The Vladimirror Network: Pro-Putin Power-Users on Facebook

ISD's April 2022 investigation exposed a network of high-follower Facebook accounts systematically amplifying pro-Kremlin narratives in the immediate aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine — documenting coordinated inauthentic behaviour at a moment of maximum geopolitical significance. The investigation maps account clusters, content patterns, and cross-border reach, providing contemporaneous evidence of how Russian information operations operated on Facebook during the opening weeks of the invasion.

The investigation is significant both as an intelligence document — providing a snapshot of Russian Facebook operations at a critical moment — and as a platform accountability document. ISD's investigation documented Meta's failure to act on coordinated inauthentic behaviour at scale, raising questions about the adequacy of platform enforcement that remain relevant in the context of DSA implementation and the broader retreat from content moderation by major platforms. For practitioners studying Russian social media operations and platform accountability, this is a primary source.