France has uncovered a widespread Russian disinformation campaign, accusing Russia of targeting Kyiv’s Western allies on the second anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, led by Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, disclosed the detection of a network comprising 193 websites dedicated to disseminating Russian disinformation. The Rand Corporation had previously labeled Russia’s propaganda approach as a “”firehose of falsehood,”” characterized by rapid, continuous, and repetitive dissemination through various channels, devoid of commitment to objective reality. This revelation underscores the persistent and evolving threat of Russian online influence operations.
The disinformation surge escalated after the initiation of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development noting an increase in Russia’s already high volume of false narratives. Facebook researchers recently identified a Russian disinformation network named Doppelgänger, utilizing advanced obfuscation techniques and potentially employing artificial intelligence to generate mass content. The joint statement from the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Poland highlights the multifaceted nature of the threat, combining disinformation with cyberattacks and political interference to sow division in democratic societies.
Viginum, the French agency combating foreign digital interference, provided insights into the disinformation network, naming it “”Portal Kombat.”” This network does not generate original content but reproduces material from pro-Russian social media accounts, Russian news agencies, and official websites. The agency emphasized that the 193 websites operate through automation, using machine translation to disseminate articles in local languages. Despite the network’s existence, the average traffic to the sites appears relatively low, suggesting ongoing efforts are required to combat these hybrid actions and safeguard democratic societies against divisive tactics.
