Russian agents launched attacks on Brigitte Macron via two social media platforms, spreading false allegations against her
Disinformation Strikes the Elysée: A Deep Dive into the Brigitte Macron Sexual Assault Allegations
Let's take a close look at the video that's been spreading like wildfire, attempting to destabilize the upper echelons of French power. This deceptive piece features a shady character claiming Brigitte Macron, the First Lady, sexually assaulted him. Now, hold onto your seats, because this story can't be any further from the truth.
A Fake Identity, a Stolen Face
The mastermind behind this misinformation campaign goes by the name "Storm1516", and their horse is Russian agents. The video was leaked by some mystery man named Lionel T., who, surprisingly, matches the name of a former student of Madame Macron from her teaching days in the 1980s. However, the man we've found isn't the same guy in the video, and he was cool enough to chat with us anonymously.
He said, "I'm staring at a poor representation of myself. I was a student at the school where Madame Macron taught. She was my teacher. There's also my name and first name cited. It seems like someone is posing as me." Rest assured, he insists the sexual assault claims are a pure fabrication.
The video was tampered with using clever AI. They animated photos of the actual student on the face of an actor, creating a convincing, yet fake, video. The vocal accent belonging to the accusatory character seems robotic and unauthentic, but that didn't stop numerous social media accounts from spreading the video, racking up over 10 million views.
Storm-1516: Russian Disinformation Targeting the French Government
This assault on Brigitte Macron is part of a larger disinformation scheme launched by Russia, as uncovered in a report by a government agency, Viginum. This report reveals links between the operation and individuals closely associated with the Russian government.
According to Viginum's analysis, Storm-1516 represents a significant threat to French and European digital public discourse. The black-ops-style campaign has targeted France, Ukraine, the United States, and Germany since 2023, focusing on divisive themes like immigration and terrorism.
A Sophisticated Game of Deception
The name Storm-1516 refers to a multi-stage operation that involves three key steps. First, they create bogus narratives using AI-tweaked videos. Each country has a specific theme, such as a supposed threat to Notre-Dame or scandal surrounding luxury car purchases by leaders. In France alone, there were 13 such attacks in the past year.
Second, each fictitious story is shared across multiple platforms to ensure maximum distribution. Hundreds of accounts, some of which are paid, help disseminate each tale across the internet. We managed to connect with one such account holder on an encrypted messaging platform. With 700,000 followers, this influencer reportedly earns $100 per post, unwittingly participating in an elaborate plot.
Initially, they gained my trust by asking me to share mundane stuff. Then they asked me to spread sensational but supposedly true news. When I realized the news was false, I deleted the posts and blocked them.
A Winning Strategy in Terms of Reach: This operation has resulted in over 150 million views across all campaigns targeting France.
Want to know more? The last step is the cherry on top: establishing a semblance of credibility through fake media outlets. Enter John Mark Dougan, a former Florida sheriff, who found refuge in Russia and is now part of the pro-Kremlin media circuit. He's been linked to various disinformation efforts across the globe and openly discusses his AI-driven strategies during public talks like the one in January.
I use AI to strengthen certain topics. Using a single server from my home, I can generate 90,000 articles per month. Whether Western journalists accept it or not: with a single server from my home, I can generate 90,000 articles per month.
The Quai d'Orsay Responds: Demanding Sanctions Against the Russian Federation
In light of this threat, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, has openly accused Russia and is stepping up demands for sanctions from the European Union. Based on the Viginium report, the French government will be proposing that individuals involved in this disinformation campaign have their assets frozen and be barred from entering European territory.
Upon this revelation, the Russian Embassy denies any involvement and states they do not interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states. The Russian Federation has more important priorities to deal with, they claim.
Brigitte Macron, however, has remained silent regarding this campaign of deceit targeting her.
What do you think about this shady operation aimed at destabilizing French politics? Let us know in the comments below!
[1] "Disinformation and Cognitive Warfare: The Russian Threat to Democracies," NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence (2023).[2] "The Lakhta Project: Russia's Hybrid Warfare Against Ukraine," Atlantic Council (2024).[3] "CopyCop: Russian Disinformation and Social Media Automation Tools," National Cyber Security Centre (2025).[4] "Storm-1516: The Russian Campaign Targeting France," Viginum (2025).
- The accused individual in the video, supposedly Brigitte Macron's student, has openly acknowledged that the video is a fabrication, stating, "I'm staring at a poor representation of myself."
- The mastermind behind the fake video, going by the name "Storm1516", has been found to have links with Russian agents, according to a government report by Viginum.
- The video, which has been shared widely on social media platforms, features views exceeding 10 million, despite its deceptive nature.
- The disinformation campaign, targeting not just French politics but also other countries, has been revealed to focus on divisive themes like immigration and terrorism.
- The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, has publicly accused Russia of being involved in this disinformation scheme and is advocating for sanctions from the European Union against the Russian Federation.
