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Defense & Security · North America

Researchers tie fabricated election videos to Russian-backed network

Social media researchers linked fabricated videos targeting U.S. midterm candidates to a Russian state-backed network called Matryoshka, also known as Operation Overload. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the clips included false claims about candidates James Talarico and Jon Ossoff, and that Talarico’s spokesperson denied one allegation.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 2 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 2 outlets · 1 article captured only in partHow it's made

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What happened

Key facts

  • Social media researchers attributed posts on X to a Russian state-backed operation called Matryoshka, also known as Operation Overload (per The Sydney Morning Herald).
  • The network’s material included fabricated videos of Robert De Niro, Julia Roberts and Cher criticizing Democrats (per The Sydney Morning Herald).
  • UA.NEWS reported that researchers uncovered inflated views of fake material about U.S. Democrats (per ua.news, The Sydney Morning Herald).

The brief

Social media researchers linked fabricated videos aimed at U.S. midterm candidates to a Russian state-backed operation called Matryoshka, also known as Operation Overload, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The material appeared on X and included false political claims presented in videos bearing the branding of established news organizations.

UA.NEWS also reported that researchers uncovered inflated views of fake material about Democrats. The clips included videos depicting Robert De Niro, Julia Roberts and Cher criticizing Democrats. Some promoted the hashtag #AllDemocratsAreCriminals.

The Sydney Morning Herald said Bloomberg News reviewed 130 videos and doctored newspaper front pages targeting the midterms that the network published from September 10 to October 9. Most of the material in that review had been flagged by Antibot4Navalny, which the Sydney Morning Herald described as a disinformation research group.

The report did not give a total audience figure for all the reviewed items; its account described the videos as drawing tens or hundreds of thousands of views. and alleged that James Talarico paid OnlyFans models. Talarico’s spokesperson denied the allegation. Another video, bearing a , claimed Jon Ossoff had eight undeclared properties.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that there is no evidence the IRS discovered those properties. The reviewed material also included a clip dated September 11 that pretended to be from CNN. It claimed Ossoff had called for stopping all military assistance to Israel and redirecting the resources to Ukraine.

The Sydney Morning Herald did not report a response from Ossoff to that claim. The outlet also placed the campaign in the context of past efforts to influence U.S. elections, citing U.S. intelligence assessments that Russia had used social media for that purpose since 2016.

It said Bloomberg’s review found the network’s material addressed candidates across numerous races, rather than focusing only on presidential contests. The report said that included 29 of 36 candidates for governor and 20 of 35 Senate candidates.

The Sydney Morning Herald further reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 12 that Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centres had reduced bot activity on social media. It described a story about that claim as having spread widely online, connecting the discussion of bot activity to the broader circulation of claims about election-related content.

Why it matters

  • Fabricated claims targeted named U.S. candidates James Talarico and Jon Ossoff; the reported mechanism included videos impersonating ABC News and CBS News.
  • The review covered 130 videos and doctored newspaper front pages, with most of the material flagged by Antibot4Navalny.
  • The reported material extended across governor and Senate races: 29 of 36 gubernatorial candidates and 20 of 35 Senate candidates were included in Bloomberg’s review.

What to watch next

  • Whether James Talarico or his spokesperson makes any further public statement about the allegation; the spokesperson has denied it.
  • Whether Jon Ossoff responds to the video claim about undeclared properties or the clip attributed to him about military aid.
  • Whether researchers or platforms provide further information about the network’s videos, doctored newspaper pages, or their reported view counts.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
2 source articles · 2 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Too few rated· 2 Center
Where the outlets are based: Europe 50% · Asia 50%
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Where the outlets covering this story are based.
2 unique outletsDominant coverage: Europe
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How we measure coverage

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Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The Internet Research Agency used fake identities and divisive political content on social media during the U.S. election, according to a later Senate report.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities, including the Internet Research Agency, alleging an election-interference conspiracy.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. Executive Order 13848, signed by President Donald Trump on September 12, 2018, established sanctions authorities for foreign interference in U.S. elections.
    Background · from our historical context
  4. James Talarico was elected to the Texas House of Representatives.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act, signed on November 16, 2018, created CISA within the Department of Homeland Security.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. Jon Ossoff was sworn in as a U.S. senator for Georgia.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  7. Researchers later reported that Matryoshka, also known as Operation Overload, had begun activity using false claims and impersonation.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  8. A separate operation known as Matryoshka, or Operation Overload, was documented by researchers in 2024.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

The closest earlier precedent for Russian-linked influence campaigns aimed at U.S. voters came during the 2024 presidential election. On September 4, 2024, the U.S. Justice Department announced domain seizures and criminal charges involving Doppelganger, a separate Russian influence operation; the Treasury Department also sanctioned Russian media figures and entities.

A separate operation known as Matryoshka, or Operation Overload, was documented by researchers in 2024. Their reports described activity dating to 2023 that used false claims and impersonation to draw journalists and fact-checkers into circulating or responding to misleading material.

Original sources

2 articles from 2 outlets

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