On 6 August 2026, a false story was disseminated on social media platform X claiming that a Ukrainian drone was shot down near Ämari Air Base in Estonia, and its debris damaged two Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter jets, allegedly causing approximately €120 million in damages. The disinformation included a link purportedly to The Defense Post, an international defense news outlet, but actually directed users to a cloned fake website using the .eu domain. The fake site copied genuine articles up to 10 August 2026 but inserted fabricated text and AI-manipulated video content showing burning aircraft wreckage at Ämari Air Base, edited into official Estonian Defence Forces footage. The domain for the cloned website was registered only three days before the disinformation campaign began. Analysis of source code shows the fake site's poor craftsmanship, retaining original article's author details, Google Analytics ID, and source code referencing the legitimate domain far more than the fake domain. Social media posts spreading the false story were primarily in Portuguese and originated from accounts linked to Portugal, with some posts also in Japanese, Spanish, and English. Early disseminators showed pro-Russian sympathies, sharing content supporting Aleksandr Dugin, Kremlin, and anti-Ukraine narratives. The campaign appears aimed at undermining NATO's image, reducing support for Ukraine, and exploiting Portuguese domestic politics. The campaign achieved several hundred shares on X within days and under half a million views. Propastop is continuing to analyze the campaign.

On 6 August 2026, a false story was disseminated on social media platform X claiming that a Ukrainian drone was shot down near Ämari Air Base in Estonia, and its debris damaged two Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter jets, allegedly causing approximately €120 million in damages. The disinformation included a link purportedly to The Defense Post, an international defense news outlet, but actually directed users to a cloned fake website using the .eu domain. The fake site copied genuine articles up to 10 August 2026 but inserted fabricated text and AI-manipulated video content showing burning aircraft wreckage at Ämari Air Base, edited into official Estonian Defence Forces footage. The domain for the cloned website was registered only three days before the disinformation campaign began. Analysis of source code shows the fake site's poor craftsmanship, retaining original article's author details, Google Analytics ID, and source code referencing the legitimate domain far more than the fake domain. Social media posts spreading the false story were primarily in Portuguese and originated from accounts linked to Portugal, with some posts also in Japanese, Spanish, and English. Early disseminators showed pro-Russian sympathies, sharing content supporting Aleksandr Dugin, Kremlin, and anti-Ukraine narratives. The campaign appears aimed at undermining NATO's image, reducing support for Ukraine, and exploiting Portuguese domestic politics. The campaign achieved several hundred shares on X within days and under half a million views. Propastop is continuing to analyze the campaign.