polwarden

Media Monitor

We track 138 media sources across Telegram and YouTube for narrative propagation patterns. Sources are categorized by verified editorial standards — not by political alignment.

138
Sources Tracked
27
Verified Credible
70
Unverified
41
Identified Propaganda

How This Works

Our system monitors 73 Telegram channels and 65 YouTube channels. We extract narrative claims from posts and transcripts, then compare them against themes originating in Russian state media.

When a source echoes a narrative that first appeared in Russian state channels, we flag it as potential amplification — whether accidental, for engagement, or coordinated.

📡
Collect Public posts and transcripts every 4–6 hours
🧠
Extract Narrative claims via natural language analysis
🔗
Correlate Match against RU state media from last 7 days
⚠️
Alert Flag amplification with temporal scoring

📋 Notice

This page documents publicly available media channels monitored by estWarden's automated narrative tracking system. All data is collected exclusively from publicly accessible sources — public Telegram channel previews (t.me/s/) and public YouTube videos with auto-generated captions.

Categorizations are based on publicly available assessments by Detector Media, EUvsDisinfo, Alliance for Securing Democracy, DFRLab, Spravdi, VoxUkraine, NewsGuard, and ConflictMisinfo.org.

"Unverified" does not mean a source spreads disinformation. It means we have not found sufficient evidence of institutional editorial oversight. Many unverified commentators are legitimate, credible individuals whose specific claims we cross-check rather than accept at face value. Sources may be reclassified as evidence emerges.

No personal data is collected or stored. This system monitors public channel content only, not individual users, subscribers, or private messages. If you believe a categorization is incorrect, contact [email protected] with supporting evidence.

Epistemic Rationality Metrics

Each source is rated on five dimensions from Eliezer Yudkowsky's Rationality: A-Z — a framework for evaluating how well beliefs track reality. These are not opinion scores. They measure observable epistemic behavior.

C Calibration
Do predictions match outcomes? A calibrated source is right roughly as often as their confidence implies. → Map and Territory
U Updating
Do they change views when evidence contradicts them? Or repeat the same wrong prediction? → How to Actually Change Your Mind
E Evidence
Do they cite primary sources, data, documents? Or make bare assertions? → The Machine in the Ghost
U Uncertainty
Do they express appropriate confidence? "Reports suggest" vs. "BREAKING: X WILL happen" → Mere Reality
I Independence
Do they follow evidence wherever it leads? Or always reach the same conclusion regardless? → Seeing with Fresh Eyes
High — consistently meets standard Medium — inconsistent Low — consistently fails Unknown — insufficient data

These ratings are initial assessments based on published media analyses and will be automatically updated as our data collectors process content. The system tracks prediction accuracy, correction behavior, source citation frequency, and linguistic confidence markers over time. Scores reflect observed patterns, not editorial judgment.

Verified Credible (27)

Institutional media, official channels, and analysts with demonstrated editorial standards. Used as the corroboration baseline — when these sources confirm a claim, it's likely real.

