Security News > 2022 > March > Ukraine dismantles 5 disinformation bot farms, seizes 10,000 SIM cards
The Ukrainian Security Service has announced that since the start of the war with Russia, it has discovered and shut down five bot farms with over 100,000 fake social media accounts spreading fake news.
The network, which operated in Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Ternopil, and Zakarpattia, aimed to discourage Ukrainian citizens and instill panic by distributing false information about the Russian invasion and the status of the defenders.
According to the SSU's announcement, the goal of the network was to destabilize the sociopolitical situation in various regions, thus curbing the resistance of the Ukrainian militia.
10,000 SIM cards for various mobile operators to disguise the fraudulent activity.
On Saturday, the Ukrainian cyber-police in the region of Vinnytsia announced the arrest of a man who was hacking social network accounts through phishing links and used them to run fake ammunition fundraisers.
All these detection and crackdown efforts of Ukrainian forces signify a new age in warfare where governments cannot ignore malicious cyber activities.