Russia is using AI to produce election disinformation at industrial scale, with a single influence operation nearly doubling its output in early 2026 as the US midterms approach.
Storm-1516 is a Russian influence operation first identified in December 2023 by researchers at Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub and subsequently named by Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center. A Bloomberg investigation identified more than 190 fabricated stories the group produced since August 2023, collectively accumulating hundreds of millions of views on social media. In the first quarter of 2026, output more than doubled compared to the same period the previous year, reaching nearly one item per day in late March and early April, according to Meduza.
The operation grew out of the Internet Research Agency, the Kremlin-linked troll farm that was dissolved after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed rebellion in 2023. Microsoft researchers assess that Storm-1516 is directed by the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, a Russian anti-liberal think tank, and amplified by the Foundation to Battle Injustice, a Prigozhin-linked organisation that presents itself as a human rights body and has been sanctioned by the EU. Philosopher and propagandist Alexander Dugin is also believed to have coordinated the spread of its fabricated narratives.
Artificial intelligence has transformed how the operation functions. Bloomberg investigative reporter Stephanie Baker, who covered Storm-1516 for the outlet’s Big Take podcast, said the goal is not to convince audiences of things they would outright reject. “They are trying to reinforce ideas and views that they know a US or European audience would find very receptive,” she said. AI has dramatically accelerated content production and reduced its cost, allowing the operation to run at a pace and volume that would have been impossible through traditional methods.
Storm-1516 videos follow a consistent template: fabricated documents, AI-processed audio and video, and false statements from purported witnesses, all packaged to resemble legitimate news reporting. The content spreads primarily through X, with the most prolific single account, Johnny Midnight, having published nearly 60 Storm-1516 items to an audience of over 630,000 followers. The operation also builds counterfeit websites mimicking real news outlets to launder fabricated stories into mainstream circulation.
More than 40% of the operation’s output targets Ukraine, typically attacking President Zelenskyy personally. A further third targets elections in other countries. Ahead of Hungary’s April 2026 vote, a Storm-1516 video formatted to mimic a Euronews broadcast falsely claimed opposition leader Peter Magyar had insulted Donald Trump. It received 2.7 million views before being debunked. Magyar won in a landslide. In Moldova, 14 fabricated stories targeted President Maia Sandu, one of which received 2.3 million views and remains on X without a warning label.
With the 2026 US midterms approaching, researchers warn the conditions are more favourable for Storm-1516 than ever. The voluntary industry guardrails that limited AI disinformation during the 2024 election cycle have largely collapsed, social media platforms have scaled back content moderation, and the operation is producing content faster than at any point in its history.
