Disinformation

A man stands next to a building damaged by shelling during border clashes with Azerbaijan in the town of Jermuk, Armenia, September 15, 2022.

Mon, Nov 7, 2022

How the September 2022 Azerbaijan-Armenia clashes played out online

Inorganic Twitter activity, graphic Telegram footage of war crimes, and TikTok bans all surfaced in wake of recent clashes.

by Givi Gigitashvili, Esteban Ponce de León

Armenia Azerbaijan
Protesters hold up signs as they take part in the 'Crisis Strike', a demonstration against the passivity of the Polish government in the face of the challenges related to the war in neighbouring Ukraine, the energy crisis and the climate crisis in Warsaw, Poland on 28 October, 2022. Several hundred people including members of the Agro Unia farmer's union and Greenpeace marched throuhg the city center. (Photo by Jaap Arriens / Sipa USA)No Use Germany.

Fri, Nov 4, 2022

Russian War Report: Kremlin-controlled outlet rehashes narrative that Poland plans to annex western Ukraine 

Once again, Kremlin media alleged that Poland was preparing to annex western Ukraine. In April, the site responsible for the reporting was blocked in Poland.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Disinformation Facebook
Facebook pages and groups involved in the scheme would post inspiring stories, like the celebration of a Ukrainian soldier’s birthday (left), and replace it with clickbait news coverage (right) once the original post garnered a critical mass of engagement.

Wed, Nov 2, 2022

Facebook pages used bait-and-switch to exploit sympathies for Ukraine war

DFRLab found emotionally charged Facebook posts about the Ukraine war were later edited to promote clickbait articles.

by Roman Osadchuk

Armenia Caucasus
A man walks by graffiti of the letter Z in St. Petersburg, March 4, 2022. The pro-war symbol is prominently featured on two of the ten most popular political Telegram channels in Russia.

Fri, Oct 21, 2022

What Russia reads on Telegram

Nine out of the top ten political Telegram channels in Russia spread Kremlin pro-war propaganda

by Eto Buziashvili

Disinformation Electorate
A family says farewell to their friends and families before departing for the UK at Hong Kong International Airport, July 18, 2021.

Thu, Oct 20, 2022

Chinese state media, content farms spread anti-UK narratives to halt Hong Kong emigration

Narratives amplified UK’s COVID challenges and presented its Hong Kong visa program as a scam.

by Kenton Thibaut

Asia Pacific China
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy speaks at a conference via a hologram. A behind-the-scenes video documenting the recording of the hologram was used in false narratives claiming the president had fled the country.

Fri, Oct 14, 2022

Pro-Kremlin influencers reignite Zelenskyy “green screen” theory

Narrative recycles old footage of the Ukrainian president recording a hologram to allege he fled the country

by Roman Osadchuk

Conflict Disinformation
Ukrainian first responders attempt to quash a fire ignited by a Russian missile attack in Zaporizhzhia, October, 11, 2022. (Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine via Reuters Connect

Fri, Oct 14, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia escalates war by targeting cities across Ukraine

Russia escalated its war against Ukraine this week with missile attacks and airstrikes on cities across the country, including the first serious attack in the capital Kyiv in months.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus Civil Society
Footage shows the aftermath of the morning shelling in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Thursday Oct 6, 2022. 7 missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia! Destroyed residential buildings, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Rescue workers are now combing through the shattered remains of one elegant five-storey apartment building. Zaporizhzhia regional head Oleksandr Starukh said one woman was killed. Another seven people, including a three-year-old child, were injured. The Ukrainian-held city is the capital of the eponymous Zaporizhzhia region, which Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week declared annexed, along with three other Ukrainian regions - Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Kherson in the south. Ukraine and its Western allies condemned the move. Moscow does not fully control any of the four regions, and in recent weeks Ukrainian troops have made significant advances in the the country's north-east and south. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine via EYEPRESS)

Fri, Oct 7, 2022

Russian War Report: Ukraine recaptures territory as Russia uses Iranian drone near Kyiv

Russia has began its use of Iranian-made drones to try and slow the Ukrainian counter-offensive, a mass grave found near Lyman, and Russian Telegram praises the “pro-Russia” coup in Burkina Faso.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Africa Conflict
Ceremony to declare Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian territories held in Moscow

Fri, Sep 30, 2022

Russian War Report: Putin illegally annexes Ukrainian territory

On September 30, Russian President Putin officially annexed four Ukrainian oblasts, incorporating them into Russia. The announcement was met with swift global condemnation.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Conflict Disinformation
Screenshots show a post and advertisement from the Facebook page Winsome wc5, calling for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to be implemented.

Tue, Sep 27, 2022

Russia-based Facebook operation targeted Europe with anti-Ukraine messaging

A network of inauthentic assets uncovered by the DFRLab promoted Kremlin narratives in Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, Latvia and the UK.

by Alyssa Kann, Daniel Suárez Pérez, Private: Mattia Caniglia, Private: Jean le Roux, Sopo Gelava, Roman Osadchuk, Nika Aleksejeva

Advertising Baltics
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi waves while leaving the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, August 3, 2022.

Tue, Sep 13, 2022

How Chinese social media reacted to Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit

Interest in Pelosi visit skyrocketed on Weibo before news fatigue set in.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

China Disinformation

Fri, Sep 9, 2022

Russia-aligned hacktivists stir up anti-Ukrainian sentiments in Poland

Russian Telegram channels possibly linked to Ghostwriter amplified forged letters published by hacktivist assets.

by Givi Gigitashvili

Disinformation Europe & Eurasia
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