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6 clusters · 21 sources · 57 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: POLITICS · TECHNOLOGY

EU response to Russian disinformation

Entities: Russia · Germany · Social Democratic Party (SPD) · Christian Democratic Union (CDU) · Alternative for Germany (AfD)

Overview

In early June 2026 a German Bundestag hearing warned that Russian state‑run disinformation, now amplified by AI‑generated content, is a direct security threat. Experts cited a €1.5 billion Russian propaganda budget and urged stronger media‑literacy programmes, tighter enforcement of the EU Digital Services Act and coordinated public‑awareness measures.

The SPD Economic Forum’s 25 June position paper called for a national disinformation‑defence centre to enable real‑time detection and response, citing forged posts with German media logos ahead of state elections in Saxony‑Anhalt, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern and Berlin that echo the “Matrjoschka” campaign previously linked to Russian interference.

On 1 July the BOSNET research project entered operation. Led by the University of Potsdam and partners including Virtimo AG, the platform provides AI‑driven analysis, an information‑assessment engine and a GDPR‑compliant knowledge base, built on an ethics‑by‑design cloud architecture to support German security agencies.

Mid‑July, the “Storm‑1516” campaign circulated a fabricated video threatening France with bloodshed if it continued arms supplies to Israel, while parallel fake videos smeared candidates from the SPD, Greens, Left and CDU ahead of the Saxony‑Anhalt election.

By early August, authorities reported a coordinated Russian operation targeting the Berlin, Saxony‑Anhalt and Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern state elections. The effort spreads English‑language fake‑news videos accusing centrist politicians of financial and sexual misconduct, deploys physical propaganda such as cement blocks with misleading slogans, and attempts to clone Wikipedia, all aimed at polarising the electorate and bolstering the far‑right AfD.

Timeline

  1. about 21 hours ago

    [POLITICS] 8 sources
    Russian Disinformation Campaign Targets German State Elections

    German authorities say Russia is spreading English‑language fake‑news videos to discredit centrist parties and sway upcoming state elections in Berlin, Saxony‑Anhalt and Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, potentially bol‑

  2. 19 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Russia-linked disinformation videos threaten France and smear German politicians

    Russian‑linked fake videos threaten France and defame German election candidates, showing coordinated disinformation ahead of elections.

  3. 21 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Virtimo AG initiates BOSNET platform to fight disinformation in Germany

    BOSNET, launched 1 July 2026, is a Virtimo‑led AI platform to help German security agencies combat disinformation, built with universities and THW partners and complying with GDPR and the EU AI Act.

  4. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources
    Russia-linked disinformation aimed at Germany's AfD ahead of Berlin election

    Analyst warns Russia will use disinformation against the AfD before Berlin's election, while Viadrina University launches a master’s programme to curb authoritarian influence.

  5. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Germany proposes national centre to combat online disinformation

    Germany’s SPD forum urges a national centre to counter AI‑driven disinformation, while the BfV flags forged election posts linked to Russian interference.

  6. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources
    German Bundestag hearing warns Russian disinformation as democratic threat

    German lawmakers warned that Russian disinformation, boosted by AI and big platforms, threatens democracy and supports the war on Ukraine, urging media‑literacy and tighter regulation.

Sources

aktienkurs-orderbuch.finanznachrichten.de · apach57.fr · bild.de · bilder3.n-tv.de · blaulichtmyk.de · buli.rtl.de · de.euronews.com · finanznachrichten.de · kreiszeitung.de · kurierverlag.de · mannheim24.de · mobil.n-tv.de · n-tv.de · newsonline24.net · newzs.de · op-online.de · presseradar.de · radiobrocken.de · t-online.de · upday.com · wp.de