A covert Russian influence operation codenamed “Storm-1516” has officially surpassed state media outlets such as RT and Sputnik in the scale of disinformation spread about the war in Ukraine, as reported by Newsguardtech.
According to the latest analysis of the NewsGuard database, which currently contains more than 400 debunked false claims, it is precisely these hidden networks that became the Kremlin’s main tool in 2025.
Statistics show that while sanctioned official outlets have reduced their activity, “Storm-1516” generated 24 large-scale false narratives, compared to 15 produced by RT and Sputnik combined. This campaign specializes in fabricating accusations of corruption against Ukraine and its allies, using advanced technological tools to do so.
The key advantage of the new disinformation system is its extensive use of artificial intelligence. The network operates hundreds of AI-driven websites, produces high-quality deepfake videos, and manages a vast number of fake accounts on the social media platform X.
These technologies make it possible to create a false sense of scale and credibility, allowing fake news to gain millions of views and bypass moderation systems. Moreover, the disinformation has proven so convincing that it managed to deceive the algorithms of major global chatbots, which began repeating fabricated claims as verified facts, citing resources created by “Storm-1516.”
The growing power of this operation indicates Russia’s shift toward more aggressive and covert methods of information warfare amid international pressure. Researchers Eva Maitland and Alice Lee emphasize that the scale and speed of growth of the “Storm-1516” network make it an unprecedented threat. While official propaganda channels remain under regulatory scrutiny, covert digital armies are exploiting vulnerabilities in modern technologies and AI to flood the Western information space with falsehoods that are nearly impossible to filter out quickly without specialized analysis.
