By Jack Goodman, Maria Korenyuk, Lucy Swinnen and Andrey Zakharov
World Provider Disinformation crew
Image supply, Southern Front
Image caption, The ID card of the Moroccan man we spoke to used to be displayed in the video document.
The port metropolis of Berdyansk had been occupied by Russian troops for lower than a week, nevertheless a original respectable-Kremlin on-line media outlet had already moved in.
The corporate, whose name interprets as Southern Front, makes and distributes respectable-Vladimir Putin propaganda all over YouTube, social media app Telegram, and through a domain that targets areas newly below Russian alter.
The Southern Front recordsdata space posted its first message on day one in all the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and now has several correspondents submitting reports on a day after day foundation.
The BBC has chanced on proof that the distance’s reporting contains falsehoods and deceptive claims.
In early March, Southern Front’s correspondent used to be at the scene in Berdyansk. They reported that Russian troopers had it sounds as if thwarted an attack, and killed two Moroccan men fervent. The reporter alleged the boys have been working as mercenaries for Ukraine. Nevertheless it appears system of the video have been staged.
Image supply, Southern Front
Image caption, The Southern Front document claimed to know the boys accomplishing the raid on camera.
The 2 Moroccan men identified in the attack have been allegedly chanced on with their Ukrainian residency permits composed on them.
The BBC tracked down one in all the boys implicated. In keeping with the document he used to be needless, nevertheless we spoke to him on social media. He requested anonymity nevertheless says he used to be no longer conscious regarding the Russian document and that he left Ukraine earlier than the invasion and returned to Morocco.
Southern Front over and over posts movies containing unsubstantiated claims.
The large majority of the experiences claim to present “composed existence” has been established in occupied areas. The channel customarily runs reports that elaborate Russia’s invasion.
In one video bundle, a correspondent experiences from a library the build she says she chanced on rather about a examples of books containing “Nazi symbols”. No proof is considered on camouflage camouflage. The books that originate seem on camera consist of works by original Ukrainian writers about right ancient events, such because the fight of Ilovaisk.
Image supply, Southern Front
Image caption, The Southern Front reporter claimed to search out “Nazi literature” at this local library.
“Southern Front is at chance of be fragment of the wider Russian system to set alter over the occupied territories of Ukraine,” says Julia Smirnova, an analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
The corporate and its social media channels are portraying the Russian occupation in the southern areas of Ukraine as a “liberation”, and Russian forces as “protectors”, says Ms Smirnova.
Who’s in the again of Southern Front?
Southern Front’s first message on Telegram to its miniature target audience of 25 subscribers on the day of the invasion mentioned: “Vladimir Putin announced the open of a diversified operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify the territory of Ukraine!”
Three months into the occupation, its target audience has now grown to 23,000.
Image supply, Southern Front
Image caption, The presenters are customarily considered wearing the letter “Z” – the Russian respectable-battle image.
A internet pages used to be registered a day after the invasion began. On the muse the usage of a Russian server from St Petersburg, it then moved to the American provider Cloudflare, which permits a space to hide the identity of its proprietor.
The channel produces a typical recordsdata service fronted by young, it sounds as if amateur presenters from annexed Crimea or self-declared separatist republics. Ukrainian recordsdata sources have been largely lower off.
One among the presenters contacted by BBC Russian mentioned they worked with out cost, and did no longer know who funded the operations.
We additionally requested Southern Front regarding the possession, nevertheless did no longer earn a answer.
Image supply, Southern Front
Image caption, Definite interviews with figures at the side of the newly-installed respectable-Russian Melitopol mayor feature closely.
Nevertheless it does seem an influential organisation with ties to the Russian executive is internet hosting Southern Front’s impart.
After researching dozens of movies, we observed some clues as to who will be in the again of the sad media organisation.
Various them have been recorded in a conference room showing the emblem of the Russia-Donbas Integration Committee, which suggests this organisation’s premises are ancient to movie. The Crimea-based entirely committee’s mission, listed on its internet pages, is to effect economic and humanitarian ties with the annexed Crimea and the respectable-Russian separatist republics in the Donbas.
The leaders of these self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine have key roles in the organisation. The co-ordinator is Andrei Kozenko — a veteran Russian MP, for the time being below US and EU sanctions.
Image supply, Southern Front
Image caption, The logo of the Russia-Donbas Integration Committee considered in some of the most announces.
Southern Front’s impart reaches some distance previous its internet pages.
A network of be pleased-minded Telegram accounts masking occupied cities customarily publishes its subject subject.
Collectively, these channels now have greater than 80,000 subscribers, although our learn presentations at the least one-third of these have been potentially paid for to artificially inflate the target audience. In three channels the series of followers jumped by greater than 10,000 in an hour in a single day on 29 March, consistent with analysis of TG Stat, which tracks Telegram recordsdata.
No subject the quite miniature following on social media, Southern Front has been boosted by influential accounts, at the side of a respectable-Russian blogger with greater than 650,000 followers, and by respectable-Kremlin media such as Moskovsky Komsomolets – a Moscow-based entirely newspaper chanced on in most submit-Soviet countries.
Nevertheless the fightback has began. Lately respectable-Ukrainian activists hacked Southern Front’s internet pages with a message about Kherson, which the distance’s original rulers snarl they ought to be annexed by Russia.
Image caption, Hackers additionally uploaded a poster saying “Kherson is Ukraine” on to the Southern Front internet pages.
One among the posts warned that any folks interested in a so-known as referendum on the approach forward for the distance will be punished by Ukraine.
It mentioned: “Welcome to Hell!!!”
No subject the attack, the distance used to be up and running over again quickly afterwards.
There are stressful signs for residents if the project establishes itself. After nearby Crimea used to be annexed in 2014, self sustaining media outlets have been expelled, says Ms Smirnova.
“In southern Ukraine, Russian authorities are at chance of apply a an analogous direction by threatening and moving self sustaining journalists, silencing self sustaining media outlets and replacing them with propaganda channels.”
Extra reporting by Samia Hosny and Olga Robinson, BBC Monitoring.