Russia intensifies disinformation campaign ahead of German elections
Structures linked to Russia have stepped up a disinformation campaign ahead of the regional elections to be held in Germany in September 2026.
This was reported by Reuters citing sources in German security services.
Fabricated videos and images targeting German politicians and democratic parties are being spread on social media. To add credibility to the false reports, the authors use logos and layouts of well-known German media, including Spiegel TV, Bild, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Die Zeit.
Some of the materials were created using artificial intelligence and imitate television reports. The videos falsely accuse politicians of corruption, embezzlement of public funds, sex crimes, and other violations. There is no evidence for these allegations, and the mentioned media did not publish such materials.
According to German experts, one of the main goals of the campaign is to exacerbate divisions between the country's eastern and western regions. Among the narratives being spread are claims about discrimination against residents of eastern Germany, unequal access to the housing market, and a widespread desire among young people to restore the former GDR.
The fake publications are primarily spread via the social network X, and also appear on TikTok and Bluesky. Linked accounts and automated networks are used to promote the materials, repeatedly posting identical content and artificially inflating its apparent popularity.
German security services link the campaign to 'Operation Matryoshka.' Its participants create forgeries in the name of media, think tanks, and state organizations, and then reach out to journalists and fact‑checkers demanding that they confirm or refute the fictitious reports.
This approach both disseminates false claims and overloads newsrooms and fact‑checkers. Similar methods were used ahead of the snap Bundestag elections in February 2025, when Germany also noted activity from the 'Matryoshka,' 'Doppelganger,' and Storm‑1516 campaigns.
Based on available information, the current materials attack candidates and representatives of the Christian Democratic Union, the Social Democratic Party, the Greens, and the Left Party. The far‑right 'Alternative for Germany,' which holds a more Kremlin‑friendly position, has so far not appeared among the campaign's targets.
The Russian side denies accusations of interfering in the internal affairs of other states. German authorities, meanwhile, describe such disinformation operations as part of hybrid pressure, aimed at deepening social conflicts, undermining trust in the media and in state institutions, and influencing political debate.
The first of the September elections will take place on 6 September in Saxony‑Anhalt. Municipal elections in Lower Saxony are scheduled for 13 September, while elections to the Berlin House of Representatives and the state parliament of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania will be held on 20 September.
