NewsGuard Report: Kremlin-Backed ‘Pravda’ Network Infiltrates AI Chatbots with Russian Disinformation

Photo: Artificial Intelligence, Brain, Think — royalty-free stock image from Pixabay by Gerd Altmann

This summary is from the NewsGuard Report.

A NewsGuard investigation revealed that a Kremlin-backed disinformation network called Pravda has deliberately infiltrated Western generative AI systems with pro-Russian propaganda by flooding the internet with millions of fake news articles designed to manipulate large language models.

The audit of ten leading AI chatbots—including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot—found that they echoed false narratives from the Pravda network 33% of the time, often citing Pravda’s fabricated stories as legitimate sources.

Originating in Crimea and run by the IT firm TigerWeb, Pravda operates across 150 domains in 49 countries, using aggressive search engine optimization (SEO) to dominate online results and “groom” AI models by saturating their data inputs with disinformation.

The campaign, described as “LLM grooming,” seeks to bias AI outputs toward Moscow’s geopolitical agenda, a tactic openly endorsed by former U.S. fugitive turned Russian propagandist John Mark Dougan.

Though the network has little organic human audience, it effectively exploits AI training mechanisms to launder Kremlin propaganda through ostensibly neutral chatbots, posing serious long-term political, social, and technological risks.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Blackout: Putin’s Dangerous Game with Europe’s Security

Photo credits:

Description: IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) arrives at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.
Date: 1 September 2022
Photo Credit: Fredrik Dahl / IAEA Imagebank

Introduction: A Summary and Commentary on The Kyiv Independent’s Reporting

This article summarizes and comments on The Kyiv Independent’s report, “Putin is Playing with Nuclear Fire — Zaporizhzhia Power Plant Blackout Ends, but Experts Warn Risks Are Far from Over”.

The piece exposes how Russia’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has turned one of Europe’s key energy assets into a geopolitical weapon, and a potential nuclear hazard.


A Nuclear Facility in the Crossfire

According to The Kyiv Independent, the ZNPP spent nearly a month disconnected from Ukraine’s grid, in what experts described as a dangerously prolonged outage.

Power was finally restored on October 23, but the delay, which could have been fixed within days, raised suspicions that Moscow intentionally prolonged the crisis to advance plans to connect the plant to Russia’s own energy network.

Experts told The Kyiv Independent that the plant’s reliance on diesel generators during the blackout showed how fragile its safety systems have become. Even in “cold shutdown,” a loss of power threatens the cooling systems that prevent radioactive leaks.

“Playing with Nuclear Fire”

The Kyiv Independent warns that the Zaporizhzhia situation exemplifies a new form of nuclear coercion, the use of nuclear facilities as political leverage.

By occupying and destabilizing the plant, Russia is effectively holding Europe hostage to nuclear risk.

International observers, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), remain largely powerless as the safety situation deteriorates.

CEED’s View: Nuclear Safety as Strategy

CEED agrees with The Kyiv Independent’s conclusion: Russia is no longer merely endangering nuclear safety, it is weaponizing it.

As we wrote in our earlier pieces, “Russia’s Missile Expansion Exposes the Illusion of Peace” and “Europe’s Response to Russia’s Drone Threat”, Moscow seeks to undermine European stability through fear and unpredictability. The blackout at Zaporizhzhia is the latest expression of that strategy.

CEED’s Key Recommendations

1. Demilitarize the Zone
The ZNPP must be placed under a verified international safety zone, free from military forces and monitored by the IAEA.

2. Secure Reliable Power
Rebuild and safeguard Ukraine’s power link to the plant under international oversight.

3. Investigate the Outage
Treat the blackout described by The Kyiv Independent as a possible act of sabotage and demand accountability.

4. Include Nuclear Protection in European Security Plans
Europe’s defense strategies must address the protection of nuclear infrastructure as a matter of collective security.

5. Elevate Nuclear Safety Diplomatically
Make nuclear facility protection a central issue in negotiations, sanctions, and international pressure on Russia.

The Road Ahead

As The Kyiv Independent reports, the Zaporizhzhia blackout may have ended, but the danger persists.

Russia’s occupation turns a civilian plant into a standing threat, a reminder that nuclear safety in Ukraine is inseparable from Europe’s security.

For CEED, the message is clear: Nuclear safety is not technical — it is political.

Europe must act now to ensure Zaporizhzhia does not become the site of the next great European tragedy.

Europe’s Response to Russia’s Drone Threat

Based on reporting from ABC News and BBC News.

