Artificial intelligence as a new weapon in Russian disinformation campaigns

The case of fabricated “leaked documents” that allegedly reveal a secret plot by France, the UK, Poland, and Romania to divide Ukraine into spheres of influence highlights the growing danger of disinformation campaigns powered by artificial intelligence. The technology allows for the creation of convincing false content in a short time and for messages to be tailored to specific audiences. The example of Russia shows how AI can be used to create targeted narratives aimed at different countries, while maintaining a unified line of propaganda

Author: Ana Anastasovska

Russia is waging its war in Ukraine not only on the battlefield, but also in the digital sphere. The Kremlin’s media propaganda is increasingly using artificial intelligence to sow discord among Ukraine’s allies and reduce public support for the nation in the conflict.

The latest example of this AI-driven disinformation campaign emerged after the “Coalition of the Willing” meeting on September 4, notes DISA. This meeting was dedicated to providing peacekeeping forces for Ukraine. Immediately following the meeting, pro-Kremlin sources, including the notorious hacker group Killnet, launched a coordinated disinformation offensive. They distributed fabricated “leaked documents” allegedly revealing a secret plot by France, the UK, Poland, and Romania to divide Ukraine into spheres of influence. This narrative quickly gained momentum on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram.

As Veridica points out, the plan for the West to occupy Ukraine, presented by Mash (a pro-Kremlin Telegram group), has no factual basis. It is a fabrication designed to fuel the Kremlin’s narrative that the West “wants to divide Ukraine.” In reality, the “Coalition of the Willing”—a term used for the group of states supporting Kyiv—has a completely different goal: to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty, repel Russian aggression, and ensure regional stability after the end of the hot phase of the armed conflict with Russia.

The ultimate goal of this disinformation message is to advance a recurring narrative portraying Ukraine as a Western puppet, and Ukraine’s defense as a proxy war against Russia. This message seeks to undermine international aid for Ukraine’s self-defense against Russia’s invasion and aims to deflect Moscow’s responsibility for its aggression, EUvsDisinfo notes.

The speed and sophistication of the disinformation campaign were alarming, DISA said. High-quality, AI-generated videos featuring deepfake representations of French officials were circulated, mimicking the style of legitimate news broadcasts. These videos lent a veneer of authenticity to the fabricated narrative, potentially misleading unsuspecting viewers. Fake maps depicting the alleged partitioning plan were also widely shared, further contributing to the spread of the false narrative. The aim was clear: to sow distrust among Ukraine’s allies and create the impression of a fractured international coalition.

The French government quickly responded to the disinformation campaign. It denied through its official Twitter account that the map was authentic, and pointed out that it contained grammatical and spelling errors.

• Belarus was translated into French as “Biélarus” allegedly instead of the correct “Biélorussie.”
• The name of former French general Thierry Burkhard is misspelled.
• The title of the map is missing the article “la” (“la carte…”), which is a mistake that, according to France, is usually made by Russians.
• The map treats Crimea as part of Russian territory, contradicting the official position of France and other Western countries, which consider Crimea to be occupied Ukrainian territory.

According to intelligence experts who work with open, or publicly available, data (“Open source intelligence”), the map was first shared on the Telegram account “Mash” on September 9.

This case highlights the growing danger of disinformation campaigns powered by artificial intelligence. The technology allows for the rapid creation of convincing false content and the tailoring of messages to specific audiences. The example of Russia shows how AI can be used to create targeted narratives aimed at different countries, while maintaining a unified propaganda line. The speed and scale of such operations require an urgent and concerted response from governments and social media companies.

All comments and remarks regarding this and other Vistinomer articles, correction and clarification requests as well as suggestions for fact-checking politicians’ statements and political parties’ promises can be submitted by using this form