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Cyber based influence campaigns 15th - 21st June 2026 Report
- CRC
- Jun 25
- 15 min read
[Introduction]
Cyber-based hostile influence campaigns are aimed at influencing target audiences by promoting information and/or disinformation over the internet, sometimes combined with cyber-attacks which enhance their effect (hence force Cyfluence, as opposed to cyber-attacks that aim to steal information, extort money, etc.) Such hostile influence campaigns and operations can be considered an epistemological branch of Information Operations (IO) or Information Warfare (IW).
Typically, and as customary during the last decade, the information is spread throughout various internet platforms, which are the different elements of the hostile influence campaign, and as such, connectivity and repetitiveness of content between several elements are the main core characteristics of influence campaigns.
Hostile influence campaigns, much like Cyber-attacks, have also become a tool for rival nations and corporations to damage reputation or achieve various business, political or ideological goals. Much like in the cyber security arena, PR professionals and government agencies are responding to negative publicity and disinformation shared over the news and social media.
We use the term cyber based hostile influence campaigns, as we include in this definition also cyber-attacks aimed at influencing (such as hack and leak during election time), while we exclude of this term other types of more traditional kinds of influence such as diplomatic, economic, military etc.
During the 15th to the 21st of June 2026, we observed, collected and analyzed endpoints of information related to cyber based hostile influence campaigns (including Cyfluence attacks). The following report is a summary of what we regard as the main events. Some of the mentioned campaigns have to do with social media and news outlets solemnly, while others leverage cyber-attack capabilities.
[Contents]
[State Actors]
Russia
Russian Narrative Adaptation in the Global South
Gallant Boar Exercise Falsely Framed as Kaliningrad Invasion
The War in Ukraine
Putin’s “Denazification” Narrative
EU Expands Sanctions Targeting Russian Operations
[AI Related Articles]
AI-Generated Screenshots Involving Eric Trump
Benchmark for Detecting AI-Generated Videos
Deepfake Detection in the Post-Artifact Era
Deepfakes and Disinformation Targeting West Papua Activists
AI Deepfakes Proliferate in 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections Despite Regulatory Efforts
[General Reports]
False Claims About Hirings at the Obama Presidential Center
Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026
[Appendix - Frameworks to Counter Disinformation]
EU Sanctions Over Interference in Moldova
Danish Parliamentary Election with No Sign of Significant Disinformation
[ Report Highlights]
According to an article by Atlantic Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to frame the war against Ukraine through the goal of “denazification”, presenting it as a central war aim rather than a justification for territorial gains.
A report by Public First examined AI’s societal perception in 2026 and its potential risks.
According to an article by CyberNews, a controversy emerged after UFC commentator Daniel Cormier posted screenshots that allegedly showed messages from Eric Trump asking whether any fights were "rigged" for betting purposes.
According to NewsGuard’s Reality Check, in the weeks leading up to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, several conservative social media accounts claimed that the Obama Foundation had hired only Black contractors to work on the project.
Foreign Interference documents over 2,800 AI-generated deepfakes deployed in 2026 U.S. midterm election contexts despite the TAKE IT DOWN Act entering FTC enforcement and state-level AI disclosure laws.
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 finds overall news trust at a record low of 37% across 48 surveyed countries, with social media and video networks surpassing all other sources as the primary global news channel for the first time. Weekly AI chatbot use for news rose to 10%, with AI-generated pink slime content farms set to proliferate further.
An analysis published by EU vs. Disinfo monitored TikTok activity around Denmark’s March 2026 parliamentary election and found no evidence of large-scale Russian disinformation efforts.
[ Report Summary]
A study published by Post-Soviet Affairs examined how Russian state-sponsored media outlets adapt their messaging for different audiences across the Global South.
According to an article by Atlantic Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to frame the war against Ukraine through the goal of “denazification”, presenting it as a central war aim rather than a justification for territorial gains.
EUvsDisinfo's weekly review documents Kremlin-aligned outlets reframing NATO's Gallant Boar 2026 exercise in the Suwalki Gap as offensive preparation for a Kaliningrad invasion, a false claim portraying Belarus as a peaceful victim of Ukrainian aggression, and Bulgaria's EU fiscal obligations recast as political punishment.
The European Union has published that it has adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia in response to its war against Ukraine, hybrid activities, and human rights violations.
According to an article by CyberNews, a controversy emerged after UFC commentator Daniel Cormier posted screenshots that allegedly showed messages from Eric Trump asking whether any fights were "rigged" for betting purposes.
