Russia launches disinformation campaign to influence German chancellor elections — analysts

Reuters reported the information, citing a study by the CeMAS analytical center.

Russia's disinformation campaign allegedly aims to boost the AfD's position, undermine trust in Germany's major parties, and sow public concern about the economy ahead of the elections on February 23.

In particular, CeMAS tracked hundreds of German-language posts on the social network X over the course of a month, featuring communication typical of Russian disinformation campaigns targeting the West.

The posts shared on the platform blamed the Green Party for economic problems and Chancellor Olaf Scholz for supporting Ukraine. However, they expressed support for the AfD.

According to the analytical center, the posts on X linked to fabricated German news websites. They collectively garnered more than 2.8 million views.

Meanwhile, a report by the German Foreign Ministry in June 2024 stated that Russia's disinformation campaign after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was aimed at undermining Western support for Kyiv and used ties to fake Western news outlets.

• On January 17, the G7 countries accused the Kremlin of secret efforts to undermine elected governments worldwide through global disinformation and influence campaigns, carried out via state media RT and the Social Development Agency (SDA).