• Research Fellow, Baltics

Nika Aleksejeva

Nika Aleksejeva is a research fellow for the Baltics at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) based in Latvia.

Nika’s specific research interest is identifying, exposing and explaining disinformation on digital engagement spaces in the Baltic states and beyond. She has monitored Zapad 2017 military exercize and European elections in 2019. Nika has also lead the development of The News Hero, a media literacy game on Facebook, at the NATO Strategic Communication Center of Excellence (NATO Stratcom COE).

Nika comes from a journalism background – her work involved writing on business topics and making data-driven stories about energetics, global economic trends and education. Prior to joining NATO Stratcom COE she has been working with Infogram, a popular data visualization service.

Seeing the future in digital journalism, Nika works to improve quality journalism and build resilience to disinformation online. In her free time she works to empower Latvian journalists with data journalism skills by curating School of Data branch in Latvia.

July 2022

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

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

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.
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July 2022

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

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

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.
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July 2022

Cracks emerge in Russia’s ‘Digital Iron Curtain’

by Nika Aleksejeva

Kremlin-controlled outlets maintain presence on Facebook and Twitter despite the platforms being banned in Russia.
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