A paper published by The Digital Library introduced “Chameleon”, a new benchmark dataset that is designed to detect whether a video is AI-generated and trace generated videos back to their source materials.
A review published in the Digital Library examined how advances in AI video generation have made synthetic videos increasingly realistic.
According to an article by ABC News, West Papuan activists have raised concerns about the growing use of AI-generated content and online disinformation to undermine their advocacy.
Foreign Interference documents over 2,800 AI-generated deepfakes deployed in 2026 U.S. midterm election contexts despite the TAKE IT DOWN Act entering FTC enforcement and state-level AI disclosure laws. The report finds that regulatory deterrence is outpaced by the low cost and high availability of AI content generation tools.
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 finds overall news trust at a record low of 37% across 48 surveyed countries, with social media and video networks surpassing all other sources as the primary global news channel for the first time. Weekly AI chatbot use for news rose to 10%, with AI-generated pink slime content farms set to proliferate further.
According to NewsGuard’s Reality Check, in the weeks leading up to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, several conservative social media accounts claimed that the Obama Foundation had hired only Black contractors to work on the project.
The European Union announced it has imposed sanctions on six individuals accused of activities aimed at undermining Moldova’s sovereignty, independence, and democratic processes.
An analysis published by EU vs. Disinfo monitored TikTok activity around Denmark’s March 2026 parliamentary election and found no evidence of large-scale Russian disinformation efforts.
[State Actors]
Russia
Russian Narrative Adaptation in the Global South
A study published by Post-Soviet Affairs examined how Russian state-sponsored media outlets, particularly RT and Sputnik, adapt their messaging for different audiences across the Global South. Focusing on narratives about multipolarity and neocolonialism, Russian messaging is not uniform but tailored to specific regional contexts. Through analysis of English, French, and Spanish-language content, the study showed that Russia adjusts its narratives to resonate with local historical experiences, political concerns, and existing beliefs.
The most significant differences emerge between Africa and Latin America. French-language content aimed at African audiences places strong emphasis on colonial legacies, portraying France as a former colonial oppressor while presenting Russia as a supporter of sovereignty and a multipolar world order. In contrast, Spanish-language content targeting Latin America links neocolonialism more closely to US influence, capitalism, and interventionism, while often portraying China rather than Russia as the leading force behind a multipolar future. These adaptations draw on distinct regional memories and grievances to increase the narratives' appeal.
Source: Taylor & Francis Online. [Article DOI: 10.1080/1060586X.2026.2690912]. [online journal article] Published 2026. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1060586X.2026.2690912 (tandfonline.com).
Gallant Boar Exercise Falsely Framed as Kaliningrad Invasion
A weekly disinformation review published by EU vs Disinfo states that Kremlin-aligned outlets reframed NATO's Gallant Boar 2026 military exercise, a defensive training operation in the Suwalki Gap involving multiple allied forces, as an offensive preparation for an invasion of Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. The false narrative, widely circulated on Russian state media and amplified on Telegram, illustrates the Kremlin's consistent pattern of inverting the defensive character of NATO activities to sustain a warmongering West narrative among domestic and Global South audiences.
A weekly disinformation review published by EUvsDisinfo states that Bulgaria's obligations under EU fiscal rules were simultaneously reframed as political punishment for the country's pro-EU governance, and that a false claim portraying Ukraine as planning a military assault on Belarus was introduced across pro-Kremlin channels during the reporting period. The review identifies the Belarus narrative as part of a coordinated effort to destabilise Minsk-Kyiv relations by attributing aggressive intent to Ukraine while obscuring Belarus's documented military buildup along its Ukrainian border since at least April 2026.
Source: EUvsDisinfo. Warmongering NATO, Peaceful Belarus and Bulgaria’s Punishment. [online] Published 18 June 2025. Available at: https://euvsdisinfo.eu/warmongering-nato-peaceful-belarus-and-bulgarias-punishment/ (euvsdisinfo.eu).
The War in Ukraine
Putin’s “Denazification” Narrative
According to an article by Atlantic Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to frame the war against Ukraine through the goal of “denazification”, presenting it as a central war aim rather than a justification for territorial gains. This narrative reflects a broader rejection of Ukrainian statehood and helps explain the lack of progress in peace negotiations. The article traces the origins of the “Nazi Ukraine” narrative to Soviet-era portrayals of Ukrainian nationalist movements and argues that the Kremlin has revived and expanded this theme in the years leading up to and during the full-scale invasion.
