American branding, Moscow printing, “registration” in Gavar: the traces of the newspaper Wyoming Star distributed free of charge in Yerevan lead to Moscow.

Unknown editors, questionable authors and an unregistered sole proprietorship: a Factor TV investigation reveals the origins, distribution mechanisms and presumed objectives of the newspaper that appeared during the pre-election period.

The first photograph shows the parking lot of Rio Mall. On the evening of February 25, Factor TV documented several copies of a newspaper titled Wyoming Star scattered on the ground.

The second photograph was taken in the parking lot of the Yerevan City supermarket located at the intersection of Arshakunyats and Bagratunyats avenues, where the newspapers had already been placed on cars.

Dozens of copies of the 12-page Armenian- and English-language newspaper were also noticed on Northern Avenue, in the Erebuni administrative district, and in other parts of the capital.

What topics does the newspaper cover?
Who organized its free distribution?
What objective might the distributor be pursuing during the pre-election period?

Vance, the Church and Samvel Karapetyan: What Wyoming Star Writes About Armenia

In the 12-page newspaper, all articles are unsigned. None of them indicate an author.

The articles are characterized by a critical tone toward the Armenian authorities.

The first article, titled “Outrage as Armenian Bishop Arrested Amid Pashinyan’s Pre-Election Crackdown on Opposition,” was published on the website on June 30, 2025, but it also appears in the newspaper’s February 19, 2026 issue.

The article states:

“…Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018 promising democratic reforms, is now facing a decline in popularity amid ongoing economic difficulties and regional tensions.
…Calls for the immediate release of Ajapahyan and other detainees are growing louder, against the backdrop of warnings from church leaders and civil society representatives that the government’s aggressive tactics threaten to undermine the country’s fragile democracy.”

In the first issue of the newspaper, the names of several experts and human rights defenders are mentioned.

Among them are:

• international law specialist Siranush Sahakyan

• Arman Grigoryan, associate professor of international relations at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania

• Iranian political scientists Alex Vatanka and Mostafa Ghaderi Hajat

• international affairs expert Ahmad Kazemi

and others.

In a conversation with us, Siranush Sahakyan said that Michelle Larsen from the mentioned website had contacted her and that they had communicated through correspondence.

One of the publications concerns the visit of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to Armenia.

The article titled “J.D. Vance Reshapes Strategic Ties: The Real Motives Behind the South Caucasus Tour” claims that the Armenian authorities, led by Nikol Pashinyan, have completely lost their agency and are carrying out Washington’s instructions.

An excerpt from the publication reads:

“…Eleanor Markov: Vance’s visit to Armenia concerns several projects important for the country’s future and ultimately demonstrates how little sovereignty and autonomy remains in Yerevan, which rushes to agree with all of the United States’ peace proposals.”

However, we were unable to find a political scientist named Eleanor Markov mentioned in the article.

She is presented as a non-resident research fellow at Atlas Eurasia Group.

We also examined the AEG website but found no mention of such an expert.

During his visit to Yerevan on February 9, the U.S. Vice President announced the sale of $11 million worth of reconnaissance drones to Armenia.

According to the publication, “Eleanor Markov” described them as “unverified drone technologies” and added that “UAVs alone would not be useful in the event of a direct confrontation with a major land power.”

It is important to note that the V-BAT UAVs acquired from the United States are intended for reconnaissance, not for striking targets.

The article further states:

“…Pashinyan is playing a dangerous game, exposing Armenia to the risk of attacks by regional power centers, without any visible economic benefit for the country itself.”

The unknown author also considers the agreement with the United States on building small modular nuclear reactors to be “dangerous,” stating:

“Armenia is exposing itself to enormous risks of man-made disasters.”

Notably, on February 13, Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, also addressed the issue of the nuclear power plant.

He stated that if the construction of small reactors using American technologies in Armenia enters a practical phase, Russia, as well as other regional states and the Armenian people themselves, would be “forced to take into account new nuclear safety risks.”

Shoigu added:

“In essence, we must assume that experiments with American nuclear technologies will be conducted nearby, in a seismically active zone. Therefore, yes, this should be considered a threat. I do not want to draw parallels, but let me remind you that American reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were destroyed by an earthquake, leading to large-scale radioactive contamination of the environment.”

According to the “expert,” cutting nuclear ties with Russia would lead to the eventual closure of Armenia’s existing nuclear power plant.

Some of the publications also address TRIPP, stating that Baku benefits more from it, while Russia is left out of the project, which causes dissatisfaction in Iran.

It is also noted that the “Zangezur corridor” has, since August 8, 2025, been replaced with the “branded” TRIPP.

The article about Samvel Karapetyan in the newspaper begins as follows:

“Just days after it seemed that common sense might finally prevail, Armenian courts once again closed the door on Samvel Karapetyan.”

According to the author, the preventive measure imposed on Karapetyan “raises uncomfortable questions about consistency, pressure, and the real purpose of prolonged detention.”

Wyoming, Gavar, and “St. Petersburg Citizen” Vanik Shukuryan

On April 21, 2017, Wyoming became the 45th U.S. state to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
This is perhaps the most well-known connection between Armenia and that U.S. state.

Despite this, the website contains a large number of articles about Armenia, in addition to the printed version of the newspaper, which has recently been distributed in various crowded locations in Yerevan.

