Russian network used social media to blame French riots on immigration, EU report says
Summary
An internal EU assessment says a covert Russian network used social media to exploit riots in France and blame them on immigration, while portraying the French government as weak. The assessment found no evidence that Russia or other outside actors started or escalated the protests; it described their actions as exploiting the unrest.Key Facts
- The EU assessment covered activity from October 7 to 21 and was seen by Reuters.
- The network, called Operation Overload, shared videos that impersonated Western media outlets and targeted French audiences.
- Some posts falsely claimed migrants had raped protesters or that terrorist attacks were imminent.
- A separate French foreign ministry assessment said accounts linked to Israel and the U.S. MAGA movement also promoted hostile narratives about the riots.
- The French assessment found the 10 most-viewed X posts about the unrest from pro-Russian spheres received 2.8 million views from October 16 to 18.
- The riots followed demonstrations against rising living costs and declining public services.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
