Ukrainian intelligence has neutralized a Russian online disinformation network. Five bot farms operating from Kharkiv to Transnistria with over 100,000 fake profiles on social networks dismantled. Goals: to trigger panic and undermine resistance

Ukrainian intelligence (SSU) discovered and dismantled five Russian bot farms, which spread fake news about the ongoing war. The network, which operated from Kharkiv to Transnistria, consisted of over 100,000 fake social media profiles. Objective: to spread disinformation to boost panic and undermine the morale of the resistance in the area. During the searches, the SSU found over 100 gsm gateway sets, nearly ten thousand sims, numerous laptops used to control the bot farms and some documents deemed of great interest. The operation is a severe blow to Moscow’s propaganda in the neighboring country. The actors behind the network, in fact, will now be forced to reorganize themselves in order to open new channels of propaganda. In addition, they will have to rethink how to do this, as – thanks to the seizure of computers – Kyiv now knows their modus operandi and the TTPs.