The SSU continues to prevent and counteract to information and subversive activities of Russian special services against Ukraine.

The SSU cyber specialists uncovered and dismantled two bot farms in Lviv with total capacity of 18,000 fake accounts. According to preliminary information, organizers from Russia supervised the administrators of the bot farms.

The investigation established that three residents of Lviv region were involved: two of them used their flats as premises for bot farms, the third participant was responsible for technical maintenance.

The bot farms worked mostly in social networks: distributed fakes to spread panic. The bots also published false information about bomb threats at various facilities.

During the searches, the law enforcement seized:

• two sets of GSM gateways (92 and 375 online channels);
• 3,000 SIM cards of mobile operators;
• laptops with evidence of illegal activity;
• accounting records.

Criminal proceedings have been opened under Article 259 (knowingly false information about a threat to public safety, destruction or damage to property) of the CCU. The investigation is underway.

The Cyber Unit of the SSU Lviv Office carried out the operation together with the National Police investigators under the supervision of Halych District Prosecutor’s Office.