In France, the spread of Russian disinformation is increasing. More than 200 new fake media sites have been identified, most of which disguise themselves as well-known French outlets but distort content to promote pro-Kremlin narratives.
This was reported on Telegram by Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.
“In France, activity in spreading Russian disinformation is on the rise. Journalists have reported over 200 new fake media sites. More than 140 of them pose as well-known French outlets and twist their content to favor pro-Kremlin narratives,” the center said.
The network of fake media is linked to Operation Storm-1516, also known as Doppelgänger, coordinated by propagandist John Mark Dugan, a key executor of Kremlin campaigns in Europe. The Center previously reported on a similar network called CopyCop, also coordinated by Dugan.
The operation involves publishing thousands of AI-generated articles on fake sites, stylistically identical to local media. Disguising them as local outlets allows these fakes to quickly enter public discourse and influence opinion. Since October, there has been a significant increase in content published by the network.
The Center emphasized that the Kremlin’s goal is to undermine French trust in institutions and discredit President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. For France and the EU, this is a warning: without updated cyber defense tools and large-scale media literacy programs, democratic processes will remain targets for Kremlin information attacks.
