Europe & Eurasia

People seen standing next to a generator while charging their phones at the Ukrainian-Polish border. Civilians fleeing the war in Ukraine for the safety of European border towns include citizens of African, Asian and Middle East countries.

Wed, Mar 2, 2022

Fake Telegram group urges Africans in Ukraine to wear armbands used by combatants

Misleading and racist Telegram groups emerge as accusations of racism by border authorities go viral on Twitter.

by Jean le Roux

Africa Conflict
Facebook logo displayed on a phone screen and Russian flag displayed on a screen in the background.

Wed, Mar 2, 2022

Russian War Report: Social platforms crack down on Kremlin media as Kremlin demands compliance

Google, Meta, and Twitter are taking action against Russian state-owned media accounts to limit the spread of harmful information online.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Tue, Mar 1, 2022

Mapped: Russia’s shelling of civilians in Kharkiv

The DFRLab analyzed and geolocated available imagery of the attack, identifying three main neighborhoods affected by shelling.

by Michael J. Sheldon

Planet labs imagery of Kharkiv after artillery strikes.

Mon, Feb 28, 2022

Kharkiv neighborhood experienced ongoing shelling prior to February 28 attack

Russian forces shelled the residential neighborhood of Saltovka for several days, causing deaths and destroying homes.

by Michael J. Sheldon

Conflict Eastern Europe

Mon, Feb 28, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia retaliates against anti-war celebrities as social platforms crack down on Russian media

Meta, Patreon, and Twitter are taking action against Russian accounts, while Russian celebrities are facing pushback for their views, according to the Council's open-source researchers.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Geolocating areas of Kharkiv damaged by Russian shelling.

Mon, Feb 28, 2022

Geolocating Russia’s indiscriminate shelling of Kharkiv

February 28 shelling from Russia into Kharkiv resulted in at least eleven deaths in three separate neighborhoods.

by Michael J. Sheldon

Conflict Eastern Europe
Vladimir Putin justifies his invasion of Ukraine.

Sun, Feb 27, 2022

Kremlin media used claims of Ukraine creating a dirty bomb to justify invasion

The narrative was amplified by various Russian outlets and circulated on multiple social media platforms prior to Putin invading Ukraine.

by Eto Buziashvili

Conflict Disinformation
A screencap shows the spread of meme against the alliance of Poland, the United Kingdom and Ukraine in Facebook groups

Sat, Feb 26, 2022

Polish social media accounts revive anti-Ukrainian sentiments

Poland expects to host around one million Ukrainian refugees amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

by Givi Gigitashvili

Central Europe Conflict
A crude deepfake depicts opposition activist Pavel Latushka as a drunk individual climbing in and out of a car trunk, before calling on citizens to make a “sober decision” to support Lukashenka’s referendum. “FAKE” stamp added by the DFRLab.

Thu, Feb 24, 2022

Lukashenka regime undermines Belarusian opposition prior to referendum

Government critics lack a unified strategy as constitutional referendum gets underway.

by Nika Aleksejeva

Belarus Eastern Europe

Thu, Feb 24, 2022

Russian War Report: Belarus joins conflict against Ukraine

The Council's open-source researchers break down the Kremlin's latest moves online and on the battlefield in its war in Ukraine.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

A tank drives along a street in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine, February 22, 2022.

Tue, Feb 22, 2022

Russian outlets steadily increased claims that Ukraine will start a war

Russian media mentions of “Ukrainian aggression” narratives increased 50 percent in January 2022 compared with the two prior months.

by Eto Buziashvili, Esteban Ponce de León

Disinformation Government

Tue, Feb 22, 2022

Russian War Report: Despite debunking of false flags, Putin recognizes breakaway republics

The Council's open-source researchers break down how the Kremlin is seeking to justify incursions in Ukraine, and where the troops are moving.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab