch between the content and its promotion. “It’s blown up as if it’s the most important news right now, running at the top of radio bulletins for days and on all news sites, as if some wild new development has occurred—and it hasn’t,” Rottbøll said in the newspaper’s Pilestræde podcast.

Høst countered that while the documentary’s content may be familiar to experts, DR’s mission is to reach a broad audience. “We aim to reach nine out of ten Danes each week. It may be known in specialist circles, but it certainly isn’t among the general public.”