Russian state media and official rhetoric have consistently portrayed Ukrainian patriotism and independence as forms of extremism, while using the “denazification” concept to delegitimize Ukraine as a sovereign nation. This narrative has been challenged by international institutions and historians. Ukraine’s 2019 elections, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Russian-speaking Jewish candidate, won by a large margin, showed that the characterization of Ukraine as a Nazi state lacks support. The “denazification” narrative also functions as a powerful propaganda theme within Russia. Repeated references to an alleged Nazi threat have been used to justify the invasion and sustain public support for the war, despite the absence of credible evidence for such claims.
Source: Atlantic Council. Putin’s Obsession With ‘Denazifying’ Ukraine Makes Peace Impossible. [online] Published 18 June 2026. Available at: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putins-obsession-with-denazifying-ukraine-makes-peace-impossible/ (atlanticcouncil.org).
EU Expands Sanctions Targeting Russian Operations
The European Union has published that it has adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia in response to its war against Ukraine, hybrid activities, and human rights violations. The measures target 34 individuals and 47 entities linked to Russia’s military-industrial sector, energy exports, sanctions evasion networks, and influence operations. According to the EU, the sanctions are intended to reduce Russia’s ability to sustain the war, limit revenues from its “shadow fleet” of oil transport companies, and counter activities that threaten European security.
A notable part of the package focuses on individuals and organizations accused of spreading narratives that support or justify Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The EU sanctioned several media figures, commentators, and public personalities whom it describes as involved in foreign information manipulation and interference. These individuals are accused of promoting narratives that justify the war, dehumanize Ukrainians, or distort historical events. The sanctions also include the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and a senior Russian Orthodox Church bishop, both cited for their role in supporting pro-Kremlin messaging. The package additionally includes sanctions related to the persecution and death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as the renewal of restrictions connected to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Source: European External Action Service (EEAS). Russia’s War of Aggression Against Ukraine: New EU Sanctions Target Energy Revenues, the Military-Industrial Complex, Propaganda and Human Rights Violations. [online] Published 18 June 2026. Available at: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ukraine/russia%E2%80%99s-war-aggression-against-ukraine-new-eu-sanctions-target-energy-revenues-military-industrial_en (eeas.europa.eu).
[AI Related Articles]
AI-Generated Screenshots Involving Eric Trump
According to an article by CyberNews, a controversy emerged ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 event after UFC commentator Daniel Cormier posted screenshots that allegedly showed messages from Eric Trump asking whether any fights were "rigged" for betting purposes. Cormier deleted the post within 15 minutes, while Eric Trump publicly denied ever communicating with him and stated that the screenshots were fake and AI-generated. According to later reporting, Trump also reiterated that he had never spoken to Cormier. Even so, the incident quickly sparked debate online, with some questioning why Cormier would share screenshots if the conversation never occurred, while others noted that screenshots alone are increasingly difficult to verify in an era of advanced AI-generated content. The discussion was further amplified by responses on X, including comments about the challenges of determining authenticity when digital content can be easily manipulated.
Source: Cybernews. Eric Trump Claims Rigged UFC Event Texts Were Actually AI Deepfakes. [online] Published 15 June 2026. Available at: https://cybernews.com/news/eric-trump-ufc-polymarket-deepfake/ (cybernews.com).
Benchmark for Detecting AI-Generated Videos
The rapid advancement of AI video generation has made it easier to create highly realistic synthetic videos, raising concerns about fraud, privacy violations, and the misuse of fabricated content in public virtual spaces. A paper published in the Digital Library introduced “Chameleon”, a new benchmark dataset containing 1,700 AI-generated videos created using commercial closed-source models. Chameleon includes high-resolution videos with strong temporal and spatial consistency, making them more representative of real-world AI-generated content.
The dataset is designed to evaluate two key challenges: detecting whether a video is AI-generated and tracing generated videos back to their source materials. To support this, the researchers collected real videos from domains vulnerable to manipulation and generated corresponding synthetic versions using text-to-video and image-to-video methods. This approach allows researchers not only to assess detection performance but also to investigate the origins of manipulated content. The authors argued that existing benchmarks no longer reflect the capabilities of modern video generation systems and that improved detection and source-tracing tools are needed to address challenges posed by increasingly realistic AI-generated videos.
Source: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT '24). [online] Published 2024. Available at: https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3805622.3810862 (dl.acm.org).
Deepfake Detection in the Post-Artifact Era
A review published in the Digital Library examined how advances in AI video generation have made synthetic videos increasingly realistic, with modern models capable of producing high-resolution, minute-long clips featuring coherent motion and complex scenes. As video quality improves, many of the visual artifacts that earlier detection systems relied on, such as facial inconsistencies, unnatural blinking, or frequency distortions, are disappearing, making it more difficult to distinguish AI-generated content from authentic footage.
