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World
Heat waves in Europe: how foreign disinformation exploits climate crises
Herz — World Desk · · 30s summary · 3 min read
The essentials
In mid-July 2026, as France experienced its third heat wave of the year, pro-Russian accounts were spreading baseless theories about climate control. A report published in May 2026 identifies Russia and the United States as the primary foreign actors spreading climate disinformation targeting Europe. Their main targets are European energy policies, particularly the European Green Deal. As fossil fuel exporters, both countries would have an economic interest in slowing the EU's decarbonization efforts.
- France: third heat wave in 2026, exploited by disinformation campaigns
- Pro-Russian accounts spread baseless climate control theory via HAARP
- Russia and the US identified as primary actors in climate disinformation
- The European Green Deal is the main target of foreign interference according to report
- Valencia floods (2024) and Maui fires (2023): crises exploited for disinformation
What we know
In mid-July 2026, France experienced its third heat wave of the year. In this context, the pro-Russian account @camille_moscow on X shared a conspiracy theory claiming that HAARP — an American scientific project studying the ionosphere, the layer of the atmosphere between 80 and 640 km altitude — could influence heat waves in Europe, according to France 24.
This claim has no scientific basis. HAARP is a research project; it has no capacity to manipulate global climate.
A report identifies foreign actors
In May 2026, Mathilde Jourde, researcher leading the Climate, Environment and Security program at IRIS, co-authored the report 'Climate Disinformation and Information Warfare: State Interference and Security Issues'.
The report identifies Russia and the United States as the two primary actors targeting Europe with climate disinformation, notably because available data covers these two countries.
As fossil fuel exporters, both countries would have an economic interest in reducing the EU's decarbonization ambitions.
For Russia, climate disinformation also fits into a strategic objective related to tensions with Europe in the context of the Ukraine war, according to Mathilde Jourde.
The European Green Deal, primary target
European climate and energy policies are the primary targets of these interferences. Chief among them is the European Green Deal — a set of political initiatives proposed by the European Commission to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050, launched in late 2019.
Climate disasters exploited as operational grounds
In 2024, during floods in the Valencia region of Spain — which caused over 200 deaths — Russian sources spread false emergency numbers and false information about the death toll, aiming to sow distrust of authorities.
In 2023, during the Maui (Hawaii) fires, a Russian disinformation campaign claimed that the US government prioritized aid to Ukraine over assistance to affected local populations.
For Mathilde Jourde, extreme climate events are a 'precious goldmine' for information warfare: they require minimal effort, play on fears, and trigger rapid escalation.
What remains uncertain
No verified definition of IRIS, the institution to which Mathilde Jourde is attached, was available in the sources consulted for this article.
What is HAARP and why is it associated with conspiracy theories?
HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) is an American scientific project studying the ionosphere, the layer of the atmosphere between 80 and 640 km altitude. Baseless theories accuse it of manipulating global climate, but science does not support this.
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