SourcePlatformLangC·U·E·U·IEvidence of credibility
24 Канал T1Telegram🇺🇦 Major UA TV news channel, editorial team
24 Канал T1YouTube🇺🇦 Major UA TV, editorial team, 4.87M subs (vidIQ)
Anders Puck Nielsen T1YouTube🇬🇧 Danish Royal Defence College researcher. Institutional credentials.
BIHUS Info T1YouTube🇺🇦 Investigative journalism, editorial standards, anti-corruption
DeepState T1Telegram🇺🇦 Frontline mapping, data-driven, verified methodology, cited by ISW and Western analysts
Kyiv Independent T1Telegram🇬🇧 Independent newsroom, editorial standards, international awards
Kyiv Independent T1YouTube🇬🇧 Independent newsroom, editorial standards, international awards
Perun T1YouTube🇬🇧 Australian defense analyst. Data-driven, sourced, cited by defense community.
WarTranslated T1Telegram🇬🇧 Verified translations of RU/UA sources, cited by major outlets
Мілітарний T1Telegram🇺🇦 Defense news outlet, editorial team, institutional
Повітряні Сили ЗС України T1Telegram🇺🇦 Official Ukrainian Air Force channel, 871K subs per TGStat
Справді T1Telegram🇺🇦 Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation official channel
Суспільне Новини T1Telegram🇺🇦 Ukrainian public broadcaster, editorial standards
ТСН T1Telegram🇺🇦 1+1 media group TV news, state media, institutional
ТСН T1YouTube🇺🇦 1+1 media TV news, state media, institutional
Українська правда T1Telegram🇺🇦 Founded by Gongadze, institutional journalism, editorial board
Укрінформ T1Telegram🇺🇦 Ukrainian state news agency, institutional, multilingual
Army TV YouTube🇺🇦 Official Ukrainian military broadcasting channel
Bihus.Info Telegram🇺🇦 Investigative journalism, editorial standards, known for anti-corruption work
Ryan McBeth YouTube🇬🇧 US defense industry, focuses on debunking disinfo
Task & Purpose YouTube🇬🇧 Established US military news outlet, editorial team
Громадське Telegram🇺🇦 Independent media, editorial board. Detector Media top-100 news media list.
Еспресо Telegram🇺🇦 Ukrainian TV channel, editorial team, Wikipedia lists as independent.
Еспресо TV YouTube🇺🇦 Ukrainian independent TV channel
Телеканал Прямий YouTube🇺🇦 Independent UA TV, editorial team
Телеканал Прямий Telegram🇺🇦 Former Poroshenko media, now independent. Editorial team.
Факти ICTV YouTube🇺🇦 Starlight Media group, institutional

Commentators & Analysts (29)

Named individuals with public identities and audiences. Many are legitimate journalists, politicians, or subject experts. Listed here because their content is opinion-driven and may occasionally amplify unverified claims — not because they are unreliable as people.

👤 Named, public identity — accountable for their claims
📊 Cross-checked — claims verified against trusted sources
SourcePlatformLangC·U·E·U·INotes
Євген Карась T1Telegram🇺🇦 223K subs. Activist, National Corps adjacent. Detector Media top-100.
Айдер Муждабаєв T1YouTube🇷🇺 Crimean Tatar journalist, anti-Putin, known for alarmist predictions
Андрій Цаплієнко T1YouTube🇺🇦 War correspondent, Order for Courage. Has credibility but emotional framing.
Аркадій Бабченко T1YouTube🇷🇺 Russian journalist in UA exile, staged-death controversy (Carnegie 2018), dramatic content
Бутусов Плюс T1Telegram🇺🇦 Military journalist, credibility but also sensationalist streak
Віталій Портніков T1YouTube🇷🇺 Ukrainian journalist, strong anti-RU commentary, sometimes sensationalist
Дмитро Гордон T1Telegram🇷🇺 221K subs. Journalist-interviewer, clickbait titles. Detector Media: among most popular UA channels.
Дмитро Гордон T1YouTube🇷🇺 Massive interview channel, clickbait titles, top-5 UA YouTube by views
Максим Кац T1YouTube🇷🇺 500K+ subs, Russian opposition blogger. Claims Crimea should stay Russian.
Марк Фейгін T1YouTube🇷🇺 Russian lawyer in exile, frequent Arestovych collaborator
Олег Жданов T1YouTube🇺🇦 270M+ views. Most popular UA military expert on YouTube. Babel: predictions often wrong.
Олексій Арестович T1YouTube🇷🇺 Ex-Zelensky advisor, fired for spreading false info about Dnipro strike. Changes positions frequently but not evidence-driven — shifts for audience engagement, not in response to new data. High reach.
Олексій Гончаренко T1YouTube🇺🇦 Ukrainian MP, +24.8% subscriber growth in 2024, political commentary
Олексій Шевцов T1Telegram🇺🇦 262K subs. Detector Media top-100.
Правда Геращенко T1Telegram🇺🇦 Advisor to Interior Minister. Kyiv Post lists as key channel. Mixes official info with emotional framing.
Роман Світан T1YouTube🇺🇦 Babel: 'predictions are mostly wrong', appears daily on news channels, no own channel but massive TV presence
Роман Цимбалюк T1YouTube🇷🇺 Last UA correspondent accredited at Russian MFA, analyses Russian propaganda
Сергій Стерненко T1YouTube🇺🇦 Activist-blogger, effective communicator but not a journalist. Claims should be verified independently. +13.6% growth in 2024
Сергій Стерненко T1Telegram🇺🇦 240K subs. Activist-blogger, effective communicator but not a journalist. Claims should be verified independently. Detector Media top-100.
Юрій Бутусов T1YouTube🇺🇦 Military journalist, sensationalist streak
Іван Яковіна YouTube🇺🇦 Political commentator, dropped from ratings (fact-news.com.ua)
Ілля Пономарьов YouTube🇷🇺 Russian opposition MP in exile
Володимир Золкін YouTube🇺🇦 POW interviews, emotionally charged framing
Дмитро Комаров YouTube🇺🇦 Travel blogger turned war reporter, large audience
Олексій Дурнєв YouTube🇺🇦 Blogger/entertainer turned war commentator
Раміна Есхакзай YouTube🇺🇦 Growing audience, political commentary
Сергій Фурса YouTube🇺🇦 Investment banker, economic/political commentary
Юлія Латиніна YouTube🇷🇺 Russian journalist, long-form, Novaya Gazeta background
Юрій Романенко YouTube🇺🇦 Political analyst, opinion content

