All articles tagged with #cognitive warfare
China’s Ministry of State Security warned that AI could threaten the country’s political, institutional, and ideological security, highlighting risks from deepfake audio/video, AI-generated content, and “intelligent troll armies” used to manipulate public opinion, and signaling possible tighter restrictions on foreign AI tools amid broader cyber-security concerns and talks with the United States.
ISW notes that Russia’s MoD and milbloggers are inflating gains in Oleksandrivka and Hulyaipolе as part of a cognitive warfare campaign, while Ukrainian forces leveraged drones and mechanized tactics to push in the Oleksandrivka direction and reportedly retook several settlements. Kyiv also struck strategic Russian assets, including the Progress Space Rocket Center in Samara and the Savasleyka Air Base, amid a broad long-range drone campaign. ISW cautions that some claimed Russian advances are AI-generated footage or misdated; overall, Ukrainian counteroffensive momentum exists in some sectors, alongside continued Russian operations and strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
ISW says Putin used a staged July 3 meeting with senior Russian commanders to push exaggerated battlefield gains that clash with available evidence: 64 settlements and about 621.7 square kilometers seized or infiltrated in 2026 (20 settlements and ~30.4 sq km in June), far from the claimed numbers. Distances cited from key cities are not supported by geolocated evidence, and the seizure of Kostyantynivka remains unsubstantiated according to Ukrainian sources. ISW warns footage from the MoD and others may be AI‑generated to bolster a cognitive warfare narrative. Meanwhile Ukraine continues long‑range strikes into Russia with no confirmed front‑line advances on July 4, and Russia’s broader goals of a buffer zone and rapid Donetsk breakthrough remain unmet, with costly gains.
Russian forces are conducting limited cross-border attacks in northern Ukraine as part of a cognitive warfare campaign to influence Western perceptions and negotiations, but there is no evidence of preparations for a major new offensive, and Ukrainian forces continue to resist and make local advances. Russia has also seized Siversk after prolonged fighting, and Ukrainian-Russian negotiations are ongoing with no significant breakthroughs. Russian activities include illegal deportations and targeted drone strikes, while Ukrainian forces are countering and advancing in some areas.