False news often spreads via public groups, or chats, with potentially fatal effects. "This time we received the coordinates of enemy vehicles marked 'V' in Kyiv region," it added. A Russian Telegram channel with over 700,000 followers is spreading disinformation about Russia's invasion of Ukraine under the guise of providing "objective information" and fact-checking fake news. Its influence extends beyond the platform, with major Russian publications, government officials, and journalists citing the page's posts. "Someone posing as a Ukrainian citizen just joins the chat and starts spreading misinformation, or gathers data, like the location of shelters," Tsekhanovska said, noting how false messages have urged Ukrainians to turn off their phones at a specific time of night, citing cybersafety. Artem Kliuchnikov and his family fled Ukraine just days before the Russian invasion.
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