The quality of the newspaper’s printing is also notable — high-quality paper and color printing, indicating that it was not produced with minimal resources.

On the last page of the newspaper, the entity listed as carrying out media activity is:

“Shukuryan Vanik Volodya” sole proprietor
Registration number: 286:1558486
Address: 57 Azatutyun Street, Apt. 6, Gavar community, Gegharkunik region
Registration date: February 18, 2026

The person responsible for publication is listed as Vanik Shukuryan, and the print run is 3,100 copies.

However, in the electronic register of legal entities of Armenia’s Ministry of Justice, no sole proprietor with this name is registered.

According to the voter registry, there is no citizen named Vanik Shukuryan registered in Armenia.

Factor TV called the phone number listed in the newspaper.

The person who answered confirmed that his name is Vanik Shukuryan, but stated that he is not a citizen of Armenia.

The person responsible for the publication claimed that the sole proprietorship is officially registered in Armenia and has been operating since February 19, although, as mentioned above, no such entity exists in the state registry. Interview excerpts:

– Mr. Shukuryan, may I ask how it was decided that you would translate Wyoming Star?
– Well, how can I say… if I don’t translate it, someone else will. Now if it has been translated, it has come here from Russia…

– From Russia?
– Yes.

– We studied the website version of Wyoming Star. It includes Armenian-related and international content, but the content seems questionable. There is no editor listed, no owner, and the authors appear to have AI-generated biographies. Have you reviewed the website content?
– Honestly, no, I haven’t. I was in Moscow, came back, and I’ll be going again in a few days.

– You’re going back to Moscow to bring more newspapers?
– Yes.

– Do you know which printing house is responsible for printing the newspaper?
– If I go to Moscow, I’ll know everything there.

– Who gives you the newspapers in Moscow to bring here?
– My dear, what interesting questions… I’d like to know that myself. What does that matter? Is there anything bad in the newspaper?

– So they are printed in Moscow and brought to Armenia? And is the print run really 3,100 copies, or will there be more?
– It depends… if it’s 3,100, then if demand increases, the print run increases.

– Mr. Shukuryan, who finances the printing in Moscow?
– My dear, what does it matter… people fund it. This is not something one person does.

– So it’s not only printed in Moscow but also in other countries?
– Right now it has been printed in other countries as well… it was transferred to Armenia, permission was given to translate it into Armenian so people can read it.

– Are you familiar with the owner or editor of Wyoming Star?
– Honestly, no. But the people I work with are.

– Are they in Moscow?
– Yes.

– According to the voter registry, you are not registered in Armenia. What country are you a citizen of?
– St. Petersburg.

– Which Russian company do you cooperate with?
– It feels like I’m sitting in front of an investigator… I’ve answered enough.

– Transparency is essential in journalism, don’t you think?
– I work transparently.

– Who funds the newspaper printing?
– Me.

– With your own funds?
– Yes, with funds from our Armenian community.

– Which organization?
– Armenian people who want to support Armenia.

– Can you say how much money was spent?
– That’s a secret.

– Are there contributors from other countries?
– Armenians living abroad.

Where Is Wyoming Star Registered?

Factor TV found that the website operates under:

https://wyomingstarnews.org

The domain was created on February 13, 2025, updated on January 20, 2026, and purchased for two years.

The site uses Cloudflare servers, making it difficult to determine its real location.

The registered office address is in Reykjavik, Iceland, in a building commonly used as a virtual registration address.

The website’s “About Us” section contains only general statements, with:

• no editor

• no founder

• no legal information

• no physical address

The only contact method is email.

Most publications are attributed to:

• Joe Jans

• Michelle Larsen

No reliable information about them could be found.

Their biographies appear to be AI-generated.

The photo of Joe Jans is likely taken from the internet, not representing the real author.

Social Media anomalies:

• X (Twitter): 27 followers

• Facebook: 2 followers

• Telegram: 1282 subscribers

This is unusual for a U.S. media outlet, where Facebook is typically dominant.

Telegram is widely used in Russia and post-Soviet countries, suggesting a different target audience.

Final Conclusion

Thus, the “American” newspaper is printed in Moscow, registered in Gavar, financed by “unknown Armenians,” distributed during the pre-election period, and has no real owner. Vanik Shukuryan claims that he has permission, however, it is unclear from whom he received it.

All of the newspaper’s materials carry a distinctly propagandistic nature and are built around the same ideological axis:

• Pashinyan’s government has lost its subjectivity,
• Armenia is under U.S. influence,
• cooperation with the West is dangerous,
• moving away from Russia is a disaster,
• relations with Iran are at risk,
• the peace process will lead to territorial losses.

These narratives are quite similar to the discourse spread by experts and political analysts participating in discussions and debates on Russian federal television channels regarding Armenia’s domestic politics and foreign policy course, which in turn often align with the official positions of the Kremlin.

In this context, the articles published by Wyoming Star can be viewed as examples of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). According to Factor TV’s assessment, they employ the technique of influence laundering, a method of informational and political interference whereby the real source of influence is concealed, while the content is disseminated through “independent,” “foreign,” “international,” or “locally trusted” sources, creating an illusion of legitimacy.

It should be added that Factor TV revisited the locations where the newspapers had been observed; they were no longer there. Most likely, this print run has been exhausted, and those distributing them are waiting for a new batch.

Evgenya Hambardzumyan