00:00How a Russian Disinformation Unit Targeted Hungary's Election
00:08A wave of false claims targeting Hungary's incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar
00:13spread online in the run-up to the country's election.
00:16Researchers say they were part of a Russian disinformation campaign,
00:20such as this post circulating on X,
00:22which falsely claimed that Magyar planned to reintroduce mandatory military conscription.
00:27It alleges he wanted to force thousands of young men to join the army,
00:31but there's no evidence to support these claims.
00:34In fact, Magyar's teaser party manifesto explicitly ruled out bringing back conscription,
00:39both after the election and at any point in the future.
00:43It also ruled out sending Hungarian troops to Ukraine while supporting increased military spending.
00:48Researchers linked this false claim to a Russian disinformation network called Storm 1516.
00:54This group has long been identified as interfering in electoral campaigns,
00:58including in the US and Europe.
01:01In Hungary, they used familiar tactics, including fake videos impersonating news outlets,
01:06false websites and coordinated social media posts.
01:09In one case, a fake Euronews report falsely claimed Magyar had insulted Donald Trump.
01:15Some of these claims were promoted through paid Facebook advertising.
01:18Two Facebook ads repeating the fake conscription claim reached more than 20,000 users in Hungary,
01:24the majority over the age of 50.
01:27They were posted by a page posing as a beauty salon,
01:30with no evidence that this company existed.
01:32Despite many of these claims targeting him,
01:35Magyar went on to win this weekend's election.
01:37But researchers warned that operations like Storm 1516
01:41are not just designed to influence election outcomes,
01:44but to undermine trust and sow confusion.
01:46Magyar went on to win this weekend's political Absolutely.
01:52Screarios ahead and
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