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Spain·Europe·Migration·Disinformation

Russian-linked accounts spread far-right narratives during Ceuta migration crisis

Saturday, 8 August 2026, 06:31 · 1 min read

Social media accounts linked to Russian military intelligence amplified far-right and Islamophobic narratives during a mass migration crisis in Ceuta (a small Spanish enclave on the northern tip of Morocco), reaching over 720,000 views in just six hours on 1 August, according to counter-disinformation group 411. The campaign originated in part from Rybar, a Telegram channel tied to Russian intelligence, whose posts were then rapidly broadcast across a network of amplifier accounts in seven languages, framing the crossing of an estimated 72,000 migrants as a coordinated "assault" and calling for nationalist groups to "patrol" the territory. Researchers warn the speed and scale of the operation — markedly faster than a similar 2021 incident — points to an established disinformation infrastructure capable of exploiting future border crises across Europe.

Sources
The GuardianRussia-linked accounts spread far-right narrative online during Ceuta migration crisis, analysis finds ↗︎
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