A recent report by NewsGuard has revealed that Russia has ramped up its disinformation operations, with 950 fake news stories mimicking 163 trusted news brands in 21 countries. The report found that eight French outlets, including FRANCE 24, were among the 15 most imitated media brands. FRANCE 24's brand was coopted by fake news stories 34 times over 12 months. This escalation in disinformation campaigns is seen as an attempt to undermine public trust and deceive AI systems.
The report attributed the fake news stories to three pro-Russian influence operations, which have been targeting France, a significant contributor of aid to Ukraine. According to Chine Labbé, Europe editor at NewsGuard, France is being specifically targeted due to its diplomatic support for Ukraine. Labbé noted that disinformation campaigns often follow shows of diplomatic support for Ukraine, such as speeches by Emmanuel Macron or trips to Kyiv.
The 2027 Presidential elections in France seem to be a focal point for pro-Russian actors, with three presidential candidates – Raphaël Glucksmann, Gabriel Attal, and Édouard Philippe – recently being targeted by fake news stories linked to pro-Russian groups. The report found that the objectives of Moscow's information war include discrediting support for Ukraine, undermining the reputation of Western leaders, stoking tensions within European democracies, and disrupting electoral processes.
The report revealed an 850 percent increase in fake news stories mimicking known media brands year-on-year, rising from 44 in the first half of 2025 to 421 in the first half of 2026. Labbé attributed this explosion to the low cost of creating fake news sites using AI and generating content. The report also found that pro-Kremlin influence campaigns had imitated media from global news outlets such as the BBC and CNN to local news sites.
European media outlets were the primary target for this form of hybrid warfare linked to the Russian government. The 15 media outlets most imitated by Russian disinformation campaigns included Euronews, which was targeted by 82 fake articles between March 2023 and September 2026. Other French news outlets targeted included Libération, Charlie Hebdo, BFM, Le Figaro, Le Parisien, and Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The report found that Russian campaigns hijack the brands' logos and layouts, creating new sites with URLs similar to the authentic ones, making it difficult for users to discern that they are counterfeit. The stories often include invented quotes from actual subject experts. Cécile Mégie, Director of Editorial Strategies and Partnerships at France Médias Monde (FMM), expressed concerns that this could damage trust in media institutions.
The disinformation campaigns also aim to influence AI systems, with the "Pravda network" publishing approximately 6.3 million articles spreading 115 false claims in 2025. Google's AI tool was found to have been polluted by pro-Russian disinformation, citing fake articles supposedly from Le Point to claim that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers had received medical care in France. Google defended its AI tool, stating that it had a high bar for its AI features in Search and invested significantly in response quality.
Key points
- Russia's disinformation campaigns are targeting French media outlets ahead of the 2027 Presidential elections.
- The campaigns aim to undermine public trust and deceive AI systems.
- There has been an 850 percent increase in fake news stories mimicking known media brands year-on-year.