Unverified Media Outlets (14)

Named media organizations without independently verified editorial standards, or with documented history of sensationalism. Some have had content flagged by fact-checkers.

SourcePlatformLangC·U·E·U·INotes
NEXTA Live T1Telegram🇷🇺 3.1M subs. Belarusian opposition, became major UA war news source. Wikipedia: primary Telegram news during 2020 Belarus protests.
NEXTA Live T1YouTube🇷🇺 3.1M subs. Belarusian opposition, #1 UA News YouTube per HypeAuditor.
PTV UA T1YouTube🇺🇦 1.1M subs. #2 UA News YouTube per HypeAuditor.
В гостях у Гордона T1YouTube🇷🇺 4.47M subs (vidIQ). Gordon's interview channel, second largest.
УНІАН T1YouTube🇺🇦 4.87M subs (vidIQ). News agency but sensationalist framing.
УНІАН T1Telegram🇺🇦 News agency but sensationalist framing, clickbait headlines
Цензор.НЕТ T1YouTube🇺🇦 Butusov's outlet, mix of journalism and sensationalism
Цензор.НЕТ T1Telegram🇺🇦 Butusov's outlet. Mix of journalism and sensationalism.
Estonian Military News Telegram🇬🇧 Small Baltic defense community channel
Politeka Online YouTube🇺🇦 Facebook removed Politeka for fake news (IMI 2019)
Politeka Online Telegram🇺🇦 Facebook removed Politeka pages for fake news alongside Znaj.ua (IMI, 2019).
UATV English YouTube🇬🇧 Ukrainian state international broadcaster
Знай.юа Telegram🇺🇦 Facebook removed Znaj.ua pages for fake news (IMI, 2019). Telegram presence.
Ми - Україна YouTube🇺🇦 HypeAuditor UA list

Anonymous Channels (15)

Anonymous Telegram channels with no editorial oversight or public accountability — known in Ukrainian media discourse as "помийки" (trash dumps). These are the primary vectors for narrative laundering: planted stories appear here first, then spread to mainstream sources.

