On May 23, TikTok announced an update to its policy against targeted influence campaigns: from now on, all channels labeled as “state-controlled media” will not appear in recommended videos outside their country of origin. Thus, Spanish-speaking RT will not appear in the recommendation feed for the Spanish-speaking audience, and Sputnik Brasil will not appear for the Brazilian audience. But does this restriction work effectively? We decided to check the data.Читати українською

"My family plans to return. Because there is no right to leave a country for a father who wants to see his children, wants them to remain Ukrainians and wants his family not to fall apart. I've seen many good families fall apart since 2022 simply because they were separated. I don't want that to happen to my family," says Oleksii Erinchak, the founder of the "Sens" bookstore in Kyiv.

Last week, Russian media covered the work of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The forum was supposed to be the main business event of the year in Russia and prove that Russia is not lagging in international affairs and is still attractive to guests, investments, and developments. Despite propaganda efforts, SPIEF turned out not to be so international. The organizers even created fake national delegations. Moreover, the term "economic" was not always justified. Speakers talked more about nuclear weapons, traditional values, the role of the family, and Russia's unique path. They also criticized the West for gay propaganda and the desire to impose its will on others.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the latest issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative sites that deliberately spread Russian disinformation.

We, Ukrainian journalists and media organizations, participants of the Media Movement, are shocked and categorically condemn the wave of pressure, slander, and threats received by independent Ukrainian media "Texty" (Texty.org.ua).

We, the team at the Ukrainian data journalism agency Texty.org.ua and an independent public organization, are reporting unprecedented pressure, manipulation, slander, demands to strip us of donor funding, and threats of physical violence that we have faced following the publication of our research “Roller Coaster: From Trumpists to Communists, Who and How They Advocate for Ending Support to Ukraine.”Читати українською.

Satellite images reveal the scale of the destruction but do not convey the experiences of the people.Читати українською

Last week, Russian media extensively covered the permissions granted by Ukraine's partners to strike Russia with Western weapons. We observed a wide range of emotions. From assurances that it won't change the situation on the frontlines since not many countries supply Kyiv with dangerous weapons to reflections on a Third World War provoked by the United States. However, the most prominent emotion was anger. Some experts call on the Russian leadership to act harshly and prevent the West from crossing "red lines" in the future. Some figures have once again called for bombing European countries with nuclear weapons. Propagandists also claim that if the war is not won soon, Kyiv may acquire nuclear weapons, which they will undoubtedly use against Russia.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the latest issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative sites that specifically spread Russian disinformation.

Russian propaganda excels in the short film genre. Advertisement videos targeting the Ukrainian audience are disseminated through their social media platforms, primarily on Telegram and TikTok.Читати українськоюTexty.org.ua used facial recognition software to find out who starred in one of these videos. Among the actors, they identified a popular fitness blogger, a girl resembling a webcam model, an unknown actor, and a woman whose photos are available in photo banks.

From Trumpists to Communists. The forces in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine and how they do it

During the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion, support from the American people for weapons and funding for Ukraine was crucial to its ability to hold off and push back against Russian aggression. Millions of Americans across the political spectrum continue to support Ukraine fervently. Yet, towards the end of 2023, the U.S. government paused its financial and military assistance for six months.