Amid U.S.-Russia negotiations, numerous disinformation campaigns emerge – expert

 Oksana Moroz, an anti-disinformation expert, author of programs on media literacy, and founder of the volunteer initiative “How Not to Become a Vegetable”, said this on Espreso TV.

"At the moment, it’s not just the Russians running information operations. This is a time when, in the negotiation process, all parties are pushing certain messages into the information space to test specific terms, to persuade the other side on certain conditions, and so on. 

We see a huge number of such pushes from Donald Trump and from Russia. These then acquire additional elements in the information field in the form of information operations and more. For example, when Donald Trump says that Ukraine will exchange or cede territories — sometimes it might be a slip of the tongue, like with the ocean remark, sometimes it may reflect his actual thoughts — Russia picks it up and starts amplifying it," she said.

Oksana Moroz noted that at present, Russia’s main information operations are focused on the front line — claims that Russian forces are advancing and seizing more and more territory. Some of this information is true, some is significantly exaggerated.

"Russia continues to discredit Ukraine’s military and political leadership. This is an important step in any negotiation-related information campaign. They do it across different vectors: the classic ones about corruption, illegitimacy, or alleged prisoner exchange processes. 

Over the past week, Russians have been pushing the narrative that Ukraine supposedly does not want to take back its prisoners of war. This is an old story, but they keep bringing it up because it’s a highly sensitive topic — it affects Ukrainians deeply, it pains families, and so they use it for discrediting campaigns. 

Of course, there’s also the topic of military recruitment offices, which has resurfaced in the information space with new force. All of these vectors are now tied to the negotiation process. Essentially, Russia is working in all possible directions. The only area that is slightly less active — and I stress, only slightly — is information terror connected with massive missile and drone attacks," the expert said.

• Leaders of 26 EU countries approved a joint statement backing Ukraine ahead of the Donald Trump–Vladimir Putin meeting, but Hungary refused to sign.