"Digital Influence Operations and Botfarm Evolution: A Case Study of Russian Narrative Manipulation from 2017 to 2025"

Abstract: This field study explores the evolution of Russian influence operations on Ukrainian digital platforms between 2017 and 2025. It analyzes behavioral signatures of bot farms, historical narrative manipulation, and AI-enhanced propaganda tactics. Through real case studies — including Facebook group infiltration, suppression of educational livestreams, and targeted hashtag warfare — the research identifies mechanisms of synthetic virality and psychological disruption. A diagnostic framework is proposed for detecting inorganic actors, revealing how emotional mimicry and narrative engineering have replaced simple trolling. The study concludes with a call for platform accountability and the use of AI for counter-influence defense. **Keywords:** influence operations, bots, narrative warfare, artificial intelligence, Ukraine, hybrid war, cognitive manipulation, digital propaganda