Yhn BusinessLabor first seen 2 d ago, last 10 min ago, peak #9
Ukrainian Drone Strike Fueled Viral Rumor About Russian Bot Farm
Original: Drone Strikes Didn't Take Out Russian Bot Farm, but We Were Primed to Believe It
A Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian tech company Yandex set off a wave of viral claims that the attack had destroyed a Russian bot farm producing pro-Kremlin propaganda and far-right content for audiences in the US, Germany and the UK. Reporting found the story was not true: the strike did not wipe out any disinformation operation. The episode is being discussed as a case study in how readily audiences accept conspiracy-flavored rumors that fit their existing beliefs about Russian influence campaigns.
Why now: The false rumor spread rapidly because it confirmed widespread assumptions about Russian disinformation targeting Western politics.
YandexUkraineRussiaMother Jones
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Evidence
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