A Russian-linked influence campaign known as Operation Overload, also referred to as Matryoshka and Storm-1679, has intensified its efforts to manipulate public opinion on the war in Ukraine and destabilize democratic societies through sophisticated disinformation tactics.
According to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), the operation is a persistent, high-volume effort that impersonates media outlets, academics, and law enforcement to sow discord and confusion.
Between January and March 2025, ISD identified 135 pieces of content linked to Operation Overload, targeting 10 countries, particularly Germany, France, and Ukraine. The operation primarily focused on undermining NATO support for Ukraine and spreading false or inflammatory narratives to disrupt domestic politics in EU member states. Nearly one-third of its posts accused Ukraine of cyberattacks, corruption, and spreading disinformation. Ukrainian refugees were also falsely portrayed as criminals in an attempt to stoke public hostility.
A key tactic of the campaign is the use of AI-generated content to imitate trusted sources. Over three-quarters of the impersonated entities were media outlets, universities, or law enforcement bodies. Videos produced by the operation often featured real footage overlaid with AI-cloned voices of journalists, professors, and officials, creating the illusion of credible reports. Deutsche Welle (DW), the BBC, Sky News, and Le Point were among the most frequently imitated outlets.
Notably, academics were targeted more frequently than others, likely due to their perceived authority combined with low public recognition. Operation Overload also circulated doctored images, such as fake news headlines and falsified graffiti suggesting anti-Ukraine sentiment in the West.
Despite its high output, the campaign saw limited real engagement. One exception, a viral video falsely claiming USAID funded celebrity visits to Ukraine, received over 4.2 million views after amplification by conspiracy accounts. The remaining content largely depended on bots to simulate engagement.
“This wide-scale impersonation campaign advances Russia’s narratives, erodes public confidence in institutions, and undercuts the public’s ability to distinguish reliable information from manipulated content,” the report notes.
