Shayan Sardarizadeh

Kremlin-linked Matryoshka bot network launches campaign on Greenland dispute, claims Zelensky ready to send troops to fight against the U.S. The Kremlin-linked online bot network known as “Matryoshka” has launched a disinformation campaign focused on the escalating dispute over Greenland, according to researchers from the Bot Blocker project (@antibot4navalny), which monitors Russian bot activity on social media. The researchers told The Insider that the campaign is aimed at amplifying tensions surrounding the standoff between the U.S. and several of its NATO allies.

Kremlin-linked Matryoshka bot network launches campaign on Greenland dispute, claims Zelensky ready to send troops to fight against the U.S.

@antibot4navalny.bsky.social notes the new disinfo masks itself as content from @thestudyofwar.bsky.social and @bellingcat.com, among others.

We analysed 392 photos of victims leaked to us after they were displayed in a mortuary in Tehran and were able to identify 326 people. Sources claimed the true number of dead at the mortuary ran into the thousands.

Many of the victims were too disfigured to be identified.

Leaked photos show hundreds killed in Iran's brutal crackdown The images from one mortuary in Tehran were shown to families who went to identify their loved ones.

Hundreds of photos revealing the faces of those killed during the violent crackdown on protests in Iran have been leaked to BBC Verify.

The pictures reveal the bloodied, swollen and bruised faces of at least 326 victims - including 18 women.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A collage of BBC Verify live page headlines from 12 January: Protesters gather in Tehran square during reported blackout, 'Death to Khamenei' chanted at Tehran funeral, Videos from mortuary show how deadly protests have become, One video shows potentially 200 dead at Tehran mortuary. Alongside them are a screengrab from a social media video posted 10 January, showing protests at Punak Square, and two screengrabs from a social media video posted 11 January showing a protest at a funeral parlour in Tehran.

Tehran, Iran.

Last weekend we verified all we could from what broke through the regime's internet restrictions. With @shayan86.bsky.social, @benedictgarman.com and Ghoncheh Habibiazad.

Which led to major reports and videos from BBC Verify, plus four live page posts.

My how-to notes to follow.

During a speech in Tehran today, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that "several thousand people were killed" during the recent protests by those he described as "seditionists", confirming for the first time that the death toll from the protests is in the thousands.

Iran's government has imposed a near total internet shutdown on more than 90 million Iranians since last Thursday, almost entirely cutting them off from the outside world for more than a week.

In such an environment, it's become extremely difficult to know what's happening inside Iran.

Tehran morgue videos show the brutality of Iran's crackdown on protesters Distressing footage reveals nearly 200 bodies with one victim identified as young as 16.

@shayan86.bsky.social & @merlynthomas.bsky.social (BBC Verify) and Ghoncheh Habibiazad (BBC Persian) have this report from #Iran, documenting some of the atrocities that are being committed.
(Additional reporting by Roja Assadi, @richib.bsky.social and Kumar Malhotra).
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Tehran morgue videos show the brutality of Iran's crackdown on protesters Distressing footage reveals nearly 200 bodies with one victim identified as young as 16.

We've analysed new videos published by @vahid.online that show rows of body bags at the Kahrizak mortuary in Tehran on 10 January.

We've counted at least 186 bodies in one clip and at least 178 bodies in another, although the true figure is likely much higher.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Iran anti-government protests spread to majority of provinces, videos show Videos show that unrest has spread to more than 50 towns and cities, including pro-government heartlands.

BBC Verify and BBC Persian have verified over 100 videos in more than 50 towns and cities during 10 days of nationwide protests in Iran, showing that the demonstrations have now spread to the majority of Iran's provinces.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

There is no evidence that China has moved its aircraft carrier Fujian to the Strait of Taiwan following the seizure of Nicolas Maduro by the US.

