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How Russia Is Trying To Influence Europe S Upcoming Elections 6756901 4

www.lemonde.fr • October 5, 2026

As major elections in the European Union loom, member states are no longer hiding their concern over Russian interference. In their view, the war waged by Moscow is not confined to the Ukrainian front, but aims to undermine democracies from within. Announcements of destabilization operations have now become a routine part of daily life for the general public. Governments have passed new legislation in response and mobilized their intelligence services. But while EU member states have sounded the alarm, they act on an individual basis, despite the entire continent being the target of these attacks coordinated from Russia.

At an international conference held on August 20 in Stockholm, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur warned his partners: "Sweden will soon be holding elections [on September 13 ]. Latvia will have theirs just after [on October 3]. We will have ours in March [2027]. That means Russia will be looking for ways to influence our societies and to stoke tensions." Standing alongside him, Polish official Henryka Moscicka-Dendys, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, "Elections are ideal opportunities to try to sow distrust and to test the resilience of our societies. We must remain vigilant and act to counter this, but we must do it together."

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Russian Disinformation Campaign Targets 2026 US Midterms with Deepfakes A Russian disinformation operation has focused on the upcoming US midterm elections, deploying deepfake videos featuring celebrities attacking Democratic candidates. These videos, which surfaced on social media, include manipulated statements from actors like Alyson Hannigan and Sarah Jessica Parker, falsely accusing Democrats of various crimes. Researchers attribute these efforts to a Kremlin campaign known as Matryoshka, which uses social media to spread doctored content. The videos have been branded with CNN's logo without authorization, leading to a statement from CNN denouncing their use. The disinformation campaign appears to be less extensive than previous efforts, such as those in 2016, due to Russia's ongoing military focus in Ukraine. The situation highlights the evolving tactics of state-sponsored disinformation, particularly through AI-generated content. 1 sources 60

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