In February 2025, German security agencies detected a deliberate pro-Russian disinformation effort targeted at the Bundestag 2025 election's postal voting process. In Hamburg and Leipzig, fake videos circulated on social media purporting to show manipulated postal votes and destruction of ballots marked for the AfD party. The videos were quickly identified as fakes due to inconsistencies with official voting documents, including unusual envelope colors and markings. The disinformation campaign is attributed to the online pro-Russian group 'Storm-1516,' previously linked to influence operations in the US and Germany. Hamburg election officials condemned the videos as a perfidious attempt to undermine democratic trust, triggering ongoing investigations by the police state protection services. Officials urged the public to rely on official sources and remain vigilant against fake electoral content.

In February 2025, German security agencies detected a deliberate pro-Russian disinformation effort targeted at the Bundestag 2025 election's postal voting process. In Hamburg and Leipzig, fake videos circulated on social media purporting to show manipulated postal votes and destruction of ballots marked for the AfD party. The videos were quickly identified as fakes due to inconsistencies with official voting documents, including unusual envelope colors and markings. The disinformation campaign is attributed to the online pro-Russian group 'Storm-1516,' previously linked to influence operations in the US and Germany. Hamburg election officials condemned the videos as a perfidious attempt to undermine democratic trust, triggering ongoing investigations by the police state protection services. Officials urged the public to rely on official sources and remain vigilant against fake electoral content.