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Russia-linked group blamed for fake Merz resignation clip
🇮🇪 Ireland /Conflict & Security

Russia-linked group blamed for fake Merz resignation clip

From RTÉ News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • German security services suspect a Russia-linked group, possibly Storm-1516, of creating a fake resignation video of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
  • The fabricated video, using branding from Deutsche Welle and Handelsblatt, falsely claimed Merz would step down due to poor poll ratings.
  • This incident highlights Russia's ongoing disinformation campaigns targeting Western countries, particularly Germany's political landscape.

German security services believe a Russia-linked group, identified as potentially Storm-1516 and associated with Russian military intelligence, is responsible for a fake video alleging Chancellor Friedrich Merz's resignation. The fabricated clip, which mimicked the branding of Deutsche Welle and Handelsblatt, falsely suggested Merz planned to step down next week due to low poll numbers.

The video's claims were "completely invented" and aimed at "confusing and unnerving people."

— Merz's officeResponding to the fake resignation video.

Both media organizations have confirmed the video is a complete fabrication, and Merz's office denounced the claims as "completely invented" and designed to "confuse and unnerve people." His CDU party dismissed the video as "nonsense." This incident underscores the sophisticated disinformation tactics employed by groups like Storm-1516, which France's Viginum agency reports have conducted at least 77 disinformation operations targeting Western nations between late 2023 and March 2025.

nonsense

— CDU partyDismissing the fake resignation video.

The video's creators demonstrated an awareness of German political developments, opportunistically using speculation about Merz's future. German media had previously discussed a potential scenario where Merz might step aside for Hendrik Wuest, the CDU state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia. Doubts about Merz's leadership could resurface following upcoming state elections in eastern Germany, where the CDU is expected to perform poorly. The video, however, contained an error, referencing a non-existent "general federal election in September."

creator is probably Storm 1516

— security sourceIdentifying the suspected perpetrator of the fake video.

This event occurs amidst broader concerns about Russian disinformation and sabotage campaigns aimed at undermining Germany's support for Ukraine. Earlier this week, a drone with "professional explosives" was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle airport, though German officials have not yet assigned blame for that incident, labeling it a "hybrid attack."

shows that the creators closely follow political developments in Germany and use these opportunistically

— Germany's domestic intelligence agencyCommenting on the sophistication of the disinformation campaign.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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