Russian propaganda shifts tactics with AI and deepfake technology

Kremlin propaganda has been brainwashing Russian minds for years, creating a world entirely in line with the vision of "One Russia." Putin's media have constructed the image of a powerful superpower that stands alone against the decadent, corrupt West. This is reminiscent of the Soviet Union era, when the country was portrayed as a bastion of "normalcy" and a land of happiness.

Today, the nature of the internal message has changed little. The new element is that Russians are trying to wage a similar information war in Western countries.

On social media, new profiles keep appearing, and groups are taken over that suddenly, instead of being forums for discussions about aesthetic cosmetology, start posting, for example, about Ukrainians taking jobs from Poles. From others, one can learn that Ukrainians are illegally selling weapons received from allies, and Russians are on the verge of capturing Kryvyi Rih, even though since November 2022, there hasn't been a single Russian soldier on the right bank of the Dnieper.

By spreading this type of information, Russians hope for divisions in societies and an increase in the importance of anti-war movements that would prevent the West from providing material and military aid to Ukraine.

"The Kremlin constantly tries to instill fear in Western societies with the specter of war and massive losses. In the current situation, Russian propaganda should be seen mainly as sowing fear and anxiety rather than a substitute for real capabilities," says Dr. Michał Piekarski, a security expert from the University of Wrocław.

The Russian intimidation tactic was quite effective only at the beginning of the war. By threatening to escalate the war, the Kremlin could slow down the delivery of certain categories of weapons. Initially, only defensive weapons were sent, limiting Kyiv's ability to counterattack. Only over time did the West start providing tanks, long-range artillery systems, and finally airplanes.

Western societies also became immune to coarse propaganda. The Kremlin then began using more sophisticated methods.

On the last day of May, a dispatch appeared on the Polish Press Agency's site about Prime Minister Donald Tusk's announcement of partial mobilization in Poland. Russian services were most likely behind the false dispatch.

Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesman for the minister-coordinator of special services, said: "In connection with the likely Russian cyberattack on the Polish Press Agency and the dissemination of disinforming news about alleged mobilization in Poland, the Internal Security Agency, in cooperation with the Ministry of Digitization, took immediate action."

Several similar false pieces of information appeared in the weeks leading up to the European Parliament elections. For instance, in Slovakia, there were reports about Ukrainian territorial claims on the border of Carpathian Ruthenia. The creators of disinformation have also started using the deepfake technique, which, through artificial intelligence, allows, for example, swapping the faces of people appearing in recordings.

Such a method was used in creating material in which the CIA warns Americans about attacks during the Paris Olympics, as well as in the film "Olympics Has Fallen," using an AI-generated image and voice of actor Tom Cruise.

In total, Russian channels have produced several similar materials. When the materials started spreading on social media, the CIA informed that it was a forgery, and when searching for the original source that shared the materials, it turned out that they were first shared by Russian accounts Storm-1679 and Storm-1099.

Danish television DR reported that the Pravfond foundation, made up of Russian state-owned companies, is behind the media's spread of Russian propaganda. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the fund to support Russians living abroad.

The foundation runs the EuroMore portal, which already has several language modulations. From it, one can learn that Americans want to send their soldiers to fight in Ukraine, Russia wants peace, and the West may face fuel price issues in the fall due to sanctions imposed on Russia. Additionally, traditional themes that have long appeared in Russian propaganda are thrown in—5G masts cause various diseases, and the coronavirus is the work of large corporations.

Meanwhile, Margarita Waldman, the service's editor-in-chief, claims, "We do not cooperate with any Russian organizations, foundations, or authorities. We only publish reliable information and do not support any political force! Our content allows us to earn from advertisements."

Many such media create an alternative reality. In Poland, for example, Russian propaganda is shared by the Independent Political Daily, Strajk.eu, which eagerly and widely wrote about the farmers' protest, or Planeta.pl, which at one time "informed" that the "state is taking people's vehicles during the pandemic." Polish special services have listed all these services.

For years, Polish authorities have warned that the goal of the Russian disinformation operation is "to sow panic and create informational chaos, build negative emotions around nuclear energy, build a foundation for further manipulation of Poles, undermine trust in state institutions, weaken the credibility of information, and Poland's position on the international stage."