Facebook and Twitter Take Down Russian-Linked Disinformation Networks Targeting Ukraine
Major social media platforms remove two covert influence operations, one tied to Russia and another to Belarus, that spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda using fake accounts and computer-generated faces.
Facebook and Twitter remove two covert influence operations that target Ukrainians with anti-Ukraine propaganda. The larger network originates in Russia and operates in the Russian-dominated Donbas and Crimea regions, while a smaller campaign has connections to a known Belarusian hacking group. Both campaigns push narratives that align directly with the talking points used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to justify his military operations.
The Russian-linked operation uses a propaganda website and computer-generated faces to create fake columnists across several social media platforms. This tactic represents an evolution of the disinformation strategies first identified during the 2016 election, as the technology now allows malicious actors to produce highly realistic and original human faces to bolster credibility.
Meta's head of security policy connects this larger network to websites that the U.S. government designates as part of a broader Russian intelligence-linked disinformation effort. Disinformation experts warn that these takedowns represent just a small fraction of the expected manipulation, as Russia continues its ongoing efforts to control the narrative surrounding the invasion of Ukraine.