EU Foreign Service Warns of Russian and Chinese Disinformation Campaigns, AI Threats

A new annual assessment by the European External Action Service reveals a dramatic surge in foreign information manipulation and interference across the European Union, with Russia and China identified as the primary actors behind these hybrid threats.

According to the fourth annual report on foreign information manipulation, Russia accounts for 29% of recorded incidents, while China is responsible for 6%. In the remaining 65% of cases, though precise attribution wasn’t possible, intelligence indicators suggest potential coordination with Russian or Chinese entities, according to information shared by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine via their Telegram channel.

The report documents an alarming three-fold increase in AI-enabled interference incidents, with 540 cases recorded in 2025 compared to 180 the previous year. This sharp rise signals a growing sophistication in the tools and techniques being deployed in information warfare.

Ukraine remains the primary target of these information campaigns, with 112 targeted incidents documented. These operations predominantly pushed narratives questioning the effectiveness of EU assistance to Kyiv, portraying Ukraine as an aggressor, and attempting to discredit the country’s military and political leadership.

The scope of these operations extends well beyond Ukraine, however. The report identifies more than 100 political leaders and approximately 200 organizations as targets, including NATO, media outlets, and academic institutions across Europe. France experienced the highest number of incidents at 107, followed by Moldova with 94 and Germany with 71. The Baltic states faced particular pressure on their transport and logistics infrastructure.

Intelligence analysts have noted a concerning evolution in tactics. Rather than launching large-scale, high-profile disinformation campaigns, adversaries are increasingly favoring prolonged, low-intensity influence operations designed to gradually erode public confidence in European Union institutions.

“What we’re seeing represents a strategic shift toward patience and persistence,” explained one EU security analyst who requested anonymity. “These actors understand that undermining social cohesion and democratic institutions doesn’t have to happen overnight to be effective.”

The report emphasizes how information aggression aims to fracture European solidarity while cultivating alternative narratives in partner countries. This approach creates parallel information ecosystems where facts become increasingly contested, making consensus on critical issues more difficult to achieve.

In response to these threats, the assessment highlights several priority areas for European security efforts. Enhanced coordination between EU member states appears critical, as does increasing media literacy among the general population. Strengthening the transparency and resilience of European institutions also features prominently in recommended countermeasures.

Security experts have long warned about the compounding effects of sustained information manipulation campaigns. Unlike conventional security threats, information operations target the cognitive domain, potentially reshaping how citizens perceive reality and evaluate information from trusted sources.

“The most dangerous aspect of these operations is their cumulative effect,” noted a cybersecurity researcher familiar with the report. “Individual incidents might seem minor, but over time they can fundamentally alter how societies function by undermining the shared understanding necessary for democratic decision-making.”

For European policymakers, the challenge remains finding effective responses that address these threats without undermining the open information environment that defines democratic societies. The report serves as a sobering reminder that information warfare has become a persistent feature of the European security landscape, requiring sustained attention and innovative countermeasures.

As technologies like artificial intelligence continue to advance, experts anticipate that detecting and countering sophisticated disinformation will become increasingly challenging, making the coordination emphasized in the report all the more crucial in the years ahead.