Sunday, April 20, 2025

Context

Stories in the Context section are not fakes. We publish them in order to provide greater insight for our readers about the techniques, methods and practices used by the Russian government in its information war. They appear on our site with the permission of their original publisher and reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily the position of StopFake’s editorial board.

Russian Soft Power In Central Asia

The Kremlin surprised nearly everyone when it unleashed its media machine on the world after the pro-Moscow president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, was chased...

EU drafts plan on Russia’s media ‘misuse’

EU institutions aim to counter Russian propaganda with “positive” messages, media funding, and closer regulation, a new action plan says. The plan, a nine-page paper...

Russian ‘Troll Factory’ Agrees to Compensate Former Employee, But She’s Just Getting Started

The phenomenon of “troll factories” or “troll farms” operating on the RuNet and beyond to shape the conversations and sentiment online has by now...

Rossiya Segodnya assets seized in France

Bailiffs in France, carrying out court orders to seize assets belonging to the Russian Federation, have issued seizure notifications to Russia’s RT state-funded television...

Russian Censor Says It’s High Time the Country Developed Its Own Messenger App

Russia is in dire need of its own national text messaging service, according to Alexandr Zharov, head of Roscomnadzor, Russia's media watchdog. Speaking at...

Self-Proclaimed ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ Now Has an Internet Blacklist

Internet blacklists are a common occurrence in countries like Russia and Belarus, and now officials of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People's Republic” in the Donetsk...

Facebook’s block policy accused of facilitating pro-Kremlin trolls

Prominent bloggers claim their accounts are being routinely blocked after orchestrated complaints from Russia’s cyber army, wrote Dmitriy Volchek, RFE/FL. On June 4, Ukrainian journalist...

Selfie Soldiers: Russia Checks in to Ukraine

As the conflict in Ukraine continues, so too does Russian President Vladimir Putin's denial of any Russian involvement. But a recent report from think...

Ukraine Restaurant Spoofs Russian Propaganda

Russia's propaganda on the conflict in Ukraine has often reached absurd levels, such as labeling government leaders “Nazis” and “fascists” to revive emotions from...

Facebook Responds to ‘Stop Political Blocking’ Petition by Russians and Ukrainians

t’s taken about about two weeks and almost 11,000 signatures, but Facebook has at last responded to the “Stop Political Blocking on Facebook” petition....