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Entities

Storm-1679

Incidents involved as Deployer

Incident 92916 Report
Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

2024-12-06

Leading up to Germany’s February 23, 2025, federal election, the alleged Russian Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka (Operation Overload) disinformation campaigns have reportedly been deploying AI-generated deepfake videos and fake news sites to spread false claims about German politicians and public figures. AI-powered bots have allegedly been amplifying the content across social media. Researchers suggest the campaign sought to erode trust in Germany’s democratic process. Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) described the scale as unprecedented.

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Incident 9093 Report
Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

2024-12-13

The Matryoshka disinformation campaign allegedly used AI to impersonate academics, reportedly spreading claims supporting Russia and urging Ukraine's surrender. These videos are said to have misrepresented scholars’ views in order to amplify pro-Russian propaganda. The campaign reportedly exploited global social media platforms to allegedly mislead viewers and undermine trust in credible academic voices while fueling misinformation about the Ukraine conflict.

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Incident 10603 Report
Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

2025-05-06

Researchers at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) report that Operation Overload (also known as Matryoshka or Storm-1679) is a Russian-aligned campaign leveraging purported AI-generated voiceovers and visual impersonations to spread false or inflammatory content across platforms. The campaign reportedly involved at least 135 discrete posts analyzed by ISD in early 2025 targeting institutions and individuals, including one purported viral video claiming USAID funded celebrity trips to Ukraine (see Incident 1061).

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Incident 10612 Report
Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

2025-02-07

A video that reportedly went viral on X in early February 2025 claimed USAID paid celebrities to visit Ukraine. The clip mimicked E! News branding and included a narrator with a British accent. Individuals and organizations named denied any involvement. Researchers attributed the video to Matryoshka (AKA Operation Overload and Storm-1679), an influence campaign suspected of using AI-generated narration and editing, though tool use has not been independently confirmed.

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Related Entities
Other entities that are related to the same incident. For example, if the developer of an incident is this entity but the deployer is another entity, they are marked as related entities.
 

Entity

Russian entities linked to GRU

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Reliable Russian News

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Operation Overload

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Matryoshka

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Unknown deepfake technology developers

Incidents involved as Developer
  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Ronald Hutton

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Academics targeted by Storm-1679

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Academics targeted by Operation Overload

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Academics targeted by Matryoshka

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

X (Twitter)

Incidents implicated systems
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Unknown deepfake apps

Incidents implicated systems
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Bluesky

Incidents implicated systems
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 909
    3 Reports

    Matryoshka Campaign Allegedly Uses Deepfakes to Impersonate Academics for Pro-Russian Propaganda

More
Entity

Storm-1516

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Russian government

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

John Mark Dougan

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Doppelganger

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Unknown entities related to Doppelgänger

Incidents involved as Developer
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Unknown deepfake technology developer

Incidents involved as Developer
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Unnamed British police officer

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Unnamed American university presidents

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Robert Habeck

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Olaf Scholz

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Natalie Finch

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

German voters

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

German politicians

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

German federal election integrity

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

General public of Germany

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Friedrich Merz

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Electoral integrity

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Democracy

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Unknown voice cloning technology

Incidents implicated systems
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Telegram

Incidents implicated systems
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Facebook

Incidents implicated systems
  • Incident 929
    16 Reports

    Sustained AI-Driven Russian Disinformation Campaigns Doppelgänger, Storm-1516, and Matryoshka Reportedly Disrupting German Federal Elections

More
Entity

Russian-aligned actors

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Various generative AI developers

Incidents involved as Developer
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Unknown voice cloning technology developers

Incidents involved as Developer
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Western support for Ukraine

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Voters in Germany

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

USAID

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Ukrainian refugees

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Truth

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

News organizations

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Law enforcement agencies

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Journalists

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

General public

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Fact-checkers

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

European politicians

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Academics

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Unknown deepfake technology

Incidents implicated systems
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Social media platforms

Incidents implicated systems
  • Incident 1060
    3 Reports

    Institute for Strategic Dialogue Reports Russian-Aligned Operation Overload Using Purported AI-Generated Impersonations Across January to March 2025

More
Entity

Russian-linked disinformation network

Incidents involved as Deployer
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Unknown voice cloning technology developer

Incidents involved as Developer
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

The New York Times

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Sean Penn

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Politico

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Orlando Bloom

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

New York University

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

E! News

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Ben Stiller

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

BBC

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More
Entity

Angelina Jolie

Incidents Harmed By
  • Incident 1061
    2 Reports

    Reportedly Viral USAID Disinformation Video Linked to Russian-Aligned Campaign Known as Matryoshka

More

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