EU, French Reports Flag Russian, Israeli-Linked Accounts in Riots

Internal EU and French assessments say foreign-linked social media accounts sought to exploit recent riots in France, which began amid protests over rising living costs and declining public services. The EU assessment found that the Russian network Operation Overload circulated videos impersonating Western news outlets and spreading false claims, including allegations of attacks by migrants and imminent terrorist threats, while portraying French leaders as weak. A separate French assessment reported that accounts linked to Israel and the U.S. MAGA movement promoted narratives associating the unrest with radical Islamism and migration. The findings suggest outside actors used the turmoil to fuel division and advance political aims; Russia’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.