A covert Russian network exploited October’s violent protests in France to spread disinformation about immigration, public security and the government’s ability to maintain order, according to an internal EU assessment obtained by Reuters.
What happened: The network, known as “Operation Overload”, circulated fabricated media reports and manipulated videos designed to undermine confidence in French institutions.
- A separate French foreign ministry assessment identified hostile narratives circulating among MAGA-aligned and Israeli-linked accounts, although no operational coordination with Moscow was established.
- EU analysts found no evidence that foreign actors instigated the protests. Their intervention was opportunistic, exploiting existing tensions.
Why it matters: The findings reinforce a pattern Decode39 has been documenting for weeks: domestic unrest, political polarisation and digital vulnerabilities provide opportunities for hostile actors to undermine European institutions and public confidence.
Between the lines: The Reuters revelations lend further weight to Decode39’s reporting on the intersection between social tensions and hybrid warfare.
- In its analysis of who is fanning the flames of Europe’s and Italy’s unrest, Decode39 examined how genuine grievances can become material for external information operations. The French findings illustrate precisely this mechanism: protests rooted in domestic economic frustrations were subsequently exploited to promote narratives of institutional failure.
- The same concern extends to cyber operations. Decode39 has documented the growing personalisation of hybrid pressure against Italy, including attacks targeting Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
- These cases involve different techniques and cannot automatically be attributed to a single coordinated campaign. Their common feature is the exploitation of vulnerabilities that can translate operational disruption or domestic discontent into political pressure.
The bigger picture: The French assessment also raises a more delicate question about the unintended consequences of ideological attacks on European institutions.
- Criticism of the EU by MAGA-aligned figures or Israeli commentators is not equivalent to Russian disinformation. Yet sweeping, preconceived narratives portraying Europe as dysfunctional, overwhelmed by migration or incapable of maintaining security can inadvertently reinforce messages deliberately promoted by Moscow.
- This is narrative convergence, not evidence of coordination. Political actors may amplify the effects of structured Russian operations without intending to support them.
Bottom line: The Reuters findings do not establish a single campaign connecting France and Italy. They do, however, provide new institutional evidence for the vulnerabilities Decode39 has consistently identified: Europe’s internal tensions are increasingly attractive targets for external manipulation, while cyber disruption and information operations can compound their political impact.
- Is also given to these vulnerabilities – and the capacity of the EU’s rivals to exploit it – that Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, in a letter to EUCO’s president Antonio Costa, to “speak with one voice” on support to Ukraine; probably the main sensible dossier for the Union.
