US investigates American commentators with ties to Russian state TV, NYT reports
The investigation aims to mitigate the Kremlin's interference in the November presidential election.
Disinformation
Russia prepares disinformation campaigns targeting Ukrainian refugees in Europe, military intelligence says
The goal of Russia's new operations is to convince people who left Ukraine because of the war not to return, according to Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).
Pro-Russian fake sites spread false claims Democrats plotted to assassinate Trump, AFP reports
Pro-Kremlin sites, masquerading as American news outlets, spread fakes about Democrats who allegedly planned to kill Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
How Ukraine's Kursk incursion threw Russia's top propagandists into crisis
Margarita Simonyan, one of Russia's foremost propagandists, has gone AWOL. "She's vanished from view," Julia Davis, creator of the Russian Media Monitor, told the Kyiv Independent, adding: "She's barely posting on social media and she's not appearing on state TV." "That's probably because they haven't come up with a good
Russia will likely try to influence US election in Trump's favor, intelligence official tells media
The official, who is associated with the U.S. Foreign Malign Influence Center, said that Iran will likely continue to oppose Trump and that China does not have a preference.
US officials say Russia is using unsuspecting Americans to spread election disinformation
Authorities say that Russia remains the most significant threat in terms of election disinformation, while there are signs that Iran is increasing its activities and China is taking a cautious approach regarding the 2024 U.S. presidential race.
Romania denies downing Russian drones over Ukraine
Videos on social media that purport to show Romanian air defense units shooting down Russian attack drones above Ukraine are spreading a false narrative, Romania's Defense Ministry said in a statement on July 26.
Long an Olympic powerhouse, Russia has the smallest participation in 30 years
Russia, as well as the Soviet Union before it, has long sought to use international sporting spectacles as an opportunity to demonstrate the nation's athletic prowess and improve its prestige on the global stage. The 2014 Winter Olympics, held in Sochi, Russia, just days before unmarked Russian troops began the
Media: Special unit of GRU recruiting saboteurs through social media
A special unit of Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) recruits individuals to perform sabotage operations inside Europe through Telegram and TikTok, the independent Russian anti-corruption project Dossier Center reported on July 23, 2024.
Opinion: Ukraine's volunteer hacker army is pioneering a new era of cyber warfare
Over two years have passed since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the volunteer IT Army of Ukraine is more effective than ever. On June 20, 2024, the hacker group launched what they claimed to be the "largest DDoS attack in history" against Russia's banking system, crippling numerous banks and
X marks Bellingcat investigation into Russian hospital strike on Kyiv as 'potentially spammy or unsafe'
Bellingcat's July 9 investigation confirmed, using open-source materials and experts, that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile had struck the Okhmatdyt children's hospital, Ukraine's largest children's medical center.
US announces moves against Russia-linked bot farm aimed at spreading disinformation
According to the Justice Department, the bot farm was organized by a Russian national who worked as the deputy editor-in-chief of RT in 2022, and expanded with funding from the Kremlin and collaboration with an official from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
Opinion: Cognitive warfare is NATO's new battlefield
NATO’s July summit in Washington marks the 75th anniversary of the alliance’s establishment, and it comes at a critical juncture. As threats to global stability evolve beyond conventional military domains, NATO must confront the barrage of disinformation undermining its unity and values. Specifically, member countries must prevent hostile
Russia-based disinformation network linked to fake story about Zelenska's Bugatti purchase, BBC says
The BBC said that it was just one of many similar stories spread on fake "news" websites designed to look like legitimate U.S. newspapers.
UK's Nigel Farage doubles down on controversial Ukraine/Putin comments
Farage's comments echo Kremlin disinformation lines used to justify the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, namely that Russia was forced to start the war to protect itself from the threat from NATO.
