Russia's Rossotrudnichestvo (a Kremlin-linked state agency for international cultural influence) has announced agreements to open Russian Houses in eight African nations: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Togo, Mali, Kenya, Madagascar, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Sierra Leone. The centres will be built on existing local organisations that will be rebranded and supervised by Moscow, expanding on five similar partnerships signed in 2024. While officially dedicated to promoting Russian language, science, art, and culture, the centres have drawn scrutiny from European intelligence services on suspicion of conducting espionage — a concern underscored by Germany's recent closure of the Russian House in Berlin, which prompted reciprocal Russian action against German cultural institutions.