Decoding Russia’s Telegram Propaganda Ecosystem

A Blackbird.AI analysis of the messaging application Telegram reveals a vast network of pro-Russia propaganda channels amplifying narrative attacks. These channels promote messaging that subverts democratic and business institutions, undermines global elections, and enhances tribalism and cultural divisions.

Since its launch in 2013, Telegram has rapidly become one of the world’s most popular and controversial messaging apps. The brainchild of Russian tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov, Telegram is a decentralized, cloud-based platform with over 900 million users, drawn to its unique blend of speed, privacy features, and lax content moderation policies. 

Durov’s arrest and detention in late August sparked controversy over the use of online platforms and the culpability of their owners. The nature of Telegram and Durov’s decisions to create a highly private messaging platform has opened it to various illicit communities, spawning everything from ambiguous legal marketplaces to narrative attack dissemination hubs. Durov’s refusal to cooperate with French authorities to preserve Telegram’s anonymity and privacy has now landed him in legal trouble.

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Telegram also helps fuel Russia’s digital propaganda engine. This sprawling ecosystem, spanning official government accounts to anonymous cyber units, serves as the nerve center for Moscow’s global narrative attack campaigns. As traditional social media platforms tighten their grip on content moderation, Telegram’s encrypted, decentralized nature has made it the perfect breeding ground for state-sponsored narrative manipulation. From shaping domestic opinion on the Ukraine conflict to sowing discord in Western democracies, these channels are redefining the landscape of modern information warfare. 

Just a relatively small number of channels can have an outsized influence. According to researchers tracking state-aligned influence operations, Russian narrative attack campaigns employ increasingly sophisticated strategies that extend far beyond their initial Telegram followings.

While these Telegram channels have amassed millions of subscribers, the messaging platform serves primarily as an incubator for narratives designed to reach much broader audiences. The actual impact emerges through a carefully orchestrated chain of distribution.

The playbook typically unfolds in distinct phases: narratives originate in Telegram channels, then migrate to sympathetic influencers on mainstream social media, where they receive coordinated amplification through networks of inauthentic accounts. The ultimate goal, analysts say, is to generate genuine engagement from real users across popular platforms.

This methodology suggests that success on Telegram itself is a relatively minor consideration for Russian operatives managing external influence campaigns. Instead, the platform is a launching pad for narratives penetrating Western social media ecosystems deeper.

Cybersecurity, communication, and government leaders, as well as consumers, should be deeply concerned about Russia’s Telegram propaganda ecosystem due to its role as a potent incubator and disseminator of narrative attacks created by narrative attacks. This vast network of channels poses a significant threat through its ability to launch coordinated narrative attacks that can rapidly increase across digital platforms. Fueled by a mix of false information and manipulated truths, narrative attacks can undermine information integrity, destabilize national security, and disrupt corporate operations. 

The Process: How the Pro-Russian Telegram Map Was Created

The Blackbird.AI Telegram map is an ever-expanding list of more than 600 channels, organized by category, including cyber operators, influencers, state media, politicians and more. The map was created in concert with Blackbird.AI’s Constellation Narrative Intelligence Platform and our RAV3N Research Team, and the documentation process required sifting through and categorizing tens of thousands of additional Telegram channels, posts, and accounts. Given Telegram’s segmented nature and lack of external indexing, automated scraping was deemed ineffective, as it would pull in too much irrelevant information. Instead, each channel was handpicked for its relevance to the pro-Russian ecosystem, and careful consideration was given to how these channels interact with each other, how they push state-approved narratives, and how their content aligns with broader narrative attack campaigns.

This approach allowed for a more focused and detailed examination of how Russia uses Telegram to advance its geopolitical aims. By mapping the key players in this ecosystem, we provide researchers, policymakers, and business leaders with a more precise understanding of the types of narratives Russia pushes and how they evolve from fringe Telegram channels to mainstream discourse.

As Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine continues, intelligence analysts at Blackbird.AI observe and document the Kremlin’s propaganda efforts on Telegram. These information operations, which aim to influence, disrupt, or compromise adversaries, have become a critical aspect of modern warfare. Intelligence analysts require access to key phrases, images, and reference links from Telegram to investigate emerging narratives and uncover the breadth of these campaigns. While some rely on curated lists of propagandist channels, others assemble comprehensive directories categorized by subject matter, channel owner identity, and target audience to navigate the ever-changing digital battlefield and counter-narrative attacks.

Mapping the Russian Telegram Ecosystem: Why It Matters

The pro-Russian Telegram map was created to visualize and index the breadth of channels that distribute Russian propaganda. In a time where understanding the origin and flow of misinformation is crucial, this map allows researchers and analysts to trace narratives from their inception in Russian state-sponsored channels to their seeding in mainstream social media and news outlets.

