Claims that Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centres reduced Kremlin-linked bot networks have spread widely online, but experts have told BBC Verify there is no evidence the attacks have significantly reduced them.
Researchers from dTeam, a US-based group that tracks Moscow-linked influence operations, told BBC Verify there has not been “any traffic change from known Russian accounts and bot clusters on any platform”.
Bots linked to pro-Kremlin influence operations like Storm-1516 and Matryoshka - both of which BBC Verify has previously reported on - were still active on social media on Tuesday, evidence shared with BBC Verify by dTeam shows.
Oh this is the most important thing to be talking about, clearly.
It’s definitely up there since, you know, Russian influence operations are taking aim at European democracy.
Arguing over whether or not Russian bot farms are affected is pretty dumb, but you are welcome to it.
Yeah we should just accept (what are potentially) myths uncritically that’s an amazing idea.
Here you are doing exactly what I said over a dumb topic.
Well, do Russian bots have a big influence on global politics? Seems not unimportant.
Oh sure, generally it is an important concept for people who care about such topics. In the context of the war though it really feels kind of like silly propaganda. Like we have vastly more important things to talk about. For instance, Trump’s decision to “buy” diesel from Russia.
You think a single one of Trump’s decisions is important, but the actions against the desinformation campaigns to get Trump into office in the first place and do similiar in many European countries is some less important sideshow?
That’s an interesting although incredibly stupid take.
Nope, just this one topic and people arguing over whether Russian bot farms were affected is silly.
Nah, it’s actually a way more important topic than the Diesel “deal”. The deal is useless and we knew Trump was a traitor before. But the most important thing for Ukraine is political and financial long term support from its European allies. And these systems are highly under pressure due to far right authoritarian parties, which are directly supported by the disinformation system of the Kremlin.
If you think a proganda story is on the same level as a superpower extending a war they insinuated they would end then perhaps you are incapable of logic.