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Russian disinformation surge mimics Western media outlets
A report by NewsGuard reveals a massive escalation in Russian disinformation campaigns that use “brand-impersonation” to mimic trusted Western media outlets. These operations, including the Matrioska and Storm-1516 campaigns, aim to undermine international support for Ukraine by stealing the credibility of legitimate journalism.
Between the first half of 2025 and the first half of 2026, the number of fake articles imitating established news organizations surged by 850%, rising from 44 to 421 cases. Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, researchers have identified at least 906 fake reports targeting 163 media brands across 21 countries.
Euronews has been identified as the most targeted outlet, with 82 fraudulent reports registered between March 2023 and September 2026. France has emerged as a primary target; eight French media outlets are among the fifteen most imitated globally, and 85 fake reports linked to the upcoming presidential election have circulated since the summer.
The tactics involve replicating logos, fonts, and layouts of genuine outlets and publishing fabricated content on websites with slightly altered URLs. This strategy is designed to exploit existing societal divisions and bypass traditional fact-checking by appearing as authoritative news.
Entities
Euronews · France · Google · Matrioska · Newsguard · Russia · Storm-1516 · Ukraine
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Matrioska and Storm-1516 campaigns use the reputation of real media to spread false information. ameve.eu · www.adginforma.it · www.politiquematin.fr
- [● 2 SOURCES] A network of approximately 280 websites published 6.3 million pro-Russian articles in 2025. ameve.eu · www.adginforma.it
- [● 6 SOURCES] The number of fake articles imitating Western media outlets increased by 850% between the first half of 2025 and the first half of 2026. ameve.eu · www.adginforma.it · disa.org · www.politiquematin.fr · formiche.net
- [● 3 SOURCES] Euronews is the most targeted outlet, with 82 fake reports registered between March 2023 and September 2026. ameve.eu · www.politiquematin.fr
- [● 3 SOURCES] Russian influence operations have targeted 163 news outlets across 21 countries. ameve.eu · www.adginforma.it · formiche.net
- [● 6 SOURCES] Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 906 fake contents have been identified. www.adginforma.it · ameve.eu · disa.org · www.politiquematin.fr · formiche.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] The campaigns use logos, fonts, and layouts of genuine media outlets to publish fabricated articles on websites with slightly altered URLs. disa.org · formiche.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] In France, 85 fake reports linked to the upcoming presidential election have circulated since the summer. disa.org