To address this challenge, the authors proposed a forensic framework based on five assumptions: physiological integrity, temporal coherence, geometric consistency, semantic consistency, and provenance signals. Comparing several detection approaches, they found that current evaluation benchmarks often focus on accuracy while giving less attention to trustworthiness, robustness, and real-world deployment. The review also highlights broader societal concerns associated with increasingly convincing synthetic media, including privacy violations, non-consensual deepfake content, and other forms of misuse. Therefore, future detection systems should move beyond searching for technical artifacts and instead combine multiple sources of evidence, stronger provenance mechanisms, and more comprehensive evaluation methods to improve resilience against rapidly evolving AI-generated video technologies.
Source: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). [Article in the Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT ’24)]. [online] Published 2024. Available at: https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3810988.3812659 (dl.acm.org).
Deepfakes and Disinformation Targeting West Papua Activists
According to an article by ABC News, West Papuan activists have raised concerns about the growing use of AI-generated content and online disinformation to undermine their advocacy. Koteka Wenda, daughter of independence leader Benny Wenda, discovered a deepfake video falsely portraying her as criticizing a documentary about deforestation and indigenous land exploitation in West Papua. She warned that such content could mislead supporters and damage the credibility of activists. Another prominent activist, Veronica Koman, reported similar experiences, including manipulated videos falsely showing her praising the Indonesian government.
The article highlighted broader concerns about information manipulation in Indonesia. An Amnesty International report argued that disinformation campaigns have increasingly been used to target government critics, discredit dissenting voices, and influence public debate (for further information, see W21 May Cyfluence Report). These tactics have become a significant tool for attacking critics online, while activists and human rights advocates describe them as part of a longer pattern of repression. Researchers have also documented previous coordinated online campaigns related to West Papua, including the use of misleading content and automated social media accounts to promote pro-government narratives and weaken activist voices. Activists argue that AI-generated deepfakes represent a new challenge in this information environment, making it harder for the public to distinguish authentic messages from fabricated ones.
Source: ABC News. AI-generated content targeting West Papuan activists. [online] Published 21 June 2026. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-21/ai-generated-content-targeting-west-papuan-activists/106760046 (abc.net.au).
AI Deepfakes Proliferate in 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections Despite Regulatory Efforts
A report published by Foreign Interference states that AI-generated deepfakes targeting the 2026 U.S. midterm elections have proliferated significantly despite federal and state-level regulatory interventions, with tracking indicating over 2,800 documented cases of synthetic media deployed to manipulate electoral discourse across social media platforms. The report identifies that the TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed into law in May 2025 with FTC enforcement beginning 19 May 2026, has not materially reduced production volumes due to the low cost and high availability of AI content generation tools accessible to both state and non-state actors.
A report published by Foreign Interference states that the supply-side economics of AI deepfake production -- where a single actor can generate thousands of synthetic media assets at near-zero marginal cost -- have outpaced the deterrent capacity of existing legislation and platform enforcement mechanisms. The report notes that despite New York State's AI influencer disclosure law taking effect on 9 June 2026 and the EU Code of Practice on AI-generated content marking published 10 June 2026, the global regulatory patchwork creates arbitrage opportunities for foreign and domestic influence operators to route production through unregulated jurisdictions while targeting regulated audiences.
Source: Foreign Interference Research Center. AI Deepfakes Proliferate in 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections Despite Regulatory Efforts. [online] Published 2026. Available at: https://foreigninterference.org/post/ai-deepfakes-proliferate-in-2026-u-s-midterm-elections-despite-regulatory-efforts (foreigninterference.org).
[General Reports]
False Claims About Hirings at the Obama Presidential Center
According to NewsGuard’s Reality Check, in the weeks leading up to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, several conservative social media accounts claimed that the Obama Foundation had hired only Black contractors to work on the project. These posts framed the alleged hiring practices as racial discrimination and linked them to broader criticism of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The claims gained significant attention online, accumulating hundreds of thousands of views.
However, available information does not support the assertion that only Black contractors were involved in the project. The center’s construction was managed by Lakeside Alliance, a joint venture that includes leaders and member companies from diverse backgrounds. Publicly available records and company information indicate that both Black-owned and non-Black-owned firms participated in the project. Confusion around unpaid subcontractor disputes appears to have been combined with inaccurate claims about contractor demographics. According to Lakeside Alliance’s latest published report, 40% of subcontracts were awarded to minority-owned businesses, indicating that a majority of contracts went to other companies.
Source: NewsGuard Reality Check. False Claims of Racism at the Obama Administration / Related Viral Misinformation Debunked. [online] Published 2023. Available at: https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/false-claims-of-racism-at-the-obama (newsguardrealitycheck.com).
Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026
A report published by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism states that overall news trust across 48 surveyed countries has fallen to a record low of 37%, with 38 of 48 countries recording declining trust in news over the past year. For the first time in the survey's history, social media and video networks surpassed all other sources as the most widely used channel for news globally, with 54% of audiences now reaching news primarily through social and video platforms, representing a 13-percentage point gain over television since 2020.
The report states that weekly use of AI chatbots for news rose from 7% in 2025 to 10% in 2026, with growth concentrated in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Southern and Eastern Europe -- regions with historically weaker institutional media infrastructure and higher vulnerability to AI-generated disinformation. The report warns that AI-powered pink slime content farms are set to proliferate further as platforms struggle to distinguish synthetic from legitimate news content, raising structural risk that the architecture of public information ecosystems will increasingly reward low-cost synthetic production over credible editorial standards.
Source: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Digital News Report 2026. [online] Published 2026. Available at: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2026 (reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk).
[Appendix - Frameworks to Counter Disinformation]
EU Sanctions Over Interference in Moldova
The European Union announced it has imposed sanctions on six individuals accused of activities aimed at undermining Moldova’s sovereignty, independence, and democratic processes. According to the EU, the individuals were involved in Russian-funded efforts to influence Moldova’s September 2025 parliamentary elections, including vote-buying schemes and coordinated influence campaigns. Some of those sanctioned are linked to organizations and political networks associated with businessman Ilan Shor and the Russia-based NGO Evrazia. With these additions, EU restrictive measures now apply to 29 individuals and five entities connected to activities viewed as destabilizing Moldova. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans
Among those listed are political figures and Russian nationals accused of organizing election-related activities, facilitating illicit funding, and coordinating influence operations. These efforts included the dissemination of propaganda, the mobilization of local networks, and attempts to shape voter behavior through coordinated campaigns. The sanctions also cite the use of religious and community structures to support political messaging and collect personal data.
Source: European External Action Service (EEAS). Republic of Moldova: Council lists six individuals for actions destabilising the country. [online] Published 16 June 2026. Available at: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/moldova/republic-moldova-council-lists-six-individuals-actions-destabilising-country_en (eeas.europa.eu).
Danish Parliamentary Election with No Sign of Significant Disinformation
According to Danish authorities and independent analyses, there was no major foreign disinformation campaign targeting Denmark’s March 2026 parliamentary election. An analysis published by EU vs. Disinfo monitored TikTok activity across more than 40 political and media channels, specifically looking for coordinated inauthentic behavior, bot networks, and AI-amplified influence operations. While election-related content increased as expected, investigators found no evidence of large-scale Russian disinformation efforts or systematic bot activity aimed at influencing public opinion.
The findings suggested that Denmark’s resilience against disinformation stems from several factors, including high public trust in government and media, free press, broad political consensus on key issues such as support for Ukraine, and proactive warnings from Danish intelligence services. Additionally, it showed that Russian influence operations are selective rather than universal, with resources directed toward countries where political divisions make influence campaigns more likely to succeed. As a result, Denmark may have been viewed as a low-return target compared with countries facing greater polarization and weaker information resilience.
Source: EUvsDisinfo. The dog that didn’t bark: What the Danish election reveals about Russian influence operations. [online] Published 27 May 2026. Available at: https://euvsdisinfo.eu/the-dog-that-didnt-bark-what-the-danish-election-reveals-about-russian-influence-operations/ (euvsdisinfo.eu).
[CRC Glossary]
The nature and sophistication of the modern Information Environment is projected to continue to escalate in complexity. However, across academic publications, legal frameworks, policy debates, and public communications, the same concepts are often described in different ways, making collaboration, cooperation, and effective action more difficult.
To ensure clarity and establish a consistent frame of reference, the CRC is maintaining a standard glossary to reduce ambiguity and promote terminological interoperability. Its scope encompasses foundational concepts, as well as emerging terms relating to Hostile Influence and Cyfluence.
As a collaborative project maintained with input from the community of experts, the CRC Glossary is intended to reflect professional consensus. We encourage you to engage with this initiative and welcome contributions via the CRC website.
