Digital Forensic Research Lab

russian troops

Tue, Jan 25, 2022

Russian War Report: A push to recognize Ukrainian regions as independent states

Amid a legislative push to recognize the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states, Russia is spinning narratives of NATO aggression and continuing to mass troops and materiel near Ukraine.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Fri, Jan 21, 2022

Russian War Report: Troops arrive in Belarus as propaganda narratives heat up

The Digital Forensic Research Lab’s global team presents the first installment of the Russian Hybrid Threats Report.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

TikTok footage and geolocation of Russian materiel being transported from the Russian far east through Siberia (left), later arriving in Belarus (right).

Tue, Jan 18, 2022

Russian military equipment spotted in Belarus as tensions heighten with Ukraine

BM-27 220mm multiple rocket launchers spotted on trains in Belarus, some within range of the Ukrainian border.

by Michael J. Sheldon

Belarus Geolocation
Geolocation of military vehicles loading onto trains in Ulan-Ude, near Lake Baikal. The caption in Russian says, “Are we going?”

Fri, Jan 14, 2022

Missile systems and tanks spotted in Russian far east, heading west

Newly geolocated social media footage suggests redeployment began prior to US-Russia negotiations in Geneva.

by Michael J. Sheldon

Geolocation Government
A man holds the Ethiopian national flag in Addis Ababa’s Meskel Square during a pro-government rally to denounce what the organizers say is the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Western countries’ interference in internal affairs of the country, November 7, 2021.

Thu, Jan 13, 2022

Twitter’s Ethiopian interventions may not have worked

Twitter’s decision to deactivate trending topics in Ethiopia did not reduce the volume or toxicity of tweets about the civil war.

by Tessa Knight

Africa Business
Orekhovo border outpost, constructed by Belarus near the Ukrainian border.

Wed, Jan 12, 2022

Belarus strengthening its borders with Ukraine and Lithuania

OSINT reveals new Belarusian outpost near Ukrainian border, joint air patrols with the Russian Air Force near Lithuania.

by Lukas Andriukaitis

Belarus Geolocation
A Chilean man places his vote in the ballot box during the second round of the presidential elections in Maipú, Chile on December 19, 2021.

Wed, Jan 12, 2022

Twitter accounts disproportionately amplified Chilean presidential candidate hashtags

Analysis of hashtags supporting both presidential candidates shows activity highly concentrated among a small percentage of accounts.

by Esteban Ponce de León, Luiza Bandeira

API Botnets
An Indian Army convoy moves along a highway leading to Ladakh, at Gagangeer in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, June 18, 2020.

Thu, Jan 6, 2022

Social media and security dynamics in the ongoing India-China border dispute

False narratives underline dangers posed by disinformation as a means of stoking hostility between nuclear-armed neighbors.

by

China Facebook

Tue, Jan 4, 2022

Experts react to the year since January 6

Domestic extremism experts weigh in on the year since the January 6 attack and their perspectives on continuing threats to US democracy.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Tue, Jan 4, 2022

After the insurrection: How domestic extremists adapted and evolved after the January 6 US Capitol attack

This report by the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) provides an overview and analysis of the shifts observed in domestic extremist movements since the 2021 Capitol attack.

by Jared Holt

Democratic Transitions Elections
Illustration from Russian policy document regarding procedures to bury large numbers of bodies.

Thu, Dec 23, 2021

Russia’s not-so-subtle policy update raises specter of mass burials

Russian policy document describes new procedures for the mass burial of corpses amidst rising tensions with Ukraine and NATO.

by Lukas Andriukaitis

Government Government

Wed, Dec 22, 2021

China’s COVID-19 messaging makes its way to South Africa

China leverages its investment in the South African media space to push Beijing-approved narratives and conspiracies.

by Kenton Thibaut

Africa China