A new disinformation attack practically every two days: report highlights how russia manipulates topic of corruption in information operations against Ukraine

In the disinformation attacks that the russian federation is directing against Ukraine, the enemy actively uses the topic of corruption, and after analyzing more than 130,000 messages in the second half of 2023, the researchers discovered 86 dangerous disinformation attacks.

Fedir Kudrin, analyst at Osavul company, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze information space, provided this data during a presentation at Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform.

The report identified 418 sources, which had already been involved in disinformation attacks, 462 sources affiliated with russia and 223 bots.

According to Fedir Kudrin, the study revealed 8 main tactics used in disinformation attacks. Particularly, these include  the use of sources that pose as Ukrainian; coordinated spread of identical or similar posts and comments in social networks; spread of fakes about corruption in Ukraine; cultivation of conspiracy theories; twisting the initial information and recontextualizing it; use of manipulative and generalized statements; references to third-party sources to lend credibility to one’s statements; presenting the facts of the fight against corruption as indicators of its high level.

Based on disinformation attacks, the researchers also identified 7 main narratives, which contain threats and fall in line with the messages from official russian sources.

At the same time, Ganna Krasnostup, CEO of the Directorate on Information Policy and Information Security of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, noted that despite the fakes and narratives spread by the russian federation, there is a clear awareness that the anti-corruption reform is irreversible. She also emphasized that russia will not be able to hinder the media coverage of the cases when those guilty of corruption are brought to justice.

“Despite the fake news and narratives spread by the russian federation, we realize that the anti-corruption reform is irreversible. Educational work – today’s youth really have zero tolerance for corruption. We have to hold educational activities together; we are already doing it and we will not stop. Preventive mechanisms – today everyone can report on corruption, these mechanisms exist, and we are popularizing them. And on my own behalf, and on the behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, I will say that we will not stop, and we will highlight every case when those guilty of corruption are brought to justice, the russians will not stop us,” she stressed.

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