The European External Action Service has published its fourth annual report on the threat of foreign information manipulation and interference.
The main actors of hybrid activity were identified as Russia, responsible for 29% of recorded incidents, and China, with a 6% share. In 65% of cases, the exact source of the attack could not be established, although available indicators suggest possible coordination with Russian or Chinese entities.
In 2025, 540 incidents of AI-enabled interference were recorded—three times more than the previous year, when 180 were documented.
Ukraine remains the primary target of information aggression, with 112 targeted incidents recorded. Dominant narratives focused on claims of the “futility” of EU support for Kyiv, portraying Ukraine as an aggressor, and discrediting its military and political leadership. Over 100 political leaders and around 200 organizations, including NATO, media outlets, and academic institutions, were targeted. By incident count, France led with 107, Moldova had 94, and Germany 71. Separate attempts to destabilize transport and logistics infrastructure in the Baltic states were also recorded.
The overall trend indicates a systematic intensification of information pressure on EU countries, shifting from large-scale campaigns to prolonged, low-intensity influence aimed at gradually eroding public trust in EU institutions.
