Russia's Information War: How Storm-1516 and Matriochka Put Democratic Elections Under Pressure

Digital influence operations from abroad have become one of the central challenges facing Western democracies. Alongside cyberattacks and traditional espionage, state and state-aligned actors are increasingly using targeted disinformation campaigns to undermine trust in political institutions. Western security authorities are focusing particularly on the Russian networks Storm-1516 and Matriochka. Both pursue the same strategic objective: to influence public opinion, intensify social tensions, and weaken Western countries' support for Ukraine. Their methods, however, differ considerably. Storm-1516: The Industrial Production of Disinformation Storm-1516 is regarded as one of the most professional information ...