Chinese accounts linked to Russian election disinformation
Analysts at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab found that accounts originating in China helped amplify Russian disinformation videos targeting U.S. voters.
Disinformation
Russia stepping up election interference as US citizens head to polls, intelligence agencies warn
Russia is expected to intensify attempts to undermine the U.S. vote on election day with a focus on swing states, U.S. intelligence agencies said in a statement on the eve of the election on Nov. 4.
Despite 'unprecedented' amount of disinformation, no evidence it will directly impact outcome of election, US cybersecurity chief says
Throughout the campaign, Russia has been accused of attempting to spread false claims on a number of topics surrounding the election, including disinformation about the candidates and election security.
Several Russian fake videos targeting US election are circulating online, sources tell CBS News
U.S. officials believe two additional fake videos now circulating online, which the FBI has identified as attempts to spread false claims about election security, are likely part of a Russian-backed influence campaign. The campaign appears to be aimed at swaying public opinion ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.
'That's what they do' — Trump's running mate Vance brushes off Russian election interference
"I think a lot of countries are going to try to manipulate our voters. They're going to try to manipulate our elections. That's what they do," J.D. Vance told CBS News.
Russia-linked disinformation campaign spreads false claims about Tim Walz, US intelligence officials say
Russian disinformation groups have been linked to viral attacks targeting Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, a U.S. intelligence official said on Oct. 22.
Opinion: Moldova's EU integration referendum hangs in the balance, highlighting the dangers of oversimplification
Moldovans headed to the polls on Oct. 20 to elect their next head of state and vote on the future of the country’s European Union integration. With over 99% of the votes counted on Monday, the “yes” vote edged ahead at 50.43%, while the “no” camp, which had
Russia responsible for 80% of foreign influence operations in Europe, Czech FM says
"Russia is currently responsible for 80% of influence operations in Europe. This is four times more than the rest of the world combined," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said at a conference in Prague on Oct. 9.
Moldova uncovers $15 million Russian-backed plot to influence upcoming elections with bribes and disinformation
Moldovan authorities have revealed a scheme led by a pro-Russian oligarch aimed at influencing upcoming elections by paying ordinary citizens to vote against closer ties with the West.
Over 50% of Ukrainians oppose Telegram ban but support restrictions, poll shows
A poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology also showed that 71% of Ukrainians consider the spread of Russian disinformation and propaganda on social media, including Telegram, a "fairly serious" or "very serious" threat.
Kirby: Russian disinformation 'more sophisticated' in election lead-up
According to U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, there is “no doubt” the Kremlin is using propaganda and disinformation to “sow discord” among the U.S. population.
Telegram threatens Ukraine's national security, Budanov says
The Telegram messenger app is "harmful" and a "threat to our national security," Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said in an interview published on Sept. 7.
Russian outlet RT trying to push US viewers toward Trump, Reuters reports
Russian state media channel RT is attempting to push U.S. viewers toward voting for Donald Trump in the presidential election through a network of Western media personalities, Reuters reported on Sept. 6, citing a senior U.S. intelligence official.
US sanctions Russian propagandists amid crackdown on election interference
The U.S. State, Justice, and Treasury departments have acted jointly against the Kremlin's propaganda machine, seizing web domains, issuing indictments, and imposing visa restrictions against participants in Russia's covert election interference campaign.
Ukrainian official rejects Putin's accusations of attempted attack on Kursk nuclear plant
A top Ukrainian counter-disinformation official on Aug. 22 refuted Russian President Vladimir Putin's accusations that Kyiv attempted to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.
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.
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."
Three years of reporting, funded by our readers.
Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 10,000 readers makes a financial contribution. For our third birthday this November, we're looking for 1,000 new members to fund our mission and to help us prepare for what 2025 might bring. We’re relying on you.
Help us get 1,000 new members!
(Updated: )
Most popular
Editors' Picks
Kremlin finds new enemies to target — Russians without kids
With Scholz's government in shambles, conservative rival touts more decisive Ukraine strategy
Ukraine reacts warily to Trump appointments as Russia’s war rages on
