A covert Russian network sought to exploit recent riots in France by using social media to blame the unrest on ​uncontrolled immigration, radical Islamism, and the weakness of the French government, Reuters reports, citing internal assessments by EU and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The European Union analysis found that a covert Russian network known as “Operation ​Overload” spread videos impersonating Western media outlets to target French audiences, some falsely claiming migrants had raped protesters or terrorist attacks in France were imminent.

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The EU analysis ​found that Russia sought to “depict the French leadership as weak and increasingly authoritarian”.

“Such events offer opportunities to undermine national governments, fuel fear and division, and shape public perceptions ahead of elections,” said the restricted-circulation EU document, prepared by disinformation experts in the bloc’s diplomatic service.

It found no evidence that Moscow or other actors had instigated or escalated the protests, describing the activity as “the opportunistic exploitation of unrest”.

Promoted narratives and view counts

The French foreign ministry’s assessment found that the 10 most-viewed X posts on the unrest from “pro-Russian spheres” got 2.8 million views from October 16 to 18.

At the same time, the top 10 posts about the protests by MAGA-linked officials, ‌media outlets and ⁠influencers got more than 49 million views, and posts by from Israeli officials, government accounts, media outlets and influencers got more than 35 million views in the same period.

European disinformation experts say that various foreign actors were exploiting the riots to push their own political narratives.

Elina Treyger, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation think tank, said such campaigns wage a slow-burning “narrative competition” that over time can shape how Western democracies are seen in Europe and beyond.

Treyger said they feed an anti-immigrant backlash that is pushing European voters toward political extremes.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on October 21 there had been no visible foreign interference behind the protests but there had been “foreign manipulation of information”.

The Russian foreign ministry did not respond ​to a request for comment. In August, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova rejected allegations by a French state watchdog agency of spreading disinformation about ⁠France’s 2027 elections.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the Israeli foreign ministry did not respond to ​requests for comment.

The European Parliament adopted, on 16 September 2026, a report on hybrid warfare and boosting the defense of the EU’s territorial integrity and critical infrastructure against threats from Russia.

French Minister Delegate for Europe Benjamin Haddad has said that France was a primary target of Russian disinformation and propaganda operations in Europe, owing to its key role in supporting Ukraine’s security.