Russian Propaganda Thrives in Greek Media Via…

In August 2026, Greek media outlets disseminated a fabricated report claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s parents were under investigation for corruption involving $11 million. This false narrative, which was debunked by the fact-checking organization Ellinika Hoaxes, highlights the ongoing threat of coordinated disinformation campaigns targeting high-profile political figures.

What happened

The disinformation campaign, identified by researchers as Operation Overload or Matryoshka, utilized a process of "disinformation laundering" to move false content from fringe pro-Russian sites into mainstream Greek media. The effort specifically targeted President Zelenskyy with claims regarding his family's finances. To add a veneer of credibility, the network produced a video that appeared to originate from the French pan-European news network Euronews. The video featured a doctored logo—using a white background with blue letters instead of the authentic blue background with white letters—to deceive viewers.

This fabricated content was picked up by Newsbomb, a major Greek-language news site, demonstrating how fringe claims can successfully infiltrate mainstream platforms. Matryoshka, the network responsible for the operation, systematically creates and distributes fake news, memes, and deepfakes while misappropriating the branding of established Western media outlets to manipulate public perception.