IPSO vs. Reznikov: research reveals a covert operation of Russian influence
Kyiv • UNN
A joint investigation by DFRLab and BBC Verify uncovered a covert Russian operation on TikTok aimed at compromising former Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov over corruption allegations. TikTok identified and deleted more than 12,800 fake accounts that participated in this disinformation campaign.
Russia continues to use a range of a range of information influence against Ukraine. A new investigation has revealed a covert operation of Russian influence on the basis of the social network TikTok, which was aimed at to accuse Reznikov and the entire Ukrainian government of corruption, Voice of America reports. This is stated in the conclusions of the Digital Forensic Research Laboratory (DFRLab) at the based on a joint investigation with the BBC Verify project, reports UNN.
Details
The campaign included the publication of videos in at least seven languages accusing Reznikov of buying luxury mansions and cars, implying that he and the the Ukrainian government in general were profiting from the war. The TikTok company has already describe this case as the largest information operation ever detected on the platform. on the platform, and considers it a Russian covert operation.
DFRLab has launched an an investigation into suspicious activity on another social network, X (formerly Twitter). In July, videos from TikTok were published here one after another, targeting Reznikov.
The accounts that posted these videos uploaded only one video on a newly created account and used audio generated by artificial intelligence. Subsequently. BBC Verify found hundreds of accounts that used a similar technique.
So far, TikTok has identified and deleted more than 12,800 accounts that it estimates were involved in the participated in the operation, attracting over 847,000 followers and likely generating hundreds of millions of views.
It is indicated that among the methods of fake publications include the dissemination of videos voiced by a voice generated by generated by artificial intelligence. One such video claimed that Reznikov's daughter, ICTV executive director Anastasia Steinhaus, "bought a villa in Madrid through a shell company in Cyprus."
Addendum
Oleksiy Reznikov resigned as Minister of Defense in September 2023, amid several corruption scandals in the Ministry of Defense regarding the purchase of at inflated prices. At the time, several senior officials of the ministry were suspected of of embezzlement. However, Reznikov's involvement was not proven. "My conscience is absolutely clear," Reznikov said when he resigned.
To recap
The TikTok report report shows that more than 12,000 fake accounts, mostly operated from Russia, spread pro-Kremlin disinformation about the Russian-Ukrainian war, targeting millions of users. TikTok deleted these accounts after investigations.
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