Gabriel Attal Targeted by New Russian Disinformation Campaigns

Gabriel Attal, the secretary general of the Renaissance party and a candidate for the 2027 French presidential election, has become the target of two new disinformation operations linked to Russian interference. These campaigns have disseminated "ten fake reports and false press headlines" on social media, aiming to spread erroneous information about Attal's health and make false corruption accusations.

These operations are attributed to a pro-Russian disinformation network known as Matriochka, which has been active since 2023. The network employs a coordinated strategy of publishing fake content on social media, then encouraging users to draw media attention to these fabricated stories. The fake content often mimics the visual identity of legitimate news organizations, including Agence France-Presse.

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ten fake reports and false press headlines

In addition to the fake reports, an AI-generated video was circulated showing caricatures of Attal projected onto the Panthéon in Paris, accompanied by insulting messages. Attal declined to comment when approached by AFP.

The collective Antibot4Navalny, which monitors influence operations connected to Russia, estimated that the views on these fake reports were artificially inflated, with organic views numbering only in the "few hundreds per video." Since the beginning of August, a total of four disinformation operations have targeted Attal, who has already filed a complaint. The Paris prosecutor's office announced it has opened an investigation into suspected Russian interference targeting Gabriel Attal, as well as former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, who are also potential presidential candidates.

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few hundreds of views organic per video