Operatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have detained a group of people in Kyiv who organised a "bot farm" and used it to share destructive messages in social networks and messengers, as well as hoax bomb alerts.
According to the SBU, they provided services to Russians and individuals affiliated with the self-proclaimed Donetsk people's republic.
"Customers then used the accounts to establish and support legendised contacts with Ukrainian citizens, carry out illegal financial transactions, and send goods sized from legal turnover through postal operators," the SBU said.
Operatives confiscated special technical equipment used to control many SIM cards and virtual mobile phones at once, as well as text distribution.