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Fact check: How Russia tries to influence US midterm elections

07:39

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November 2, 2026

Fake videos show Hollywood celebrities denouncing the Democratic Party in the United States. Researchers say the clips are part of the Russian-linked Matryoshka disinformation campaign. Here's how that operation works.

Ahead of the US midterm elections, a wave of fake videos is circulating online in which well known Hollywood actors or public figures seem to turn on the Democratic Party. None of them are real. Researchers trace the clips to Matryoshka, a Russian-linked disinformation campaign. DW Fact check breaks down how the Matryoshka campaign works, who's likely behind it and what its aims are.

Silja Thoms Senior Editor and Reporter
Edited by:Uta Steinwehr, Sarah Steffen, Josh Axelrod
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