Security News > 2022 > August > Ukraine takes down 1,000,000 bots used for disinformation
The Ukrainian cyber police has shut down a massive bot farm of 1,000,000 bots used to spread disinformation on social networks.
The messages spread by the bots were in line with Russian propaganda, so the operators of the disinformation machine are believed to be members of the Russian special services.
The bot farm dismantled by SSU was located in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Vinnytsia and relied on 1,000,000 bots to spread disinformation.
Russians have long been involved in disinformation campaigns and have invested in Ukraine-based bot farms targeting the local population.
In March 2022, the SSU announced the discovery and shut down of five bot farms of this kind, which operated 100,000 fake social media accounts that spread fake news.
The agency has reported 1,500 Telegram channels and bots and another 1,500 Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts for spreading Russian propaganda.