德国之声事实核查部门发现了一场针对德国9月州选举的大规模俄罗斯虚假信息活动。这项名为"Operation Matryoshka"的行动在X、Bluesky和TikTok等社交平台上传播了超过180条假帖子[1]。虚假内容涉及多个政党的候选人，包括指控基民盟候选人Eric Stehr谋杀祖母、杀害网络模特以及组织LGBTQ+派对等不实指控[1]。柏林市长、基民盟成员Kai Wegner也成为目标，遭到谋杀职业网球选手的虚假控告[1]。
这些虚假内容采用了精心编制的手法，包括伪造来自《法兰克福汇报》《明星电视台》《德国电视一台》和《明镜电视台》等知名德国媒体的假视频[1]。虚假信息还散播了关于东西德分裂的叙事，声称西德人认为统一是"历史性错误"，但这是虚假内容——实际上2025年10月的德国电视一台民调显示，64%的西德受访者对德国统一状况表示满意[1]。
柏林中心监控分析战略研究所研究员Julia Smirnova表示，这场行动"是俄罗斯长期战略的延续：支持被认为对俄更友好的政党，同时诋毁其他政党和候选人"[1]。OSINT研究小组Gnida Project已将Operation Matryoshka与俄罗斯军事情报部门GRU下属的Storm-1516相关联[1]。值得注意的是，受到虚假信息针对的主要是基民盟、社民党、绿党、左党和自民党等政党的候选人，而极右翼的选择党（AfD）和萨拉·瓦格克内希特联盟（BSW）并未成为目标[1]。该虚假信息活动呈现出明显的工作时间规律，仅在工作日运行，周末活动明显下降[1]。
A coordinated disinformation operation attributed to Russian state actors has launched a widespread attack on German political figures ahead of state elections in September. DW's fact-checking investigation identified more than 180 false posts circulating on X, Bluesky, and TikTok [1]. The campaign, known as Operation Matryoshka, employs sophisticated tactics including fabricated news reports from major German outlets and AI-generated videos to discredit candidates across multiple parties [1].
The false content makes serious allegations against politicians, including claims that Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner murdered a professional tennis player and that candidate Eric Stehr committed murder, killed a model, organized LGBTQ+ events, and engaged in academic fraud [1]. The fake videos impersonate established German media outlets such as Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Stern TV, ARD, and Spiegel TV [1]. Intelligence researchers have linked Operation Matryoshka to Storm-1516, a group affiliated with Russia's GRU military intelligence agency [1].
The operation demonstrates a pattern consistent with Russian strategic objectives: supporting parties viewed as more favorable to Moscow while attacking other candidates and their parties, according to Julia Smirnova of the Berlin-based Center for Monitoring Analysis and Strategy Research [1]. Notably, the disinformation activity follows a structured schedule, operating primarily on weekdays with reduced activity on weekends [1]. Targets include candidates from the Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, Greens, Left Party, and Free Democrats, though the far-right Alternative for Germany and Sarah Wagenknecht's alliance were not targeted [1].
One fabricated video claimed that West Germans view German reunification as a "historical mistake," but this was debunked by Eurostat data and an October 2025 ARD poll showing 64 percent of West German respondents satisfied with reunification [1].