Fact check: Russian disinformation targets German elections
Ahead of four elections in Germany this fall, dozens of fake posts are circulating online aimed at discrediting candidates and portraying Germany as divided. Analysts warn that Russia is now targeting local candidates.
Eric Stehr, a German student running for state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt, became aware of fake videos about himself online. The videos, which falsely claim he has been involved in murder, were designed to appear as if they came from major German media outlets. However, the police have confirmed he is not under investigation and no such incidents have been reported.
DW Fact Check has identified over 180 fake posts on X, Bluesky, and TikTok targeting candidates for the upcoming elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, and Berlin. The campaign, known as Matryoshka or Operation Overload, primarily targets candidates from various parties, except for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).
Researchers believe the content is likely created by Russian-aligned private companies, possibly using the GRU-controlled Storm-1679 group.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