🎭 Anonymous — no public identity, no accountability
🎯 Engagement-driven — optimize for clicks, not accuracy
🔄 Amplification risk — primary vectors for narrative laundering
SourcePlatformLangC·U·E·U·INotes
Real War T1Telegram🇺🇦 RSF report lists among top anonymous UA channels
БЕЗ ФІЛЬТРІВ T1Telegram🇺🇦 565K subs. TGStat #59. Anonymous news aggregator.
Лачен пише T1Telegram🇺🇦 855K subs. Anonymous. Top-10 UA telegram (TGStat). RFE/RL flagged for mixing info with sensationalism.
НЕВІДОМИЙ T1Telegram🇺🇦 553K subs. TGStat #60. Anonymous.
Оперативний ЗСУ T1Telegram🇺🇦 Military-adjacent, unverified sourcing
Резидент UA T1Telegram🇺🇦 Anonymous 'insider'. Detector Media: anonymous insider channels are common disinfo vectors.
Труха⚡️Україна T1Telegram🇺🇦 ~3M subs. Anonymous. IMI: 'anonymous trash bin posting hidden ads and fake news'. Detector Media top-1 UA channel. Hype hunter.
Україна Online T1Telegram🇺🇦 News aggregator, clickbait engagement farming
Україна Online: Новини | Політика T1Telegram🇺🇦 1.47M subs per TGStat. Anonymous news aggregator.
Україна⚡️Новини⚡️Війна T1Telegram🇺🇦 575K subs. TGStat #58. Anonymous news+war aggregator.
XUA-фотовойны Telegram🇺🇦 233K subs. War photos, anonymous. Bottom of TGStat top-100.
Інсайдер UA Telegram🇺🇦 Anonymous insider format
Банкова Telegram🇺🇦 Anonymous, claims presidential administration sources
ДС | Зрада Telegram🇺🇦 Doom content, negative framing
Україна Зараз Telegram🇺🇦 Anonymous aggregator

Independent Channels (12)

Independent YouTube channels covering the war. Not institutionally backed but generally present identifiable individuals or consistent methodologies.

SourcePlatformLangC·U·E·U·INotes
Denys Davydov T1YouTube🇬🇧 500K+ subs, citizen journalist, pro-UA
Military Summary Channel T1YouTube🇬🇧 Belarusian. Reddit: 'pro-Russian but keeps mapping factual, terrible titles'
Reporting from Ukraine T1YouTube🇬🇧 Animated maps, daily updates
Anna from Ukraine YouTube🇬🇧 Propastop: personal insights into wartime Ukraine, 40K+ subs
Good Times Bad Times YouTube🇬🇧 Geopolitics explainer channel, animated scenarios on NATO, Russia, and global conflicts
Jake Broe YouTube🇬🇧 US Air Force veteran (6 yrs, Nuclear Ops Officer). Pivoted to Ukraine war updates. Euromaidan Press top-10 list. 316K subs.
Operator Starsky YouTube🇬🇧 Ukrainian soldier providing frontline perspective and war updates in English
Speak the Truth YouTube🇬🇧 Pro-UA commentary channel, covers war developments and geopolitics
Suchomimus YouTube🇬🇧 Frontline analysis with detailed mapping, daily situation updates
Ukraine War Awareness YouTube🇬🇧 Third-party neutrality stance, translates raw footage
Ukrainian Witness YouTube🇬🇧 War documentation
Weeb Union YouTube🇬🇧 Animated war explainer maps and conflict summaries, growing audience

Identified Propaganda (41)

Sources classified as Russian state media or consistent Kremlin narrative amplifiers by international monitoring organizations. This is the reference corpus — narratives that originate here and later appear in other categories indicate potential information operations.

State Media (6)

SourcePlatformLangC·U·E·U·IClassification
RT на русском T1Telegram🇷🇺 RT official channel
Пул Первого T1Telegram🇷🇺 #2 referenced RU channel per conflictmisinfo.org. Kremlin pool.
РИА Новости T1Telegram🇷🇺 #1 referenced RU channel per conflictmisinfo.org
Соловьёв LIVE T1Telegram🇷🇺 Soloviev propaganda machine
ТАСС T1Telegram🇷🇺 State news agency
Таборский Telegram🇷🇺 Pro-Kremlin Baltic affairs commentator

Proxy / Amplifier Channels (35)

