A Russian-linked disinformation campaign has been targeting the U.S. midterm elections by using manipulated videos of celebrities to criticize the Democratic Party. According to researchers, the campaign is attributed to a group known as Matriochka, which has been active in Europe for years and is believed to be connected to the Kremlin. The videos, shared on social media, include hashtags like #DémocratesDélinquants and feature the logo of CNN, which has criticized the unauthorized use of its brand. The manipulated videos show celebrities such as Alyson Hannigan, Emma Caulfield, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Ed Begley Jr. making statements critical of Democrats. These videos are created using existing content from the internet or from the Cameo platform, where celebrities send self-recorded messages to fans. For example, one video featuring Alyson Hannigan falsely claims that "there is today no American child who is not threatened by the Democrats," while another showing Emma Caulfield states that Democrats "drink our blood." Sarah Jessica Parker’s video falsely describes both Volodymyr Zelensky and Democrats as "Nazis," and Ed Begley Jr. is shown saying Democrats are "perverts," which he denies. The celebrities involved have expressed concern over the misuse of their images. Emma Caulfield told AFP that she felt "tainted" by the images and called the manipulated version of herself "an emotionless idiot." Ed Begley Jr. said he was "not aware at all" of the video and "completely disagrees" with its content. Eric Roberts, another actor targeted in the videos, said he is "deeply troubled" by the statements attributed to him. Experts note that the Matriochka group has been linked to previous disinformation campaigns in Europe, including those targeting French presidential candidate Gabriel Attal. Darren Linvill, an expert on disinformation at Clemson University, described the recent videos as "the first salvo" of Russian disinformation in the U.S. midterm elections. He noted that Russia has targeted every election since 2016 using social media campaigns. While platforms like X, TikTok, and Bluesky have removed some of the manipulated content, experts say the campaign is ongoing. Antibot4Navalny, a collective that tracks Russian influence operations, reported that other videos are targeting Democratic candidates such as Jon Ossoff in Georgia and James Talarico in Texas. The group also noted that Matriochka has attempted to discredit a journalist from the MS NOW channel who reported on the disinformation campaign.