540 Russian Info-Manipulation Cases Recorded by EU: Ukraine as Primary Target.

Surge in Information Manipulation

According to UATV: The European External Action Service has documented a rise in information manipulation linked to Russia, with Ukraine as the main focus, alongside other nations. In 2025, a total of 540 such incidents were recorded. Among these, 147 cases involved artificial intelligence—a threefold increase compared to 2024. Roughly 30% of all detected interferences are directly tied to Russia.

Targets of Information Manipulation

Of the recorded incidents, 112 were aimed at Ukraine. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation,

“the primary target was Ukraine—112 incidents were recorded.”

Other countries also came under fire, including:

• France
• Moldova
• Germany
• The United States
• Other nations

This highlights the broad scope of influence Russia seeks to exert using modern technologies.

Russia is actively leveraging these technologies to strengthen its reach. It is noted that

“Russian actors have essentially fully mastered artificial intelligence tools.”

This enables them to quickly generate content, scale disinformation campaigns, and engage a much wider audience at lower costs. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, information manipulation has become a key element of Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine. As the Center for Countering Disinformation states, 'since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, information manipulations have been an important component of Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine.'

According to available data, Russia spends billions of euros on information operations, underscoring the severity of the threat not only to Ukraine but also to other states.

The rise in information manipulation recorded by the European External Action Service points to an intensification of Russia’s hybrid strategies within the context of international politics. The use of artificial intelligence to conduct disinformation campaigns not only makes countering these activities more difficult but also boosts their effectiveness. This underscores the need for countries affected by Russian disinformation to bolster their information systems and cooperate internationally to counter this threat.