Europe sees disinformation surge after Russia's invasion of Ukraine - Ukraine’s broadcasting council chief

A wave of disinformation hit European countries after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, with Telegram being one of the biggest platforms for spreading it.

This was stated by the head of the National Council of Ukraine on TV and Radio Broadcasting, Olha Herasimyuk, who spoke on the air of the national telethon, Ukrinform reports.

"Each country is concerned in its own way about the surge of disinformation. But everyone says in one voice that an active wave has risen after Russia invaded Ukraine. All countries, and Moldova as our neighbor in particular, are concerned about what is happening, because they expect the same to happen," she said.

Herasimyuk attended a regional event on media regulation in Chisinau, which brought together media regulators from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the UK, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Ireland, and North Macedonia. The participants gathered to share experiences in fighting disinformation, as well as to find ways to create a reliable media ecosystem and reduce the level of toxicity in it.

According to the chair of the National Council, Telegram is one of the largest platforms providing fertile soil for disinformation.

"Unfortunately, people are now receiving a lot of misinformation through digital platforms. We are seeing the developments around Telegram channels. The most toxic information comes through the Telegram channels to users all over the world. Of course, this mainly concerns Russian speakers." she said.

The official emphasized the need to spread awareness on how to use media, how to understand where information comes from, who stands behind each media platform, and who finances it. According to Herasimyuk, Moldova is exploring ways to monitor ultimate beneficiaries who stand behind bloggers and influencers.

Herasimyuk added that it is possible to fight against disinformation by filling the media space with verified facts, adding that bloggers can also be engaged to this end.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Ukrainian, Moldovan, and Romanian top diplomats signed a joint statement and memorandum of understanding on combating manipulation in the media space and foreign interference.