The European Union and a group of member states condemned Russia’s persistent efforts to manipulate and interfere with information spaces in democratic societies, accusing Moscow of using disinformation to destabilize and sow mistrust.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the European External Action Service (EEAS), along with Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Sweden, said Russia’s “Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)” operations targeted the EU and its partners to undermine support for Ukraine.

“We will not let foreign malign actors achieve their objectives. We are well prepared and equipped to detect, expose and counter Russian FIMI operations,” the statement said.

The statement highlighted the “Doppelganger” campaign, first uncovered in September 2022, as a key example of Russian disinformation tactics. This campaign involves creating fake websites and social media accounts that impersonate reputable news outlets and individuals to spread propaganda.

The EU imposed sanctions in December 2024 on two individuals linked to the “Doppelganger” campaign, under a new framework targeting Russia’s hybrid activities and destabilizing actions abroad.

The statement outlined several ways to identify Russian impersonation attempts:

  • Social media seeding: Inauthentic accounts on social media platforms spread narratives and link to fake websites.
  • Fake webpages: Websites mimic official news outlets, copying design and fonts, but with different URLs.
  • Amplification via comments: Inauthentic accounts boost visibility of fake content through comments and quote posts.
  • Deceptive URL redirection: Multiple intermediary websites are used to redirect users to fake articles.

The statement emphasized the importance of exposing disinformation, providing factual information, supporting independent media, and collaborating with international partners and civil society organizations to counter Russian FIMI operations. It also noted that while the “Doppelganger” campaign involved hundreds of fake websites and thousands of misleading articles, its overall impact remained limited, and attempts to disrupt elections in 2024 failed.

The EU and its allies pledged to remain vigilant and use all available tools to counter Russia’s disinformation efforts and protect the integrity of the information space.