‘It really is insane:’ Ex-defense minister on Slovakia’s pro-Russian turn
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, neighboring Slovakia, with its own experience of decades of Russian occupation in the 20th century, became one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine. Under the guidance of then-Defense Minister Jaroslav
Trump implies Biden's alleged support for Ukraine's NATO accession led to full-scale invasion
Speaking on a podcast hosted by David Sacks, an entrepreneur and regular critic of U.S. policy toward Ukraine, Former U.S. President Donald Trump said, "For 20 years, I heard that if Ukraine goes into NATO, it's a real problem for Russia."
Russia expected to meddle in UK election, US Senator Warner warns
Senator Mark Warner, who serves as the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that Russia and its proxies are "sowing discontent or trying to pit groups against each other (to) further social division" in the U.K.
Axios: AI chatbots spread Russian propaganda
According to the study, the chatbots responded with Russian propaganda 32% of the time, citing fake news sites as if they were credible sources.
Kremlin bots spam internet with fake celebrity quotes against Ukraine
Fake quotes appeared over photos of celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson and Elton John, calling to end aid to Ukraine and describing European collapse.
What’s behind the ‘enemies of Ukraine list’ allegations by far-right US politicians?
Republican Congressman Jim Banks sent letters in recent days to a number of high-profile figures in the U.S. far-right, saying that they had been added to a Ukrainian NGO's list of individuals and groups responsible "in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine." The congressman alleged that Texty, the
Bloomberg: Russian operative spreading Kremlin disinformation across Europe
A Russian intelligence operative already identified as heading a Kremlin disinformation campaign in Africa has also been courting European journalists to spread Moscow's false narratives across the continent, Bloomberg reported on June 11.
Switzerland encounters rise in cyberattacks and disinformation prior to upcoming Ukraine summit
In the lead-up to the global summit on Ukraine's peace formula, Switzerland has experienced a rise in cyberattacks and disinformation, Swiss government representatives reported on June 10.
Media: Orban's party becomes Google's biggest advertiser in EU
Fidesz and its politicians reportedly spent 2 million euros in five months, promoting anti-Western narratives. The party paid for six out of 10 most promoted videos.
UK Foreign Secretary Cameron held video call with Poroshenko impersonator
A foreign office spokesperson said that U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron had also exchanged messages with the individual, but ended communication with the individual after the conversation became "suspicious."
Putin's big press conference, debunked
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a now-rare press conference with senior editors from international media outlets on June 5. Putin blamed Ukraine and the West for Russia's war crimes, and made a new round of threats and jaw-dropping lies. The Kyiv Independent examines some of the more notable statements. 'World
Human rights groups call on ICC to investigate prominent Russian propagandists
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), and the Kharkiv Human Rights Group have jointly submitted a report to the International Criminal Court (ICC) detailing hate crimes perpetrated by Russian propagandists against Ukrainians.
Opinion: Elon Musk, ‘Civilization,’ and Ukraine – how computer games shape our reality
For better or worse, memes and video games might now play a more significant role in shaping people’s worldviews than textbooks, movies, and literature. As Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war capture global attention, it’s crucial to consider how people form their conscious and unconscious
NYT: Russian disinformation campaign targeting Paris Olympics, experts say
"(The hackers) are trying to cultivate an anticipation of violence," said Clint Watts, the head of Microsoft’s Digital Threat Analysis Center, in comments to the New York Times.
Russian legal foundation working in EU is actually 'Kremlin influence operation,' Guardian says
Russian Fund for Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad (Pravfond) describes its goal as providing "Russian compatriots with comprehensive legal and other necessary support in cases of violation of their rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests."
Russian propaganda sought to cast Medvedchuk as Zelensky's replacement, WP reports
A Russian propaganda operation was meant to present pro-Kremlin oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk to the international public as a potential replacement for President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Washington Post (WP) reported on June 3, citing undisclosed officials and documents.
Poland to spend almost $760 million to improve digital security following suspected Russian cyberattack
"Today, Poland is on the frontline of the cyber fight against Russia," Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said at a press conference on June 3.
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