Search

Russia’s war propaganda gets a soundtrack – how AI-generated songs reached global streaming platforms Russian war propaganda is no longer confined to television broadcasts, Telegram channels or political videos. A study by the Ukrainian threat-intelligence organisation Terrecon has identified 981 songs combining signs of AI generation with pro-Russian military narratives, distributed through an ecosystem that reaches YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and SoundCloud. The songs range from sentimental ballads to rock and heavy metal. Their recurring themes are familiar from conventional Russian wartime propaganda: the heroisation of Russian soldiers, romanticisation of the war, mobilisation, the “Russian world”, commemoration of fallen troops and attacks on Ukraine and its armed forces. Some contain derogatory or dehumanising references to Ukrainians. What is new is not necessarily the message, but the production and distribution model: generative AI allows propagandistic music to be produced rapidly, cheaply and in quantities that would previously have required musicians, studios and producers. Nearly 1,000 tracks identified Terrecon examined 3,725 tracks collected from YouTube, YouTube Music, SoundCloud and the AI music platform Suno. After manual review, researchers classified 981 as showing both indications of AI generation and pro-Russian war propaganda. In 681 tracks they identified 728 propaganda-related keywords or phrases. The largest category was the glorification of the Russian military, followed by romanticised treatment of Moscow’s so-called “special military operation”, mobilisation appeals, narratives about the “Russian world”, and the cult of fallen soldiers and the state. The reach was not merely theoretical. Listening or viewing statistics were available for 608 of the identified tracks; together they had accumulated 86.8 million plays and views, according to Terrecon. A smaller group of 13 high-performing songs accounted for more than 53 million YouTube views and more than 67 million when YouTube Music was included. Among the better-known examples is “Power of Artillery”, a Russian-language rock song praising artillery weapons that passed two million views on YouTube. Most of the tracks for which publication dates could be established appeared after 2024, broadly coinciding with the rapid expansion of consumer AI music generators such as Suno and Udio. That correlation does not prove that AI alone caused the increase, but it illustrates how drastically the economics of production have changed. A propaganda song for as little as $11 Terrecon also tested how difficult it would be to commission such material. Researchers approached 25 creators producing AI-assisted militaristic music; 15 agreed to take commissions. Prices ranged from approximately $11 to $330, while delivery times ranged from two hours to three days. According to Terrecon, some were prepared to produce highly aggressive anti-Ukrainian material, including content intended for audiences involving children from occupied Ukrainian territories. Some creators used Russian intermediary services that provided access to Western AI tools such as Suno and Udio despite restrictions. The researchers then tested several AI generators themselves. Across 40 prompts submitted to Suno, Udio, Mureka, Google Flow Music and ElevenLabs, 25 resulted in successful generations, while safeguards were circumvented in 15 cases. Terrecon reported that four of the five services tested produced Russian-language material containing wartime narratives, although technical problems prevented comparable testing on some systems. In one Udio experiment, the researchers said the model itself introduced more explicit violent language than had appeared in the original promp These tests do not demonstrate that the commercial platforms knowingly support Russian propaganda. They show something narrower: existing safeguards can be inconsistent when political messaging is packaged as music. From generation to Spotify The distribution experiment may be the most revealing part of Terrecon’s research. The team deliberately uploaded test tracks containing explicit hostile language to YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify and Deezer. Terrecon says none was blocked during the experiment. On SoundCloud, researchers used an account identifying its location as Moscow, disclosed the use of AI and added markers including references to the Russian military and the war. The platform accepted the upload and subsequently offered paid promotional and distribution tools. This does not prove that streaming recommendation systems systematically promote pro-war music. There is currently insufficient public evidence to make that claim. It does demonstrate that material can enter the same commercial distribution infrastructure as ordinary music and, once there, potentially benefit from playlists, searches, sharing and recommendation mechanisms available to other releases. That distinction is important. Propaganda no longer has to announce itself as political communication. On a streaming platform it can look like another song. Culture as a delivery mechanism Music has always been used in wartime propaganda. What generative AI changes is scale. Instead of investing heavily in a limited number of patriotic performers or officially commissioned productions, creators can generate variations across styles, audiences and emotional registers at very low cost. Terrecon found material ranging from war rock to sentimental songs and content styled for younger audiences. Some creators also experimented with cloned celebrity voices and stylistic imitation of established musicians. The format also offers a different relationship with the audience. A political video asks a viewer to consume an argument. Music can accompany commuting, exercise or entertainment and may be encountered outside explicitly political spaces. This does not automatically make it more persuasive, and Terrecon’s research does not establish measurable effects on political attitudes. It does, however, place wartime narratives inside a cultural environment where users may not initially perceive themselves as consuming political messaging. An ecosystem, not a proven Kremlin command structure The strongest evidence supports describing this as a growing AI-assisted pro-Russian propaganda-music ecosystem, not a single operation controlled from Moscow. Terrecon did not establish that the Russian government created, financed or coordinated all 981 tracks. Reporting on the study likewise notes that the extent of direct state involvement remains unclear. There is broader evidence that the Russian state finances cultural projects and digital content supporting the war, including through state-backed funding bodies. That context matters, but it does not allow individual songs in Terrecon’s dataset to be attributed to the Kremlin without additional evidence. The significance of the case lies elsewhere. AI has reduced the cost of producing ideological content, intermediaries can help creators access generation tools, and global platforms can provide distribution. The result is a pipeline in which wartime propaganda no longer has to resemble propaganda at all. It can simply appear in a playlist. Sources Terrecon / Ukrainska Pravda — Daria Verbytska on the research https://www.pravda.com.ua/columns/2026/10/05/8056229/ Suspilne Culture — detailed breakdown of Terrecon findings https://suspilne.media/culture/1417933-rosijsku-voennu-propagandu-maskuut-pid-anime-karaoke-ta-rok-doslidzenna-si-pisen-vid-terrecon/ The Insider — AI-generated Russian war propaganda music https://theins.ru/news/297839 Institute of Mass Information — summary of New York Times reporting https://imi.org.ua/en/news/doslidzhennya-rf-masovo-stvoryu%D1%94-propagandistski-pisni-za-dopomogoyu-shi The Bridge Media — AI-generated songs and Russian military propaganda https://thebridgemedia.com.ua/en/ai-generated-songs-russian-military-propaganda/ Center for Strategic Communication — cost and production of AI propaganda music https://spravdi.org/propaganda-za-11-yak-rosiya-shtampuye-shi-pisni-z-miljonamy-prosluhovuvan/ Times of India — AI-generated Russian war songs https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/ai-sings-russias-war-story-inside-the-rise-of-generative-songs-about-ukraine-conflict/articleshow/134650594.cms EU Council / EUR-Lex — Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32026D1351 Human Rights Watch — Russian state funding of digital and patriotic content https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/07/30/disrupted-throttled-and-blocked/state-censorship-control-and-increasing-isolation #DISINFORMED #Episode16 #Russia #Ukraine #RussianPropaganda #WarPropaganda #MusicPropaganda #AIMusic #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #GenerativeAI #SyntheticMedia #AIPropaganda #Disinformation #InformationWarfare #InfluenceOperations #CulturalPropaganda #DigitalInfluence #NarrativeManipulation #PropagandaMusic #StreamingPlatforms #Spotify #AppleMusic #YouTube #YouTubeMusic #Deezer #SoundCloud #Suno #Udio #RussianWorld #RusskiyMir #MilitaryPropaganda #WarNarratives #Mobilisation #AlgorithmicDistribution #RecommendationAlgorithms #MusicStreaming #PlatformManipulation #Terrecon #OSINT #MediaManipulation #WRLD

