Russia’s online strategy to promote its occupation of Ukraine has taken a new turn with the creation of fake accounts that impersonate Ukrainians. These accounts are used to seed favorable narratives across VKontakte pages run by Kremlin-backed authorities. The tactic aims to influence public opinion in Russia by creating the illusion of widespread support for the occupation among Ukrainians.
The use of fake accounts is part of a broader disinformation campaign that has been ongoing since the start of the conflict. This strategy not only undermines the credibility of Ukrainian narratives but also seeks to shape the perception of international opinion, particularly within Russian media circles. By flooding social media platforms with fabricated content, the Kremlin is attempting to control the narrative around its actions in Ukraine.
The VKontakte platform, which is widely used in Russia, has become a key battleground in this information war. The accounts created for this purpose are designed to mimic real users, making it difficult for platform moderators to detect and remove them. This has allowed the Kremlin to disseminate information that supports its occupation while simultaneously discrediting counter-narratives.