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Leaked Kremlin Files Expose Russian False-Flag Attacks and Secret Campaigns Across Europe
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A leaked cache of internal documents and chat logs links a Russian influence network tied to the Kremlin to coordinated sabotage, disinformation, and election interference campaigns across Europe and neighboring regions.
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According to an investigation published by OCCRP and its media partners on May 24, the files describe operations overseen by Russia’s Presidential Administration and allegedly carried out with the involvement of the Moscow-based Social Design Agency (SDA), a PR firm previously sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU over influence activities linked to the Kremlin.
The investigation, conducted together with partners including Le Monde, Delfi Estonia, and Profil, details what participants internally referred to as “cognitive strikes” against Western countries.
The leaked materials include planning documents, internal reports, and screenshots of workplace chats between SDA staff and Russian presidential administration officials.
One of the operations described in the files concerns coordinated attacks on mosques and cultural centers near Paris in September 2025. According to OCCRP, severed pig heads marked with the word “Macron” were placed outside multiple Islamic sites.
Serbian courts later convicted three men connected to the attack, stating they had acted under the direction of “structures of the intelligence service of the Russian Federation.”
The leaked documents reportedly contain internal planning records titled “Report on Operation Pig’s Head,” including photographs of the prepared pig heads before the attack. According to OCCRP, the files state that six operatives traveled to Paris, conducted reconnaissance, carried out the vandalism, and then “successfully left the country.”
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The same leak also references separate operations targeting Jewish sites in France and Germany. According to OCCRP, one internal report connected to a campaign labeled “Green Synagogues” claimed the objective was “to discredit the French authorities, who have been unable to stop the wave of Islamic anti-Semitism in Paris. A blow to Macron’s image, who allowed himself to criticize Israel.”
The investigation states that some plans aimed to disguise Russian involvement entirely. One unreleased operation reportedly proposed vandalizing a monument to former French President Charles de Gaulle while making perpetrators believe they were acting on behalf of Ukraine and the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
According to OCCRP, the files also show efforts to influence political developments in Armenia ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2026. One project document reportedly described plans to use the media outlet erevan.one to shape attitudes among Russian-speaking Armenian voters against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and in favor of closer ties with Moscow.
The documents additionally reference disinformation campaigns involving fabricated stories about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Armenian officials. OCCRP reported that one internal summary tracked the spread of false claims alleging Zelenskyy had purchased luxury property in Dubai.
Several files reviewed by OCCRP also describe broader long-term projects planned for 2026, including AI-driven media systems, databases monitoring thousands of social media “opinion leaders,” and multilingual propaganda websites targeting audiences in France, Germany, and other European countries.
The investigation further identifies Sofia Zakharova, a Russian presidential administration official previously sanctioned by the EU, as one of the coordinators appearing in the leaked communications. According to OCCRP, some messages suggest direct oversight from Sergei Kiriyenko, Russia’s first deputy chief of staff.
One internal message cited by OCCRP stated that “The more Russia participates in active influence campaigns all over the world, the stronger the image of a global Russian power.”
Earlier, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation warned that Russia has long sought to weaken the European Union by supporting eurosceptic politicians and deepening divisions among member states in an effort to expand Moscow’s influence across Europe.
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