Russian Disinformation: Surge in Fake Reports in European Media (report)

In France, 85 fake reports related to the presidential election have been broadcast since summer, according to China Labbé of NewsGuard, who attributes these operations to Russia. Since the Russian military offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, the phenomenon has intensified, with nearly ten times more fake reports in 2023 compared to 2022, totaling 906 cases of media identity theft. European media outlets, especially Euronews, Libération, Charlie Hebdo, and AFP, are mainly targeted, with campaigns aimed at undermining trust in the media by hijacking logos and graphics. These operations are linked to pro-Russian tactics « Matriochka » and « Storm- ».