The story, amplified by pro-Russian outlets and influencers, alleges that Ukrainian generals owned mansions destroyed in the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Researchers say this is part of a broader Russian disinformation campaign to discredit Ukraine and exploit crises for its own gain.
The Ukrainian general story first emerged on a pro-Russian Telegram channel four days after the fires started in Los Angeles. Within hours, it was amplified by several other sources, including another Telegram channel which labeled it as satire, an X account, and a website that resembles a pro-Russian network that French authorities previously identified. Some of the posts amplifying the baseless claim falsely credited it to United24 Media, a website affiliated with the Ukrainian government.
"It's just so typical of what we see from Russia, take advantage of an ongoing crisis for their own ends," said Darren Linvill, a communications professor and co-director of Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub. NPR has not obtained evidence that any Ukrainian generals owned homes in Los Angeles that were destroyed by the fires. The Ukrainian government denied to NPR that any general's homes were affected by the fire.
The story is the latest example of Russia's shift away from using fake social media profiles impersonating real people, as it did during the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections, and instead relying on influencers tolater identified by researchers and U.S. intelligence officials as Russian propaganda. There is no evidence that the influencers that spread the LA fire claims have been paid.
Politics International Relations RUSSIA UKRAINE DISINFORMATION PROPAGANDA INFLUENCERS
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