Stolen voices: Russia-aligned operation manipulates audio and images to impersonate experts

The Russia-aligned influence campaign Operation Overload, also referred to as Matryoshka and Storm-1679, is known for impersonating media outlets, academics and law enforcement. It aims to shift public opinion on the war in Ukraine and sow division in democratic countries. The operation’s posts often tag several media or research organisations, likely to divert their attention from other investigations. It operates across multiple platforms, including X, Telegram, and Bluesky.  

This ISD Dispatch provides an overview of Operation Overload’s activities during the first quarter of 2025, focusing on its latest narratives and targets. ISD reviewed a sample of activity attributed to Operation Overload between January and March 2025. We found that across 135 pieces of content, the operation impersonated more than 80 different organisations. In most cases, it did so by misusing their logos or manipulating the voices of affiliated individuals. Operation Overload’s wide-scale impersonation campaign is ongoing and is capable of producing viral content, damaging the reputations of trusted organisations, and distracting those tagged in its posts.  

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