OpenAI exposes the Russia-origin Dark Clark and Iran-origin Bogus Bylines operations

lukas@czerner.cz (Lukáš Czerner) — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 15:47:08 +0200

The PDF edition also labels the 38 items that describe manipulation with the techniques of the DISARM framework, and closes with the week’s patterns in tactics and techniques.

This week in brief

Russia drove most of the activity this week, but the concrete exposures came from OpenAI, investigative outlets and Ukrainian agencies. No Central European government attributed a specific new campaign to a foreign state.

OpenAI exposed the Russia-origin “Dark Clark”, whose operators claimed a forged email got Peruvian schools to hold events honoring Stepan Bandera, and the Iran-origin “Bogus Bylines” fake-journalist operation on 8 October.
investigace.cz showed on 7 October that the Russia-linked “International Burke Institute” listed a Masaryk University vice-rector as an expert without his knowledge.
Slovakia is restoring military attachés with Russia, reported on 8 October, and a pro-Kremlin portal used Slovakia’s new Konev statue to insult Czechia.
Poland’s special-services coordinator said a possible Russian amplification of school-attack rumors is being examined but is unproven. Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) flagged a Pravda-network push in Poland before 11 November.
In Germany, Chancellor Merz accused Russia of disinformation run through bots, and the BND chief warned of a Russian “shadow war”. A Matryoshka fake with a spoofed Bellingcat logo then accused Merz of skimming Ukraine aid.
Ukraine’s SBU exposed Russian Telegram recruitment of minors, including a 14-year-old recruited by the FSB who strangled an army instructor. Her treason case has gone to court.
Montenegro detained Rybar head Mikhail Zvinchuk on 9 October, and the EU renewed its Russia hybrid-threats sanctions to October 2027 without adding names.

Czechia

No Czech authority attributed a foreign campaign this week, and police logged no serious incidents during the 9-10 October municipal and Senate elections. The main exposure was investigace.cz’s report on a Russia-linked fake think tank with a Brno link.

CEE influence operations on Lukáš Czerner

OpenAI exposes the Russia-origin Dark Clark and Iran-origin Bogus Bylines operations

This week in brief

Czechia