Russian Online Network Accused of Piggybacking on France’s Unrest

An internal EU assessment says a covert Russian effort known as Operation Overload tried to profit from last month’s violent protests in France. The network allegedly circulated fake videos styled like Western news broadcasts, pushing claims that immigration was out of control and that the government had lost its grip. Some clips falsely suggested migrants had attacked demonstrators or that terror attacks were close. The review covers October 7 to 21 and found no proof that Moscow or anyone else started or fueled the protests, calling the activity opportunistic.

French Ministry Points to Israeli Linked and MAGA Linked Accounts

A separate French foreign ministry review says accounts tied to Israel and the American MAGA movement also pushed divisive stories connecting the riots to radical Islamism and migration. Over October 16 to 18, top posts from MAGA linked voices drew more than 49 million views, and Israeli linked posts passed 35 million, far above the 2.8 million for pro Russian posts.

Expert View on Narrative Competition

As Reuters reported, neither document could be independently verified. RAND analyst Elina Treyger says such campaigns slowly shape how Western democracies are seen and can feed anti immigrant anger. President Emmanuel Macron said there was no visible foreign interference, only manipulated information.