Covert Russian network exploited French riots on social media: Report
The EU said Operation Overload used fake videos and 2.8 million views on pro-Russian posts to inflame unrest and undermine support for Ukraine.
- An internal European Union assessment released Monday concluded that a covert Russian network known as "Operation Overload" exploited last month's French riots by posting false videos blaming uncontrolled immigration for the unrest.
- Rioting erupted last month over rising living costs and declining public services, creating conditions the network exploited to "depict the French leadership as weak and increasingly authoritarian" while impersonating Western media outlets.
- French ministry reports found accounts linked to the MAGA movement garnered more than 49 million views, while Israeli officials received more than 35 million views, vastly exceeding Russian-aligned content reach from October 16 to 18.
- President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged "foreign manipulation of information" on October 21, though he stated there was no visible foreign interference behind the demonstrations that spiraled into the country's worst violence in decades.
- RAND Corporation political scientist Elina Treyger warns these campaigns wage a slow-burning "narrative competition" that erodes institutional trust and pushes European voters toward political extremes over time.
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Social media accounts posted messages linking the recent incidents in France to immigration and Western policies. The post Intelligence operations against France sowed discord over riots – Investigations point to Russia, Israel and MAGA appeared first on in.gr.
EU, French Reports Flag Russian, Israeli-Linked Accounts in Riots
An EU assessment says a covert Russian network used fabricated videos and claims about immigration and imminent attacks to exploit unrest in France and portray its government as weak. A separate French assessment found accounts linked to Israel and the U.S. MAGA movement also promoted narratives connecting the riots to migration and radical Islamism. · 17 sources across the spectrum on IJR News.
Fake news, AI, and riots: What the latest EU report uncovers about foreign interference in France
Recent investigations and European reports highlight how foreign actors—including a covert Russian network—leveraged social media to amplify and exploit the widespread cost-of-living...
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