False news often spreads via public groups, or chats, with potentially fatal effects. In 2018, Russia banned Telegram although it reversed the prohibition two years later. "Russians are really disconnected from the reality of what happening to their country," Andrey said. "So Telegram has become essential for understanding what's going on to the Russian-speaking world." "This time we received the coordinates of enemy vehicles marked 'V' in Kyiv region," it added. Such instructions could actually endanger people — citizens receive air strike warnings via smartphone alerts.
from cn