One example of how Grok is being used to target women. Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch being sexualised, degraded, and humiliated step-by-step by Grok. All the images accurately reflect the prompts provided.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5zZ9kFYAoYhBmXf5A

This viral video claims to show US flags being waved in Venezuela to celebrate the US seizure of Nicolas Maduro.

While the video is recent and was posted by a TikTok user over the weekend, a simple geolocation shows that the gathering took place in Panama City, not Venezuela.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/C-BkPiePj41/

This video claims to show a billboard of Nicolas Maduro being brought down by Venezuelans after the US seizure of him.

But the video is from July 2024, when opposition protests erupted across Venezuela after a highly disputed presidential election.

Fact-check: @davidpuente.it

THREAD: Viral misinformation on US seizure of Nicolas Maduro - 5 January

This video claims to show Venezuelans toppling and dragging a statue of former president Hugo Chavez.

But the video was filmed during anti-Maduro protests in July 2024 and the statue is Indio Coromoto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9kRfyLZv5A

This video claims to show a US military helicopter during the operation in Venezuela to capture Maduro.

However, the video is from 2023, and shows a Boeing CH-47 Chinook during a military exercise in Miami.

I will post a media literacy thread on how to verify AI-generated content when I find some free time.

For now, check out this thread on how to reverse search and source images and videos online.

bsky.app/profile/shay...

Follow this 4 January thread of fact-checks for more viral misinformation about the capture of Nicolas Maduro

bsky.app/profile/shay...

More AI-generated images of Nicolas Maduro being detained by the US military and transferred to the US have been shared online.

These two images have both been created with AI and aren't real.

https://x.com/BrandonStraka/status/1932522480662688090

This video, viewed over 600,000 times, claims to show US troops landing in Caracas to capture Maduro.

The video is from June 2025, showing US Special Forces preparing for the army's 250th anniversary parade.

Fact-check: @lgalrao.bsky.social

This video, viewed millions of times on TikTok, Facebook and X, claims to show Venezuelans taking to the street to thank the US for detaining Maduro.

But the video is a combination of four AI-generated clips and was first posted on TikTok by a user who frequently shares AI videos. It's not real.

THREAD: Viral misinformation on US capture of Nicolas Maduro - 4 January

This video, shared by Alex Jones and others, falsely claims to show millions of Venezuelans in Caracas celebrating Maduro's capture.

In fact, it shows anti-Maduro protests in July 2024 over a highly disputed election.

https://x.com/nickshirleyy/status/2007485612241367156

This widely shared post, which claims to show Venezuelans celebrating the fall of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, is false.

The video was actually filmed in Miami, Florida, and not in Venezuela.

Yes, that one was posted by Trump and appears to be genuine

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTDBoRYEUYg/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTDBoRYEUYg/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTDBoRYEUYg/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTDBoRYEUYg/

More AI-generated images of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro being detained by US military and drug enforcement agents have been shared online.

They are all fake and created by an Instagram user who makes and posts generative AI content.

This video, viewed millions of times, falsely claims to show the US military operation in Venezuela this morning.

In fact, the video is old, and was posted to TikTok back in November 2025.

This is an AI-manipulated version of a real video of the US military operation in Venezuela.

While the real clip does appear to be genuine, this specific version has been manipulated using Grok to add dramatic explosions and strikes.

Every clip in this 2:38-minute video montage shows Iranian missile strikes on Israel in 2024 and 2025, none of clips are linked to US strikes on Venezuela this morning.

This video falsely claims to show US strikes on a port in the Venezuelan capital Caracas tonight.

But the clip dates back to October 2024, and shows Iranian missile strikes on the Nevatim air base in Israel.

This video falsely claims to show US strikes on the Fort Tiuna military site in Venezuela this morning.

In fact, it shows Iranian missile strikes on Israel during the 12-day war in June.

THREAD: I'll fact-check all the viral misinformation about the US military operation in Venezuela in this thread

This image, purporting to show the US military arresting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is AI-generated.

According to Google's SynthID detector, it was created using Google AI.