Disinformation Trends
MONITORING SNAPSHOT 8
7 – 20 January 2025
SUMMARY
DFRLab conducts a bimonthly analysis of data based on a search query including Ukrainian, Russian and English languages to identify when spikes of CBRN disinformation narratives are spreading. This report (7 – 20 January 2025) saw a general decrease in the volume of narratives, with the majority focused on ongoing accusations of US-funded biolabs in Ukraine and bioweapon development; claims about attempts at provocations by the Armed Forces of Ukraine at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP); an unfounded claim about an alleged Ukrainian POW admitting Ukraine’s plan to develop a “dirty bomb”; and a newly emerging accusation of an alleged plot of Security Services of Ukraine involving unnamed toxic agents.
CHEMICAL DISINFORMATION:
Claims about the Security Service of Ukraine plot targeting Russian defense industry with the use of toxic substances
BIOLOGICAL DISINFORMATION:
Continued narrative of US-funded biolabs in Ukraine and allegations of bioweapon development
RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR DISINFORMATION:
Unfounded claims about alleged Ukrainian plans of attack against Zaporizhzhia NPP
EXAMPLES OF DISINFORMATION NARRATIVE TRENDS
Chemical Disinformation
- Reports of toxic substances planned for deployment in at Russian defense industry plants by the Security Services of Ukraine (link)
Sources: Telegram; Twitter/X
Biological Disinformation
- Accusations of bioweapon development in Ukrainian biolabs
Sources: Telegram; Twitter/X
Radiological and Nuclear Disinformation
- Claims of NATO potentially attacking Russia’s nuclear capabilities through proxy of Ukraine as pictured in the screenshot above (link)
- False claims Ukrainian POWs admitted to a Ukrainian plan to develop a “dirty bomb”
- Russian MOD claims of potential provocations at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by Armed Forces of Ukraine
Sources: Telegram; Twitter/X
IDENTIFYING DISINFORMATION TRENDS
The Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction (GP) is committed to strengthening WMD disarmament and nonproliferation efforts. Disinformation campaigns significantly undermine cooperative threat reduction efforts. The GP Counter WMD Disinformation Initiative aims to track ongoing narratives, understand their impacts and counter state-sponsored or state-adjacent disinformation across Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) threats.
Narrative Trend Monitoring: As part of the GP efforts to identify, understand, and mitigate hostile CBRN disinformation, the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) conducts a bimonthly search query of state-sponsored or state-adjacent disinformation narratives. This real-time detection allows the initiative to swiftly recognize, isolate and respond to disinformation narratives and networks as they occur.
Methodology: This snapshot report is created from a search query that includes content in Ukrainian, Russian, and English languages, providing an extended search base and corpus of analysis and scale. The focus of the query is centered around CBRN–related messages about the Russian War on Ukraine on social media platforms and online news websites. The report provides examples of notable messages that are likely to include disinformation or key discussions that might be used in mis/disinformation in the future.
Disclaimer: Links are provided for published news sources of official state accounts; links to private accounts are excluded for privacy preservation reasons.