Number of fake materials impersonating media outlets rose by 850% — France 24
In France, which has become one of the main targets of pro-Russian disinformation campaigns, the number of fake materials impersonating well-known media brands rose by 850% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025 — from 44 to 421. This was reported by France 24, citing a study by the U.S. organization NewsGuard.
French media among the targets
According to NewsGuard, three pro-Russian information operations created 950 fake materials that impersonated 163 supposedly trustworthy media brands in 21 countries. Researchers said the goals of these campaigns included discrediting support for Ukraine, undermining the reputation of Western leaders, escalating tensions in European democracies, and interfering in electoral processes.
Eight French outlets were among the 15 media organizations most frequently impersonated in fake publications. The FRANCE 24 brand was used 34 times over 12 months. Euronews was impersonated most often: 82 fake articles were recorded from March 2023 to September 2026.
The Matriochka, Storm-1516 and Doppelganger operations, which NewsGuard links to the Russian aggressor state, copied the logos and design of real media outlets. Sometimes, websites with addresses resembling the original ones were created for this purpose, and the materials used fabricated quotes from real experts.
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Impact on AI tools
Researchers also drew attention to the Pravda, or Portal Kombat, network, which consists of 280 websites. According to NewsGuard's estimate, it published approximately 6.3 million materials in 2025 that spread 115 false claims.
One such story, disguised as a publication by France's Le Point, falsely claimed that 20,000 Ukrainian military personnel had been evacuated to France for treatment, where they allegedly deserted and joined criminal groups. According to official data, slightly more than 200 Ukrainians were transferred to French hospitals between February 2022 and April 2025 — mostly people wounded in the war or children with severe illnesses.
NewsGuard said the fake publications appeared in responses generated by Google's artificial intelligence tool. The company responded that it was unable to reproduce responses that would refer to this false story and said it had made significant investments in the quality of AI responses.
