Middle East
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
Thu, Oct 13, 2022
Analysis: Why Iranian protesters are embracing Anonymous
The decentralized hacker movement has vowed to free the people of Iran, mirroring chants of protesters on the street
by Simin Kargar
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
Fri, Jul 8, 2022
Wagner Group continues involvement in Russian operations in Eastern Ukraine
Russian mercenaries maintaining a relatively low profile in Ukraine, unlike their presence in Africa and Syria.
by Ruslan Trad
Wed, Apr 20, 2022
China’s discourse power operations in the Global South
An overview of China’s discourse power activities in the Global South, including the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. It outlines the processes through which China leverages its diplomatic, media, and political positions in these regions to gain influence, and assesses the impacts of these activities for democratic resilience worldwide.
Fri, Mar 18, 2022
Fake posts recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine flood Facebook groups
Scammers exploit dire economic conditions by promising high salaries to Syrians who join Russian forces in Ukraine.
Fri, Mar 11, 2022
Russian War Report: Putin endorses plan to bring 16,000 “volunteers” from the Middle East to fight in Ukraine
Russia’s Defense Minister announced that more than 16,000 “volunteers” from the Middle East had expressed interest in joining Russia’s “liberation movement” for the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.
by Digital Forensic Research Lab
Mon, Feb 14, 2022
A moment of truth for China’s vaccine diplomacy in Iran
Iranian officials echoed Chinese messaging while touting vaccines and criticizing the United States.
by Simin Kargar
Mon, Dec 20, 2021
2021: DFRLab’s year in review
The DFRLab's 2021 year in review: disinformation campaigns, troll farms, troop buildups, vaccine rumors, a failed insurrection, and more.
Thu, Jul 1, 2021
Iranian accounts promote anti-Israel hashtags in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war
The campaign, promoted on Telegram, is linked to an Iranian conspiracy theorist previously suspended from Twitter.
Sun, Feb 14, 2021
Weaponized: How rumors about COVID-19’s origins led to a narrative arms race
A joint research project from the Digital Forensic Research Lab and the Associate Press on information environments during the first six months of COVID-19.
Mon, Aug 19, 2019
How a “Political Astroturfing” App Coordinates Pro-Israel Influence Operations
Pro-Israel messages broadcast during May 4–5 Hamas terror attacks and IDF air strikes offer new insights into reach of the Act.IL app’s social media manipulation
