On Wednesday, Radio France International (RFI) fell victim to a coordinated information attack by the Russian disinformation apparatus. A false report posing as RFI appeared online, suggesting without any evidence that a tuberculosis epidemic threatens France due to the admission of Ukrainian soldiers to the country’s hospitals. The video has been circulating since Wednesday and was discovered by the Russian Service and RFI International Service.
The fraudulent production first appeared on Telegram at 2:47 pm Paris time (10:47 in Argentina) on a Russian account called “Russia News” with about 4,282 followers. The narrative claims without evidence that a “Ukrainian tuberculosis epidemic threatens France due to the admission of Ukrainian soldiers for treatment.” The accompanying commentary concludes: “Bedbugs and tuberculosis. If only it could go to the Olympics in France…” Subsequently, new Russian-language Telegram channels shared this false report attributed to RFI. One of them is followed by over 118,000 people and both have been identified as important vectors of pro-Russian propaganda since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
This fake news was then published on VKontakte, the equivalent of Facebook in Russia, followed by X (formerly Twitter), and on various Russian websites. Each time, it is almost word-for-word the same comment in Russian that accompanies the video. This dissemination pattern, combined with an anti-Ukrainian narrative and impersonation technique leaves little doubt about its origin. This mode of operation has already targeted many French and international media outlets. If there are any questions about authenticity, individuals can contact Info Verif unit on WhatsApp at +33 6 89 07 61 09.
Meanwhile in Britain, investigators reported that a Russian disinformation operation contributed to a whirlwind of conspiracy theories surrounding Kate Middleton following her cancer diagnosis revelation last week. The digital disinformation expert at Cardiff University tracked 45 social media accounts that posted false claims about Catherine on a disinformation network linked to the Kremlin. The influence campaign seemed calculated to inflame divisions, deepen a sense of chaos in society and erode trust in institutions such as royal family and media.
The aim of this campaign was likely both commercial and political
