France suspects that Russia is attempting to conduct a disinformation campaign against two leading French politicians who are running or are likely to run in the 2027 presidential elections, according to a source in the security services and one of the politicians.
Last week, French authorities uncovered a disinformation campaign targeting Raphael Glucksmann, a prominent critic of the Kremlin and a left-wing member of the European Parliament expected to run for president in 2027. On August 4, a source in the security services informed the AFP agency about this. The campaign is linked to the propaganda network Storm-1516, associated with Russian intelligence, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to comment publicly.
Campaign against Raphael Glucksmann
“Russian security services have begun their operations to destabilize the 2027 election campaign,” Glucksmann wrote on social media on the night of August 3. He noted that a fabricated story alleging a conspiracy to boost his candidacy appeared on a website mimicking the legitimate online publication Blast, featuring fake documents, AI-generated voices, and “a completely fake video.”
“The goal is to make a completely fabricated story go viral and discredit politicians whom the Russian regime considers hostile,” added Glucksmann, who has consistently condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Other targets of Russian disinformation
In July, the Storm-1516 network also targeted presidential candidate Edouard Philippe, a centrist former prime minister viewed as a significant potential rival to the far-right. According to a source in the security services, false information regarding his health was disseminated through social media.
The network is also suspected of involvement in an attempt detected in February to spread false claims linking President Emmanuel Macron to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The far-right in France views the 2027 presidential election as their best opportunity to gain power. Marine Le Pen, despite a conviction in a fraud case, plans to run for president for the fourth time.
Source: The Straits Times
