In this report, the Mythos lab found the activity of accounts spreading pro-Russian disinformation/propaganda grew by over 1,000% in the second half of February. Since the start of the invasion, the share of Russian-language tweets by these accounts nearly doubled from 34% to 61%, potentially indicating an increased need to justify the heavy toll of the invasion to audiences in Russia and Eastern Ukraine. They also found pro-Russian accounts are amplifying tweets by Chinese state-affiliated entities that blame the West for provoking Russia and dismiss American criticism of Russian military aggression as hypocritical. Pro-Russian accounts are also amplifying narratives directed at audiences in India, alleging Ukraine is using Indian students as hostages, falsely claiming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced support for the invasion, and glorifying historical ties between Russia and India. In addition, a large number of accounts spreading pro-Russian disinformation/propaganda continue to amplify prominent western individuals including Tucker Carlson, Tulsi Gabbard and Benjamin Norton.
This is the third in a series of reports Mythos Lab will continue publishing over the next several weeks.
