For Oleksandra Tsekhanovska, head of the Hybrid Warfare Analytical Group at the Kyiv-based Ukraine Crisis Media Center, the effects are both near- and far-reaching. He adds: "Telegram has become my primary news source." Such instructions could actually endanger people — citizens receive air strike warnings via smartphone alerts. "This time we received the coordinates of enemy vehicles marked 'V' in Kyiv region," it added. "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.
from ar
