SBU, police disband 9 bot farms spreading disinformation.

The National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) disbanded nine bot farms spreading information about fake threats in Ukraine, the Prosecutor General's Office reported [1] on May 3. The work of the bot farms intended "to destabilize the situation in Ukraine and discredit the activities of the top military-political leadership of our country in the conditions of war," according to the Prosecutor General's Office. The disinformation networks operating the bot farms were located in Ternopil, Poltava, Cherkasy, Sumy, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Zakarpattia oblasts.

More than 5,000 accounts were created on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, with an audience of more than 150,000 users, the Prosecutor General's Office wrote. Hardware and software for "growing" bots were installed in the homes or office premises of network members. Law enforcement officers discovered computer equipment with evidence of illegal activity, 5,000 SIM cards of Ukrainian mobile operators, GSM gateways, and other specialized equipment as well.

Some of the info spread by the bot farms included fake terrorist threats and reports of objects being mined.

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[2]

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SBU, police disband 9 bot farms spreading disinformation.

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