Photo Credit and Description: Ursula von der Leyen & Mette Frederiksen talking during a meeting of the Coalition of the willing in Paris, France – 2025 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ursula_von_der_Leyen_%26_Mette_Frederiksen_talking_during_a_meeting_of_the_Coalition_of_the_willing_in_Paris,France-2025(1).jpg)

A Summit in a Time of Escalation

European leaders gathered in Copenhagen this week to respond to Russia’s expanding hybrid warfare campaign. The summit took place just days after drones disrupted airports in Denmark and followed multiple Russian airspace violations over Poland, Estonia, and Germany.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told leaders that Europe’s security is inseparable from Ukraine’s. As ABC News reported, he urged Europe to “step up” its support, warning that Moscow’s attacks are aimed at the entire continent, not only Ukraine.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen framed the issue starkly, declaring that “from a European perspective there is only one country willing to threaten us and that is Russia, and therefore we need a very strong answer back” (BBC News).

The Drone Wall and European Airspace

One of the central proposals discussed was the creation of a “drone wall.” As BBC News reported, this would be a multi-layered system to detect and destroy Russian drones quickly and cheaply. Allies including Poland, the UK, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United States provided Denmark with anti-drone support during the summit. A German frigate docked in Copenhagen to reinforce air defenses, while Sweden supplied radar systems.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for deterrence “at scale and at speed” (BBC News), and the Commission is advancing plans for joint procurement and expanded defense industries. A €150 billion European defense fund is under discussion, with the UK and Canada expected to participate.

The Eastern Flank and Long-Term Defense

Beyond drones, leaders reviewed broader security measures. The “Eastern Flank Watch” initiative will strengthen air, land, and sea defenses against hybrid warfare and Russia’s shadow fleet. According to BBC News, a long-term road map is being drawn up to make Europe’s defense industries “2030-ready.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that “we are not at war, but we are no longer at peace either” (BBC News). His statement reflected the growing consensus that Europe must take far greater responsibility for its own security.

Divisions remain, however. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban rejected Ukraine’s sovereignty and continued to oppose its EU membership, underscoring how political fractures can weaken collective defense efforts.

Reflection

The Copenhagen summit highlights Europe’s belated recognition that it is in the midst of the most dangerous security environment since 1945. Russia’s use of hybrid warfare, particularly drones, is not random harassment but a strategy designed to destabilize the continent. The Centre for Eastern European Democracy sees several urgent lessons:

  • Hybrid war is now the frontline. Drones, airspace incursions, and cyber disruption are integral to Russia’s campaign. Europe must treat these not as isolated events but as coordinated aggression.
  • Security is indivisible. Attacks in Denmark, Poland, or Estonia are not local issues. They are stress tests for all of Europe.
  • Cost matters. Russia spends thousands on drones that force Europe to spend millions on defenses. Innovation and efficiency must drive Europe’s response.
  • Unity is critical. Political divisions, such as Hungary’s stance on Ukraine, provide Moscow with strategic opportunities. Europe must close these gaps.
  • Ukraine’s survival is Europe’s survival. Support for Kyiv is not an act of generosity but the foundation of Europe’s own security.

Europe has entered a decisive decade. The question is whether its leaders will move quickly enough to build the defenses that tomorrow’s battlefield will demand. Delay and division will invite further aggression. Resolve and unity can deny Moscow the ability to destabilize Europe through hybrid means.

Hope for Ukraine Responds to Deadly Attack on Kyiv

August 1, 2025

In the wake of a devastating attack on Kyiv that claimed the lives of numerous civilians, Hope for Ukraine has issued a strong statement urging decisive international action.

Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, emphasized the urgency of the situation and outlined three key steps the United States and its allies must take to help prevent further casualties and pressure Russia toward a ceasefire:

  1. Public Condemnation: “The U.S. must publicly condemn—at the highest level, whether by the State Department or the President—the attack on Kyiv last night that claimed so many civilian lives,” Boyechko said.
  2. Immediate Military Aid: He called on the U.S. to “immediately announce a new shipment of military aid to Ukraine” to support the country’s defense.
  3. Use of Frozen Russian Assets: Finally, Boyechko urged the U.S. and the EU to authorize the use of frozen Russian assets to fund military support for Ukraine. “This third move would send the strongest possible message to the Kremlin that the U.S. and EU are no longer playing games—and that Ukraine will be defended with resources taken directly from Russian frozen assets.”

Hope for Ukraine continues to advocate for policies that protect civilians and uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty amid ongoing aggression.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Gabriella Ramirez
Executive Assistant, Hope for Ukraine

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