---
title: "Sánchez Blames Russian Social Networks and Israeli Media for Stoking the Migration Crisis in Ceuta"
description: "Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the migration crisis in Ceuta may have been provoked by disinformation from Russian social networks and Israeli media. Moscow and Jerusalem deny the accusations, and the investigation is ongoing."
date: 2026-08-31T19:14:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sanchez-blames-russia-and-israel-for-migration-crisis-in-ceuta
tags: [ceuta-migration-crisis, spain, russia, israel, disinformation, pedro-sanchez]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Sánchez Blames Russian Social Networks and Israeli Media for Stoking the Migration Crisis in Ceuta

![Migrants walking among tires and inflatable rafts on the shore of Ceuta during the migration crisis that Pedro Sanchez blamed on Russian social networks](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/31/sanchez-obvinil-rossiyu-i-izrail-v-migracionnom-krise-v-seute/sanchez-obvinil-rossiyu-i-izrail-v-migracionnom-krise-v-seute-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- In an interview with Cadena SER, Sánchez linked the influx of migrants into Ceuta to disinformation from Russian social networks, Israeli media, and an ultraright organization.
- According to him, the fakes were built on a distortion of the Spanish Supreme Court ruling of July 8 regarding the alleged impossibility of deportation.
- Israel (Saar) and Russia (Peskov) deny involvement; the investigation in Spain is ongoing.

At the end of July, the Spanish enclave of Ceuta faced an unprecedented migration surge: around 60,000 people broke into the city within a single day, accounting for nearly two-thirds of its usual population. Against this backdrop, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated in an interview with the Cadena SER radio station that the mass influx of migrants may have been provoked by deliberate disinformation spread on social networks linked to Russia, with the involvement of Israeli media and an ultraright international organization. According to him, the government continues to investigate the causes of the crisis and cannot yet definitively name a specific state as the organizer.

### Disinformation Around the Supreme Court Ruling

As Sánchez explained, the fake campaign was built on a distortion of the Spanish Supreme Court ruling of July 8. In social networks, he claimed, false information was spread claiming that migrants who managed to reach Ceuta could not be deported. According to the Madrid government's assessment, this narrative became one of the triggers that pushed tens of thousands of people to attempt to cross the border. The Prime Minister emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that "the government must act based on reliable facts."

### Reaction from Moscow and Jerusalem

The accusations directed at the two countries were quickly refuted. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected Sánchez's statements and, moreover, accused the Spanish Prime Minister of lying. In the Kremlin, the position was formulated more briefly: Russian President's official spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is allegedly not involved in the migration crisis in Ceuta. Thus, neither of the accused parties confirmed its connection to the information campaign.

### Contradictory Data

Here the versions of the parties directly diverge. On the one hand, Pedro Sánchez publicly points to Russian social networks, Israeli media, and an ultraright international organization as channels for spreading disinformation that led to the influx. On the other hand, both Israel and Russia categorically deny their involvement: Saar calls the accusations lies, while Peskov declares Moscow's non-involvement. Meanwhile, Sánchez himself hedges, saying that the government "does not have a full picture of what happened" and that the investigation is not complete, so a final attribution of responsibility has not yet been made. It is important for the reader that, at the time of publication, none of the parties presented public evidence, and the version of a "Russian-Israeli trace" remains a statement by the Spanish Prime Minister, not an established fact.

### Progress of the Investigation and Current Situation

In addition to the statement itself, related incidents were recorded in August. It was reported that on August 19, around 60 migrants reached mainland Spain in the province of Murcia. In Ceuta itself, hundreds of migrants staged a protest on the city beach, demanding asylum in Spain. According to Sánchez, the Madrid government continues to look into the causes of the crisis, relying on verifiable data rather than political speculation.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Spain Blames Russia for the Migration Crisis in Ceuta](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ispaniya-zvinuvatila-rosiyu-migratsiyniy-1788203219.html) - Базовый источник: заявление Санчеса в Cadena SER, фейки вокруг решения ВС от 8 июля, опровержения Саара и Пескова, контекст 60 тыс. мигрантов и протестов на пляже.
- [Pedro Sánchez Stated That Russia and Israel Spread Disinformation Leading to ...](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20260831-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE-%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BB-%D1%87%D1%82%D0%BE-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B8-%D0%B8%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C-%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8E-%D0%BE-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC-%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B5-%D0%B2-%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B5) - Подтверждает суть заявления Санчеса о роли российских и израильских каналов дезинформации в кризисе в Сеуте.
- [Sánchez Finds Russian and Israeli Trace in the Information Campaign Around Ceuta](https://vesti.az/v-mire/sances-nasel-rossiiskii-i-izrailskii-sled-v-informacionnoi-kampanii-vokrug-seuty-612673) - Совпадает с версией о «российском и израильском следе» в информационной кампании.
- [Sánchez Blames Russia and Israel for the Situation in Ceuta](https://svpressa.ru/politic/news/529890/) - Дублирует факт обвинений Санчеса в адрес России и Израиля.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Pedro Sánchez say about the causes of the crisis in Ceuta?
**A:** He stated that the mass influx of migrants may have been provoked by disinformation spread on social networks linked to Russia, as well as with the involvement of Israeli media and an ultraright international organization. He emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and a specific state has not yet been named.

### Q: According to the Prime Minister, what was the disinformation based on?
**A:** According to Sánchez, the fakes were built on a distortion of the Spanish Supreme Court ruling of July 8: false information was spread claiming that migrants who reached Ceuta could not be deported.

### Q: How did Russia and Israel react?
**A:** Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denied the accusations and accused Sánchez of lying. Russian President's official spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is allegedly not involved in the migration crisis in Ceuta.

### Q: Has the involvement of Russia and Israel in the crisis been confirmed?
**A:** No. At the time of publication, this is a statement by the Spanish Prime Minister, not an established fact. Sánchez himself noted that the government does not have a full picture of what happened and the investigation is ongoing, while both accused parties deny involvement.