Sweden warns Russian disinformation is targeting upcoming European elections

Sweden's Psychological Defence Agency says Russian-linked information campaigns are targeting elections in Germany and France by spreading disinformation about Ukraine, with the aim of eroding public support for continued military and financial aid to Kyiv. Agency director Magnus Hjort told Politico the campaigns lean on bot networks that often begin by posting about innocuous topics like travel and sports before shifting into divisive political content. Sweden says it identified one such network of 1,200 accounts on X that published 50,000 posts and comments across 2025 and 2026.

Hjort also described a tactic called the “Matryoshka” method, in which fake tips are sent to journalists and fact-checkers urging them to debunk minor claims, wasting their time and attention. He said social media companies including Meta, TikTok, and X have been slow to remove these networks, framing it as a business incentive problem rather than a technical one. The report arrives alongside a strong showing for the pro-Russian AfD in a German state election and Marine Le Pen's continued polling lead in France.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.