French intelligence services have recorded a critical increase in the threat of Russian interference in the election process scheduled for March 15 and 22. Analysts predict massive online manipulation and the spread of fabricated news aimed at discrediting the Kremlin's political opponents and destabilizing the situation within the country. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation, writes UNN.
Details
According to intelligence, most of the operations are carried out by the well-known disinformation group Storm-1516, which specializes in creating content using artificial intelligence. Kremlin technologists use so-called troll farms for the massive dissemination of disinformation, which allows fakes to quickly trend in the French segment of the Internet.
Particular attention is paid to discrediting the country's top leadership, in particular through absurd accusations, such as attempts to link Emmanuel Macron to high-profile international criminal cases.
Extensive infrastructure of fake media resources
The experience of previous years indicates the thorough preparation of Russian special services for information attacks in the European space. In 2025, analysts at Insikt Group identified more than 140 websites that completely imitated the design and style of well-known French news portals. Approximately twenty of these resources positioned themselves as authoritative local media, which allowed them to gain the trust of residents of specific regions and more effectively manipulate their opinions ahead of the vote.