Thread: Case study in Russian and pro-Kremlin Twitter activity around the Skripal poisoning case, and how it tries to influence the UK debate. medium.com/dfrlab/putinat…
Look at the results of this Twitter poll, from @Rachael_Swindon (which looks like a genuine UK activist account). Pretty damning for the UK government. 
But were the respondents Brits? Some were, but many were Russian-language ones and claim to be Russia-based. Look at these retweeters here, for example.
Scanning the retweets of the original post, the early traffic (top half) comes from what look like UK accounts, but the later traffic (bottom half) is dominated and driven by Russian and pro-Kremlin ones.
For example, the later retweeters included these four, all primarily Russian-language, and Russia-centric. Did they also vote in the poll? Seems reasonable to suspect so.
One of the earlier retweets was by @malinka1102, current screen name "Tanya P." but long kept anonymous (left-hand picture from 2015).
This account systematically amplifies Kremlin narratives and outlets, for example on Crimea and MH17, from RT and Russia Insider.
It also trolls researchers, journalists and witnesses, like @bellingcat, @bealejonathan and the White Helmets.
This was another early amplifier: @znaetymka. Created in May 2017, over 83,000 total engagements (tweets + likes) since then, for an average of 285 a day.
This account usually posts in Russian, but does sometimes use non-native English (possibly Google translated). It argues with other users, so it's not a bot.
Another amplifier of the Rachael_Swindon post was @rixstep, which posts in English and Swedish, and seems to be an RT fan.
Rixstep and Malinka1102 aren't strangers: they interact online.
One particularly influential retweeter (judging by the number of accounts which then retweeted it) was @ValLisitsa, which posts in English and Russian. Last year, this account joined the troll-factory #StopMorganLie campaign.
The ValLisitsa account drew many, mostly Russian-language, accounts to the Rachael_Swindon tweet. It also interacts with rixstep and malinka1102.
.@Rachael_Swindon isn't part of that community. But when ValLisitsa used one of her images, she noticed and commented.
A little exchange followed, in which Rachael showed ValLisitsa her poll as evidence that the "mood of the British public" was shifting.
Ironic, given that much of the traffic wasn't British, and ValLisitsa drove it.
Ironic, given that much of the traffic wasn't British, and ValLisitsa drove it.
Meanwhile, one of the most-retweeted accounts on the Skripal case on March 18-20 was @Ian56789, which shared RT and called the attack a false flag.
There's no verifiable personal information about this account, and its profile picture is model David Gandy.
It interacts with malinka1102, ValLisitsa and rixstep.
It posts content from the Kremlin point of view; for example, on the Mueller investigation, the White Helmets, MH17, @bellingcat, @eliothiggins, and NATO.
It's linked to a blogspot page, which also carries content which echoes the Kremlin point of view.
Really interestingly, the day after Boris Nemtsov was shot, it carried a "cui bono" post, discussing whether it was a false flag.
We know from whistleblowers that the troll factory was ordered to do exactly that, at that time. mr7.ru/articles/11247…
We know from whistleblowers that the troll factory was ordered to do exactly that, at that time. mr7.ru/articles/11247…
These are small incidents, but they show how active, coordinated and effective pro-Kremlin accounts can be at penetrating the online debate in the UK. / Thread ends.
