Russia-linked disinformation videos threaten France and smear German politicians

A disinformation campaign known as Storm‑1516, linked to Russian networks, circulated a fabricated video on Telegram, X and Facebook that depicted three masked men in military‑style uniforms threatening "bloodshed" in France on 14 July 2026 if the country continued supplying weapons to Israel. The clip falsely claimed to be from Hezbollah fighters and used a puppet of a French Foreign Legion soldier, garnering nearly a million views.

Ahead of the Saxony‑Anhalt state election in Germany, a series of fake videos appeared on X, falsely accusing candidates from the SPD, Greens, Left and CDU of serious crimes and presenting the material as if it were from reputable outlets such as "Spiegel TV" and "Bild". The videos included slogans like "100 % der Mitglieder der CDU sind Pädophile! Wählt sie nicht!" German authorities, including the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, have opened investigations and noted possible foreign, likely Russian, influence.

Both incidents illustrate coordinated Russian‑aligned misinformation efforts aimed at destabilising European democracies by spreading false threats and defamatory content ahead of key political events.