Russia has launched fake polls on TikTok targeting Ukrainians regarding the Middle East
The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) has identified a new wave of Russian information operations based on the use of artificial intelligence technologies.
The enemy is spreading manipulative videos on TikTok that mimic real street interviews with Ukrainian citizens.
The goal of this campaign is to distort public opinion regarding our country’s role in events in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.
The “passersby” in the videos, generated by neural networks, allegedly express skepticism about sharing Ukraine’s experience in combating drones with other countries.
Russian propagandists are using AI to promote destructive narratives aimed at stoking internal discontent.
Among the main messages are claims that “no one helped” Ukraine, so it should not share its resources, and predictions that the situation in the country will worsen.
“No one helped us—why should we? You can’t share resources during a war; Ukraine will be worse off because of this”—these are the exact manipulative phrases that the authors of fake content put into the mouths of virtual characters.
The Center for Countering Disinformation emphasizes that all these materials bear the hallmarks of a clearly coordinated operation and have no connection to the actual sentiments of Ukrainian society.
Similar campaigns have been observed before, but now they have shifted their focus.
While previous attacks by the Russian Federation were aimed at discrediting Ukraine in the eyes of international partners, the new wave is targeting the domestic audience directly.
The Kremlin is attempting to foster a negative attitude among Ukrainians toward any international cooperation in the security sphere.
In addition, the operation aims to undermine citizens’ trust in the government’s foreign policy decisions.
The use of street surveys creates the illusion of mass support and the “voice of the people,” which is a classic propaganda tactic.
As a reminder, the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) documented new Russian disinformation campaigns against Ukraine during the Olympics in Italy.
Also, the Russian military plans to intensify its actions on the front lines in the coming weeks, attempting to put pressure on Ukraine’s military positions.
