Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about our media interventions, our selected publications on topics of interest, and upcoming events related to #disinformation, #OSINT, and more!
➡️ https://checkfirst.network/newsletter/

📫 You've got mail! The March issue of our monthly newsletter 'Indeed' is out. This edition features a glimpse of our latest #investigation into the GRU's Information Operations Troops (VIO), using photographs of medals and #OSINT.
➡️ https://r.crossover.social/3gt9o97xzlxpfe.html?t=1773052413119

If you have any questions on this report, please write to us at info@checkfirst.network.

Read our full #investigation on our website 🔗 https://checkfirst.network/unveiling-grus-information-operations-troops-with-osint-and-medals/
Don't miss our updates by subscribing to Indeed, our monthly newsletter 🔗 https://checkfirst.network/newsletter/

Thanks for reading!

Our visuals below provide you a first glance at our findings, with examples of units featuring a comprehensive description.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
🏅 We have gathered 118 photos from specialised websites and forums.
🗺️ Thanks to them, we have concluded that the VIO is composed of at least 15 units across Russia.
🔎 These units are divided into three specialities: encryption/cryptoanalysis, computer network operations (CNO), and psychological operations.

🔴 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧
Last year, we were able to unearth the infrastructure of the FSB's 16th Centre, combining #OSINT techniques and photos of old medals found on specialised websites. We replicated this method to explore the Information Operations Troops ( #VIO) of #Russia’s military intelligence service, better known by the acronym #GRU. While some units were already well‑documented, others have been scarcely recorded — or not at all — in open sources.

𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
📍 Pan Piper, Paris
📆 Feb 5th, 11:35 (panel discussion) and 15:00 (podcast recording) CET

Registration link 🔗 https://video-mobile.org/RIE2026/programme-des-rencontres-de-linnovation-editoriale-2026-salle-1/
Programme 🔗 https://yp.events/fe97b31e-0b8d-4379-aa69-651a6910239a/Rencontres-de-linnovation-editoriale-2026

Are you in Paris this week?
We gladly invite you to attend https://Samsa.fr's 'Meetings of Editorial Innovation' and meet our CEO Hervé Letoqueux. He will be taking part in a panel discussion on new security protocols alongside Clémentine Forissier (Contexte), Elodie Vialle and Carole Caumont (https://Samsa.fr).
Hervé has also been invited to speak on the 'Propagations' podcast for a second time! His interview will be recorded in public at the same event.

𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

📍 Maison de l'Europe, Paris

📆 01/21, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Paris time)

🔗 https://www.eventbrite.fr/e/billets-de-lukraine-a-leurope-la-dimension-cybersecurite-de-la-guerre-en-ukraine-1978395651651?aff=oddtdtcreator

𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆!

Tomorrow, our CEO Hervé Letoqueux will take part in a French-language panel discussion entitled '𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘜𝘬𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘺𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘜𝘬𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦'.

The discussion will explore the following topics:

➡️ How cybersecurity goes beyond its technical role in cyber defence to become its 'main battlement' ;

➡️ France's role in the construction of the EU's Democracy Shield ;

➡️ How EU regulations and norms help to reinforce EU digital sovereignty.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@checkfirst/115898632316340987

👀 Read our blogpost to find out more about the role we played in that research: https://checkfirst.network/a-collective-approach-to-documenting-the-supply-chain-of-disinformation/

RE: https://mastodon.social/@DisinfoEU/115898616529163451

Operation Overload, Doppelgänger... We’ve been documenting these disinformation campaigns for years. But what if we adopted a consistent approach to documenting, attributing and responding to these operations?

With a group of partners (including @DisinfoEU ) we applied the Information Manipulation Set (IMS) concept developed by Viginum to four well-documented operations.

Find out more about our insights 🔗 https://www.disinfo.eu/building-a-common-operational-picture-of-fimi

This new partnership allows us to take proactive steps to preserve the dignity of victims of child sexual abuse as well as ensure the safety of our staff when undertaking such sensitive research.

Read our full statement 🔗 https://checkfirst.network/check-first-and-iwf-join-forces-to-tackle-illegal-content/

🔍 As a company dedicated to analysing online harms, we strive to adopt the highest safety standards and abide by industry norms, especially when dealing with illegal and sensitive material pertaining to children. This is why we are proud to announce that we've joined Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)'s membership!

We are already preparing for what’s coming next year and can’t wait to share it with the community. See you in 2026!

Make sure you don't miss our latest updates by subscribing 🔗 https://checkfirst.network/newsletter/

📫 2025 has been a year full of new investigations and products (including RADAR and https://Oppi.tech), fulfilling our objective to tackle #disinformation at its core. All these achievements are featured in the December issue of our monthly newsletter, "Indeed", along with our selection of events, studies and investigations in the field.

Read this edition 🔗 https://r.crossover.social/3gr1lvvxzlxpfe.html?t=1765274603811

𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:
📍 Room 3E2, European Parliament, Brussels
📆 December 9th (13:00-15:00)

Tomorrow at 14:15 (Brussels time), Shivika Sharma, our senior manager specialising in digital threats and policy, will join a panel exploring policy, regulation and institutional response regarding disinformation in electoral context.

This panel (moderated by Alexandre Alaphilippe from @DisinfoEU) is part of the European Parliament conference "Election Integrity and Foreign Interference in Romania, Moldova, and Poland: Is There A Better Way to Shield Our Democracy?".

We thank again the FBA for this opportunity, and we will continue supporting CSOs and journalists as they pursue investigations into attempts to disrupt the elections!

https://checkfirst.network/check-first-helps-armenian-csos-and-journalists-to-protect-election-integrity/

🇦🇲 In partnership with the FBA (Folke Bernadotteakademin), the Swedish agency for peace, security and development, we spent a week in Yerevan, Armenia, helping Armenian civil society organisations and journalists strengthen their defences against foreign manipulation.

During our workshops, participants were introduced to a range of OSINT techniques and took part in a simulated investigation exercise using our https://oppi.tech platform.