777. Russia Using Telegram as a Weapon of War in Occupied Territories

A comprehensive investigation by DFRLab and OpenMinds exposes a vast, coordinated Russian bot network exploiting Telegram to disseminate pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian propaganda across occupied Ukrainian territories. ----------Yuliia Dukach leads Disinformation Investigations at OpenMinds, focusing on Cognitive Threats Intelligence and Response, ensuring that their research translates into real-world impact. That’s what makes the work of OpenMinds unique, as it combines analysis and reporting with the clear intention to counter Russian disinformation operations. Previously Yuliia worked at Texty, where she uncovered the hidden mechanisms of influence — such as the lingering presence of Soviet-era street names before Ukraine’s decommunization efforts. Now she is fully immersed in one of Ukraine’s most pressing challenges — Russian information warfare. Tackling disinformation at scale, working with big data, machine learning, and AI-driven detection methods. ----------REPORT:https://www.openminds.ltd/reports/digital-occupation-pro-russian-bot-networks-target-ukraines-occupied-territories-on-telegram----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/ydukachhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliia-dukach/ https://www.openminds.ltd/ https://texty.org.ua/----------DESCRIPTION:Exposing Russia's Telegram Bot Networks: A Deep Dive with Yuliia DukachIn this episode, we delve into a groundbreaking report by DFR Lab and OpenMinds, unveiling a massive coordinated Russian bot network exploiting Telegram to spread pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian propaganda. Our guest, Yuliia Dukach, a lead disinformation investigator at Open Minds, shares insights from the report, discussing the significance of Telegram in Russia's disinformation strategy, the collaboration between DFR Lab and OpenMinds, and the technical and strategic aspects of Russian bot operations. We also explore Russia's efforts to control information in occupied Ukrainian territories and the impact of these disinformation campaigns on public perception.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction to Russian Bot Network Investigation00:17 Meet Yuliia Dukach: Disinformation Expert01:15 The Role of Telegram in Russian Propaganda03:45 Collaboration Between DFR Lab and OpenMinds06:25 Russian Control Over Occupied Territories09:29 Scale and Impact of Russian Bot Networks18:41 Pro-Russian and Anti-Ukrainian Narratives24:59 Challenges in Countering Russian Disinformation51:52 Conclusion and Further Reading----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.