In Ukraine, people are increasingly opting to get their news from platforms driven by user-generated content, where updates pop up in an instant. According to a Gradus Research study, 65% of respondents get their news from messaging apps, while 61% rely on social media.

Meanwhile, Russia, facing international sanctions, military setbacks, heavy losses, and growing isolation, has doubled down on its disinformation efforts. It's getting trickier to spot too, thanks to a flood of fake activity on social platforms designed to make the lies look more legit.

Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Anton Demokhin told Reuters at a cybersecurity conference in Singapore: 

This year, we’re seeing that the intensity of cyberattacks from Russia remains high, but there’s a greater focus on disinformation. Now, with generative AI in the mix, it's enabling the spread of these false narratives at a whole new level of sophistication.

He added that Ukraine is also using generative AI to track disinformation campaigns but declined to comment on whether the country is conducting its own cyberattacks.

Russia’s Fake News Factory

Ever seen a German woman on social media complaining that her country’s industry is crumbling and desperately needs cheaper energy? Or maybe an American, arguing that Israel and Ukraine are wasting U.S. taxpayer money?

Turns out, both were made in Russia, according to a massive leak of documents that hit Western media in September and were published by the investigative site VSquare, among others. And these two were just a tiny drop in the sea of 33.9 million fake social media comments whipped up by the Social Design Agency (SDA), the Kremlin’s subcontractor for disinformation, for the first third of 2024.

The SDA is one of several shadowy organizations churning out endless waves of fake news, memes, and social media manipulations, all with the goal of stirring the pot.

A key tactic of Russian propaganda is targeting groups that could undermine public consensus on issues like Ukraine and Russia. Boosting the rise of far-right parties like Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and France’s National Rally is a top priority for the SDA.

US Election Candidates Could be Targeted too

In September, U.S. intelligence officials revealed that Russia is among the nations using AI tools to try and sway American voters ahead of the November presidential elections.

While AI interference had been spotted in elections abroad before, this time, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) had a clear message:

Our update today makes it clear — it's happening here now.

Russia's propaganda efforts include AI-generated content, some even targeting "prominent U.S. figures," along with posts stoking divisive issues like immigration. Officials noted that this aligns with the Kremlin’s broader goal: boosting former president Donald Trump while tarnishing Vice President Kamala Harris.

The SDA is just one cog in Russia’s ever-expanding disinformation machine. Another Russian influence operation, exposed earlier this year, was aimed at Europe ahead of the European Parliament elections. This one was run by Ukrainian fugitive Viktor Medvedchuk, a close Putin ally residing in Russia, who created the now-defunct platform "Voice of Europe" to push pro-Kremlin disinformation and stir up anti-Western sentiments.

For anyone thinking that war-torn Russia might be losing focus on its campaigns to distort the truth against Ukraine and liberal democratic states, think again. Putin and his aides still see disinformation as a key weapon in their colonial-style efforts against Ukraine, while sowing bitterness and division among Western voters remains a priority.

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