UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Aug  6 —The Russian army spreads news not only through social networks and media, but also unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), said Vitalii Sarantsev, a spokesman of the “Kharkiv” group of forces, at a briefing on August 6.

During Russia’s full-scale invasion, their campaigns of fake news and manipulative stories have been spreading widely. These false Russian narratives aim to confuse people, weaken the Ukrainian resistance, and influence international opinion. 

Sarantsev said that the “Orlan” drones monitor cellular communication stations. They scan all phone numbers within their range and collect information from SIM cards.

“Thanks to this, the enemy can trace the movement if the card is scanned next time in another location. The Russians also used it to distribute SMS messages calling for surrender, saying “all is lost.” In this way, they tried to provoke the population, make them panic,” Sarantsev said.

Sarantsev also noted that the UAV flies in a particular operational area, can operate autonomously, and scans an area up to 12 miles deep and 62 miles wide during one flight session.

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