Impersonating Euronews: Pro-Kremlin disinformation network takes aim at Hungary's elections

Published on 24/03/2026 - 18:58 GMT+1

A fake Euronews-style nonfiction and website claiming that Hungary's absorption person Péter Magyar insulted Donald Trump is circulating online arsenic portion of a wider run researchers person linked to Storm-1516, a Russian disinformation operation.

The article, which utilises a existent byline and appeared connected a fake Euronews website that has since been taken down, claims that Magyar delivered a blistering critique of Trump astatine a run rally.

Among different mendacious claims, the nonfiction says Magyar called Trump a "senile grandpa" and promised to undo "key agreements" made with the US, should Magyar triumph parliamentary elections successful Hungary scheduled connected 12 April.

The article's contents are fabricated and the website it appeared connected person nary transportation to Euronews.

A video study that repeats the assertion utilizing Euronews' branding is besides circulating connected societal media. The Cube, Euronews' fact-checking team, recovered examples of this clip circulating since Monday evening, immoderate with thousands of views.

The videos were posted by accounts with akin captions successful speedy succession, implying they are portion of a coordinated campaign. The accounts that posted the clip were mostly anonymised, with X's determination instrumentality showing they are based successful the US and Africa.

Researchers astatine Antibot for Navalny, a corporate that tracks Russian bot networks online, told The Cube that the station was portion of Storm-1516, a prolific Russian disinformation run that spreads claims online that further the interests of the Russian government.

The radical are typically progressive during predetermination campaigns, having dispersed mendacious claims astir Democratic Party candidates successful the 2024 US statesmanlike predetermination and during Germany's February 2025 elections.

In December, Germany's Foreign Minister summoned the country's Russian ambassador implicit allegations of repeated Russian hybrid attempts successful Germany including allegations that Storm 1516 actively dispersed disinformation during the country's wide elections.

At the time, the run focused connected Chancellor campaigner for the Greens, Robert Habeck, and existent German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Hungary's upcoming parliamentary elections volition spot Magyar's Tisza Party pitted against existent Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Magyar has accused Hungary's concealed work of targeting his party's run systems conscionable weeks earlier the predetermination day successful a hostile predetermination run successful which polls suggest his enactment is ahead.

Orbán, meanwhile, has go embroiled successful ungraded successful Brussels aft a Washington Post probe revealed Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó regularly leaked delicate information from high-level European Union meetings to Moscow.

Orbán has maintained adjacent ties to the Kremlin contempt the absorption of different European leaders and has utilised Hungary's veto powerfulness to artifact cardinal decisions connected European assistance to Ukraine.