“You could be a billionaire and get Obamacare.” Dr. Oz says a Soros-funded group is using the courts to block CMS from stopping fraud in Obamacare. “We believe Soros funded a lawfare group… It’s an aligned group with the Democratic Party who has sued us 150 times on these issues.” “They just won a suit… that blocks us from checking the tax returns of people on Obamacare.” “That’s how you destroy a system.” https://x.com/MAHA_Action/status/2104194351760892164

I had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister @CMShehbaz on the margins of #UNGA to discuss Pakistan's reforms. Strong implementation has helped preserve stability, restore confidence & regain market access. Continued reforms will help lift growth & improve people's lives. https://t.co/jiELSQysYw #PakistanReforms #UNGA #EconomicGrowth #PK

👉Madridista: te han robado el fútbol. Es así, asúmelo y no sufras. Te han echado de este deporte que tanto te gustaba. No lo vas a recuperar ni en el corto ni en el medio plazo. No te engañes. No depende de que se vaya Florentino. No te vayas a dormir desesperado ni te levantes el lunes cabreado. La corrupción acelerada en España se te ha llevado por delante. El Madrid no va a ganar en España mientras no lo quiera quien maneja el fútbol. Querrá una vez de tarde en tarde, para que no parezca. Lleva siendo así 35 años, aunque te cuenten otra cosa. No llegó con Florentino ni se marchará con Florentino. Simplemente, cuando llegue el momento, el poder pondrá a un pelele, el que vean, para seguir igual. Convertirán al Real Madrid en una suerte de Atlético: derrotista y conformista. Manejarán el club a su antojo, pero los resultados deportivos no van a cambiar. Todo está perfectamente orquestado para que así sea. Se controla desde la patronal, hasta el CTA, pasando por televisiones, radios, prensa, y también CMs de clubes. Todo es todo. “Llegamos a ganar mucho con Casemiro-Modric-Kroos”. No lo entiendes. Ganamos poquísimo con un equipo legendario que no vas a volver a ver en tu vida. La única solución posible (la destrucción de todo el fútbol español) no la va a llevar a cabo Florentino, así que imaginas cuando venga un pelele a “españolizar” el equipo. Hay quién genuinamente piensa que esto depende de Rodri, de Vinicius o de Mbappé. Están equivocados. Os lo dije en verano; os lo dije hace años. Solo la Champions es posible; y no porque no sea corrupta, sino porque son menos partidos y puede sonar la flauta. Asúmelo y no sufras. Las cartas están marcadas, es un juego manipulado, el resultado se sabe de antemano. Entrar al trapo de los fichajes, de la alineación, del juego, es ser estúpido, perdona que te diga. Es hacerles el juego a los corruptos. “Sí, nos han robado, pero es que no jugamos bien”. Si te han robado, y claro que te han robado, lo demás sobra. No consumáis tertulias de radio que hablan del juego, no consumáis panenkismo. Se ríen en vuestra cara. #RealMadrid #Fútbol #Corrupción

