There is a story spreading across social media right now, and it is easy to see why so many people want to believe it. It goes something like this: after Ukrainian strikes on several Russian data centres belonging to Yandex, the country’s biggest tech company, the online propaganda machine that has helped fuel pro-Russian and far-right political movements across Europe suddenly went quiet. Disinformation about the war, the story claims, dropped significantly. Engagement generated by Russian bots and propagandists on platforms like X, TikTok and Facebook supposedly declined in a dramatic, visible way. The narrative has been amplified by Ukrainian…

The 9th Congress of Azerbaijani Journalists brought together media professionals, policymakers, and regulators in a shared moment of reflection on the state of journalism in the country. Among the voices that carried particular weight was that of Natiq Mammadli, Head of Department at the Azerbaijan Media and Broadcasting Council. His address did not dwell on the familiar themes of press freedom or professional ethics alone, but instead turned to a more urgent and combative concern: the unrelenting battle against disinformation. In a world where fabricated narratives can travel across borders in seconds, and where hostile actors seek to undermine national…