This map is not merely a list of Telegram channels; it is a snapshot of a sprawling ecosystem that stretches from Russian military propaganda to seemingly benign economic and political commentary. It helps contextualize how Russia leverages this platform to spread narrative attacks across national borders, targeting audiences in Africa, Latin America, and Europe with tailored messaging that suits each region’s unique political context.

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Why and How Does Russia Use Telegram?

Russia has long used social media platforms to advance its geopolitical goals, but Telegram offers distinct advantages that make it particularly attractive for its narrative attack efforts. Unlike mainstream social media, Telegram is harder to regulate. Many of its channels are closed to outsiders or operate anonymously, making it difficult to track the origins of specific narratives. Furthermore, the platform’s encryption capabilities provide a layer of security that prevents third parties from accessing private conversations or posts within closed groups.

The platform is used to craft and distribute propaganda to various target audiences. From domestic messaging aimed at reinforcing the Russian government’s position on the war in Ukraine to external propaganda aimed at destabilizing the West, Telegram is central to Russia’s media strategy. Channels range from military-focused war blogs to government-run accounts that push official narratives, providing an interconnected web of information that echoes pro-Russian sentiments across different regions and topics. 

For example, in recent weeks, as Russia has reportedly welcomed North Korean troops into the country with a potential view to deployment in Ukraine, many Z and war blogging accounts, such as @swodki have pivoted their commentary on war updates and tactical troop movements to focus on Ukraine’s deployment of foreign fighters on the battlefield, possibly to lay the narrative groundwork to justify deploying North Korean fighters. Four hours after this account posted this story, it was uploaded by pro-Russian influencers across mainstream Western social media networks. 

The Scale of the Pro-Russian Telegram Network

The pro-Russian Telegram ecosystem is extensive. It includes various channels categorized into different segments, including official government accounts, military units, cyber units, domestic and international political propaganda, and more. The diversity of these channels underscores the complexity of Russia’s information warfare efforts. Below are some examples of the categories mapped and the types of narratives promoted:

Official Government Accounts:

These channels are typically used to disseminate official government statements and reinforce state narratives. For instance, channels like @mod_russia or @MFARussia serve as the official communication arms of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, respectively. They frequently post updates on military operations, foreign diplomacy, and Russia’s stance on international issues, shaping the official state narrative for domestic and international audiences.

Z Journalists:

Some channels, like @SolovievLive, run by Vladimir Solovyov, a prominent pro-Kremlin television host, are highly influential. These channels often feature editorial commentary on global events, including the war in Ukraine, U.S. politics, and the broader geopolitical landscape. Their reach extends beyond Telegram, influencing mainstream media narratives both within Russia and among international audiences sympathetic to Russian viewpoints.

Cyber Units:

Accounts like @CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn and @killnet_reservs belong to cyber units affiliated with Russia’s ongoing digital warfare efforts. These channels post updates on cyberattacks, hacking exploits, and digital disruptions aimed at Western institutions. They are essential to Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics, combining military operations with digital sabotage.

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Examples of Key Narratives and Messaging

Z/ZOV Movement: 

1. @RVvoenkor: A military-focused channel that updates followers on the progress of Russian forces in Ukraine, frequently distorting facts to paint Russia as making steady gains.
2. @thehandofthekremlin: A smaller channel that amplifies international news stories, often using misleading headlines to suggest Western decline.
3. @heroesofZ: This channel regularly highlights “heroes” of the war in Ukraine, celebrating Russian soldiers’ bravery while vilifying Ukrainian forces.
4. @swodki: War updates and domestic news from a pro-war, pro-Putin perspective. Consistently publishes updates meant to divide and denigrate Ukraine’s military – writing that Ukrainian military forces commit war crimes – firing intentionally on civilians, or amplifying stories of foreign fighters killed in action in support of Ukraine.
5. @ninavatt90: Anonymized pro-Russia & pro-Putin channel, mostly war updates with occasional international political propaganda focusing on cultural topics.

External Messaging:

1. @africaninitiative: This channel focuses on Africa, emphasizing that Russia is a benevolent global power seeking to liberate Africa from Western imperialism.
2. @ukr_leaks: This channel frequently publishes “exposés” on Ukrainian political corruption, promoting the narrative that Ukraine is a failed state propped up by Western interests.
3. @verysexydasha: A seemingly innocuous channel that mixes lifestyle content with pro-Russian political commentary, targeting younger, Westernized audiences.
4. @wargonzo: Coverage of the war in Ukraine, noted for repeated instances of spreading narrative attacks denigrating Ukraine or promoting the Russian cause. Especially notable over time for sowing a Western-versus-Eastern dynamic, on social and political matters.
5. @chto_delat_2022: Hyper-propagandized pro-Russian analytical perspectives from a variety of different sources. Acts as a vector of enforcing pro-Russian echo chambers on Telegram by amplifying hyper-propagandized channels.