✅ El Madrid hace oficial el fichaje de Nick Smith jr., plantilla completa 22 años (‼️), 188 cms, procedente de los Lakers. Combo anotador con buena mano, completa un juego exterior con bastante más pólvora a priori que el año pasado Bienvenido y suerte ⭐️ https://t.co/fiLUEVSjYr #RealMadrid #Fichajes #Baloncesto

Hello everyone, the code for Aracne2 has been on GitHub for a few months now — a modular CMS for editing and publishing TEI corpora. A companion volume, published by FedOA Press, covers its origins, architecture and features in detail. Code (MIT): https://github.com/orazionelson/aracne2 Site and documentation: https://orazionelson.github.io/aracne2/ Volume: https://doi.org/10.6093/978-88-6887-439-1 The underlying idea is to take a corpus from raw transcription to a citable digital edition without forcing the person editing the text to become a sysadmin as well. In brief: – schema-aware XML editor, with validation per document and across a whole collection; – staged editorial workflow with versioning and a clean split between working copy and published copy; – named entities linked to authority files (Wikidata, VIAF, GeoNames, ORCID, GND and others); – bibliography with BibTeX/CSL-JSON/Zotero import and DOI resolution; – facsimiles and zones for text-image alignment; – XSLT-driven public site generator, with configurable indices and search portals; – LOD and OAI-PMH for harvesting, deposit to Zenodo, Dataverse, Internet Archive and git forges; – audit log and fixity, plus policy pages aimed at projects preparing for a CoreTrustSeal review. Architecturally, there are two distinct data layers: PostgreSQL for platform state (users, roles, plugins, audit), eXist-db for TEI documents, stored natively and queried in XQuery. Python/FastAPI backend, Vue 3 frontend, fully containerised. Every integration is a plugin that mounts without a restart, so a deployment can stay minimal or grow along with the project. The AI side is there but optional and can be switched off: in-editor assistance (explaining validation errors, normalising bibliography, tagging named entities), local RAG over the TEI P5 Guidelines, and a read-only MCP server that lets an external assistant query the corpus. Anyone who cannot or would rather not send their texts to a cloud service can run the whole thing locally with Ollama. Aracne2 is the third iteration of a line of tools that began in 2008 with MaRa, the scripts written to mark up the Angevin Registers, continued with Aracne (2016-2026, built entirely on eXist-db), and arrives at this rewrite. The FedOA Press volume reconstructs that trajectory at length. It is all free: you can download it and try it locally with a handful of commands. Aracne2 is open to experiment and ready to be put to the test on new projects — reports, criticism and proposals are all welcome.

Steven Lowette, un chercheur belge, a été nommé coordinateur de l'expérience CMS au Cern, où il dirigera une équipe de 3 300 scientifiques de 58 pays, s'attaquant aux défis de la recherche en physique des particules tout en gérant les conflits d'idées parmi des chercheurs passionnés. #CERN #PhysiqueDesParticules #RechercheScientifique

¡Este proyecto lo está rompiendo en GitHub! Es una alternativa a WordPress + Webflow + Framer. Se llama Instatic. Con editor visual, CMS, formularios, agente de IA. Funciona con Bun + SQLite o PostgreSQL 0 suscripciones. Tu web es realmente tuya. → https://t.co/8Xnrrv8TIN https://t.co/TT8pGVJnhJ #GitHub #WebDevelopment #CMS

Cristina Andreea Alexe, o tânără cercetătoare din România, face parte din echipa care modernizează experimentul CMS de la CERN, contribuind la proiectul High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider care își propune să dezvăluie secretele materiei întunecate prin transportul antimateriei în afara laboratoarelor și analiza coliziunilor de particule la niveluri fără precedent. #CERN #materieîntunecată #fizicaparticulelor

No, @cmsusin. Ayer no fui a la puerta de un colegio concertado a celebrar nada. Fui a un hospital a entregar un libro para los pacientes oncológicos y a la salida atendí a los medios. Usted lo sabe. Pero el PP ha convertido el bulo y la mentira en su forma de hacer política. https://t.co/nHuUT3mQXT #Política #Salud #Educación

Steven Lowette, professeur de physique à la Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a été nommé coordinateur de l'expérience CMS au CERN, où il dirigera 3 300 scientifiques de 58 pays pendant deux ans, avec pour objectif de faire avancer la compréhension des particules élémentaires et d'explorer des sujets tels que le boson de Higgs et la matière noire. #CERN #Physique #ScienceBelge