Central Europe

Ukrainian soldier with his weapon in a wooden cottage near the Donbas frontlines, Donetsk. (Source: Celestino Arce/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect)

Fri, Dec 16, 2022

Russian War Report: Fierce fighting in Donetsk despite the onset of winter

While many had hoped Winter would slow the fighting in Ukraine, the conflict has continued and, in some cases including in Donetsk, intensified.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Original photo of the Polish PM, which was digitally altered and amplified on Telegram. (Source: @PremierRP/archive)

Fri, Dec 2, 2022

Russian War Report: Russian Telegram channel spreads digitally modified photo of Poland’s prime minister

Russian Telegram channels disseminated a manipulated photo showing Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a monument during his visit to Ukraine.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Anti-LGBTQ counter-protesters stomp on a rainbow flag during a protest by gay rights activists in central Moscow, June 11, 2013. (Source: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)

Fri, Nov 18, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia defends ‘traditional values,’ criminalizes LGBTQ ‘propaganda’

After two Polish citizens were killed by a missile, Poland and NATO both say the hit was not a Russian attack.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Central Europe Civil Society
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

Mon, Oct 31, 2022

Russian War Report: Heavy fighting expected in Kherson as Prigozhin aims to boost Wagner operations

Heavy fighting expected in Kherson, while disinformation on Facebook continues. The Polish Senate also declares Russia a terrorist regime.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Central Europe Europe & Eurasia

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
Ukrainian soldiers on patrol, August 29, 2022. (Source: Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect)

Fri, Sep 2, 2022

Russian War Report: Ukraine counterattacks in Kherson as Russia prepares new deployments

Ukrainian forces targeted Russian military command-and-control elements in northwestern Kherson, while Russian forces attempted a limited ground assault in the same area.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Polish MP Grzegorz Braun, second from the left, at the launch of a political initiative in Rzeszow, Poland, July 25, 2022. Braun’s Twitter account was among a handful of authentic accounts that sought to amplify the #StopUkrainizacjiPolski hashtag, which reached Poland’s Trending list largely through inauthentic amplification. (Source: Reuters, Artur Widak/NurPhoto)

Tue, Aug 30, 2022

Twitter campaign pushes anti-Ukraine hashtag into Poland’s trending list

Largely inauthentic campaign pushed #StopUkrainizacjiPolski to the top of Poland’s trending list over the course of four days.

by Givi Gigitashvili

Brigading Conflict

Fri, Jul 22, 2022

Russia War Report: Russia accuses Ukraine of creating ‘monster’ troops in biolabs

Russian officials are spreading the newest iteration of the conspiracy that suggests the United States is running secret biolabs in Ukraine, this time suggesting that Ukraine has created experimental “monster” troops.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Conflict Crisis Management

Thu, Jul 7, 2022

Russian War Report: Ukraine uses HIMARS effectively to hit Russian ammo dumps

As Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) is keeping a close eye on Russia’s movements across the military, cyber, and information domains. With more than seven years of experience monitoring the situation in Ukraine—as well as Russia’s use of propaganda and disinformation to undermine the United States, NATO, and the European Union—the DFRLab’s global team presents the latest installment of the Russian War Report.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Conflict CrowdTangle

Tue, May 31, 2022

Polish-language Telegram channels spread anti-refugee narratives

The DFRLab identified 27 Telegram channels spreading anti-refugee disinformation as Ukrainians flee to Poland.

by Esteban Ponce de León, Givi Gigitashvili

API Civil Society
A camouflaged Russian tank outside the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine, March 16, 2022. (Source: Reuters/Energoatom)

Fri, May 27, 2022

Russian War Report: Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels claim Ukraine is building a “dirty bomb”

Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels misrepresented comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to claim Ukraine was producing a “dirty bomb.”

by Digital Forensic Research Lab