Influencers:

1. @ASGasparyan: Aram Gasparyan is a popular Russian commentator whose channel mixes personal reflections with sharp political commentary, often pushing conspiracy theories about Western governments.
2. @margaritasimonyan: Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT, uses her channel to promote state-sponsored views on the war in Ukraine, U.S. politics, and media censorship.
3. @zarubinreporter: Pavel Zarubin, a war correspondent, frequently posts about his travels with the Russian military, amplifying pro-war sentiments and downplaying Russian casualties.
4. @skurlatovlive: Igor Skurlatov, professor and political commentator, publishes frequent content in favor of Russia’s war in Ukraine and in support of Vladimir Putin.
5. @barantchik: Yuri Baranchik is a Russian military expert and director of RUSSTRAT, the Russian Institute for International Political and Economic Strategies. Publishes commentary on war developments in lockstep with Kremlin narratives.

Impact on Mainstream Media and Western Discourse

One of the most insidious aspects of Russia’s Telegram narrative attack strategy is its ability to seed narratives that later emerge in mainstream media. For example, narratives originating from channels like @SolovievLive have made their way into discussions on Western social media platforms, where like-minded influencers further amplify them. This cross-platform spread allows Russian narratives to transcend their origins and influence public discourse in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

Russian narrative attack efforts on Telegram have also found an audience among certain political groups in the West. Far-right and far-left groups have been particularly susceptible to Russian narratives, as these groups often distrust mainstream media and are drawn to the conspiratorial tones found in many pro-Russian Telegram channels. By amplifying and manipulating existing political divisions, Russian state actors can exacerbate polarization in Western democracies.

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Why Should We Care and What Can Businesses Learn?

Understanding how state-sponsored narrative attack spreads on platforms like Telegram is crucial for businesses. Narrative attack campaigns can significantly impact reputations, market stability, and public trust. Companies must be vigilant about the information circulating in their ecosystems, as they could be targets of smear campaigns or false narratives designed to undermine confidence in their products or leadership.

Furthermore, cybersecurity businesses must be aware of the tactics used by cyber units affiliated with Russian propaganda efforts. Channels like @CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn offer insights into the digital disruptions these units aim to cause. Companies in finance, healthcare, and energy, which are frequent targets of cyberattacks, should take note of the threats posed by state-sponsored hacking groups that use platforms like Telegram to coordinate their efforts.

LEARN MORE: Fighting Fiction with Facts: Your Quick Guide to Narrative Attacks

The Way Forward: Combatting Telegram-Based Narrative Attacks

As of March 2024, according to Wikipedia, Telegram has a substantial user base, with over 900 million monthly active users, reflecting its continued growth and popularity. The app saw 310.94 million downloads in the first nine months of 2023, highlighting its global appeal. Telegram’s optional premium service has attracted around 4 million paying subscribers. The user demographic skews younger, with more than 29% aged between 25 and 34 and over 25% under 24. In Russia, Telegram dominates the social media landscape with a market share of 46.8%, and its usage is steadily rising in countries like Belarus and Ukraine.

Key takeaways for security, communication, and government leaders regarding Russia’s use of Telegram for propaganda:

• Telegram has become a critical platform for Russian state-sponsored narrative attack campaigns due to its decentralized nature, privacy features, and lax content moderation.
• The pro-Russian Telegram ecosystem is vast and complex, spanning thousands of government accounts, military units, cyber units, and various propaganda channels targeting domestic and international audiences.
• Narratives originating on Telegram often make their way into mainstream media and social media discourse in the West, amplified by sympathetic groups and influencers.
• Businesses should be aware that narrative attack campaigns on Telegram can impact their reputations, market stability, and cybersecurity. Vigilance in monitoring these channels is crucial.
• Combating a Telegram-based narrative attack requires a multi-pronged approach involving improved regulation, investment in media literacy programs, and collaboration between governments and businesses.
• Understanding the flow of narratives from Telegram to other platforms is essential for tracing the origins of narrative attacks and developing effective countermeasures.

Fighting narrative attacks created by misinformation and narrative attacks on Telegram requires a multi-pronged approach. Governments and businesses must work together to improve regulation, which is difficult given the decentralized platform. However, more can be done to counter-narrative attacks with credible information. This includes investing in media literacy programs that help the public.

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