Friedrich Merz fake resignation video traced to Russian hacker group Storm‑1516

Friedrich Merz fake resignation video Storm‑1516 German disinformation GRU

German security services say a hacker group linked to Russia’s military intelligence (GRU), identified as Storm‑1516, is behind a fabricated video that claims Chancellor Friedrich Merz will resign on 10 August because of poor poll numbers. The video, which uses the Deutsche Welle logo and cites a non‑existent Handelsblatt article, names North‑Rhine‑Westphalia premier Hendrik Wüst as a possible successor. Both Deutsche Welle and Handelsblatt have publicly debunked the clip, confirming it is fake. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) is aware of the disinformation campaign and says its purpose is to damage Merz’s reputation ahead of regional elections in September. Storm‑1516 has previously been accused of running a disinformation operation before Germany’s February 2025 federal election and of spreading false information about candidates in the upcoming French presidential race.

Entities: Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) · Deutsche Welle · Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) · Friedrich Merz · GRU · Handelsblatt · Hendrik Wüst · Storm-1516 · Storm‑1516

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 7 SOURCES] Deutsche Welle and Handelsblatt both debunked the video, confirming it is fake. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 6 SOURCES] The video used the Deutsche Welle logo and claimed to cite an article from the business daily Handelsblatt. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 6 SOURCES] The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) is aware of the campaign and says its aim is to damage Merz’s reputation. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 6 SOURCES] The video claimed Merz would resign on 10 August because of poor poll numbers, naming Hendrik Wüst as a possible successor. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 6 SOURCES] A German security source says a hacker group linked to the Kremlin is behind a fabricated video announcing the resignation of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 7 SOURCES] Storm‑1516 is also suspected of spreading false information about candidates in the upcoming French presidential election. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 7 SOURCES] The hacker group is identified as Storm‑1516, which is directed by the Russian military intelligence agency GRU. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 7 SOURCES] German authorities previously accused the group in December of a disinformation campaign ahead of the February 2025 federal election. (supporting_article_ids)