SourcePlatformLangC·U·E·U·IClassification evidence
#МОНТЯН! T1Telegram🇷🇺 Detector Media: 511K subs, 'promotes slogans consistent with Russian propaganda, uses derogatory terms for Ukraine'
Archangel of Special Forces Z T1Telegram🇷🇺 Alliance for Securing Democracy list
Douglas Macgregor T1YouTube🇬🇧 Retired US colonel. Consistent Kremlin-aligned predictions.
Operation Z / Военкоры T1Telegram🇷🇺 Alliance for Securing Democracy list, #1 on their milblogger table
Readovka T1Telegram🇷🇺 Top-10 referenced RU channel per conflictmisinfo.org
Redacted (Clayton Morris) T1YouTube🇬🇧 VoxUkraine: 'promotes conspiracy theories aligned with Russian perspective'. Ukrainian Review debunked multiple claims.
SHOT T1Telegram🇷🇺 Alliance for Securing Democracy list
Scott Ritter T1YouTube🇬🇧 Euronews: 'disgraced American spouting pro-Putin propaganda'. Frequent RT guest.
The Duran T1YouTube🇬🇧 NewsGuard: 'pro-Russia website publishing conspiracy theories'. Co-owned by RT host Peter Lavelle.
WarGonzo T1Telegram🇷🇺 Alliance for Securing Democracy list, embedded with RU forces
Анатолій Шарій T1Telegram🇷🇺 EU-sanctioned. Detector Media: 'pro-Russian blogger, unreliable'. 706K subs. 46% audience from Russia.
Анатолій Шарій T1YouTube🇷🇺 EU-sanctioned. Detector Media: 'pro-Russian blogger, unreliable'. Party banned by UA Supreme Court.
Военачальник / Turned on Z War T1Telegram🇷🇺 Alliance for Securing Democracy list
Два майора T1Telegram🇷🇺 Rising in rankings per conflictmisinfo.org (2024-2025)
Дмитрій Васілець T1Telegram🇷🇺 Detector Media: 317K subs, 'accused of supporting Russia'
Котснюз (Alexander Kots) T1Telegram🇷🇺 Moscow Times: Komsomolskaya Pravda war reporter, critical of MoD but pro-war
Легітимний T1Telegram🇺🇦 Pro-Russian anonymous channel posing as Ukrainian insider
Начальник Штабу T1Telegram🇺🇦 Spravdi: 'connection with Russian military intelligence established'. Collects military secrets under guise of UA military channel.
Полковник Кассад (Boris Rozhin) T1Telegram🇷🇺 Alliance for Securing Democracy list, top-10 milblogger
Розвідник T1Telegram🇺🇦 Liga.net: 'pseudo-Ukrainian channel, regularly reposts Legitimny'. Linked to RU intelligence ops.
Рыбарь T1Telegram🇷🇺 Top-10 referenced RU channel. Mapping + narrative ops.
Старше Эдди T1Telegram🇷🇺 Kyiv Post: notable RU war correspondent channel
Шейх Тамір T1Telegram🇷🇺 Detector Media: 332K subs, +2580% since Feb 2022, 57% views from Russia
Юрий Подоляка T1Telegram🇷🇺 Alliance for Securing Democracy list, massive audience. BBC: linked to InfoDefense network in 30+ languages.
Юрій Подоляка T1YouTube🇷🇺 Most popular RU military blogger on YouTube. BBC: linked to InfoDefense network.
Danny Haiphong YouTube🇬🇧 VoxUkraine: 'RT actively circulates translated excerpts'. Frequent Ritter collaborator.
InfoDefense DEUTSCH Telegram🇩🇪 DFRLab: Part of Info Defense network, cross-amplification with Surf Noise and Node of Time.
InfoDefense ENG Telegram🇬🇧 DFRLab/BBC: Part of Podolyaka's InfoDefense network, 30+ languages. Translates RU propaganda.
InfoDefense POLAND Telegram🇵🇱 BBC investigation: linked to Podolyaka, 500+ volunteers worldwide.
InfoDefense SERBIA Telegram🇷🇸 Detektor.ba: 14K members, all content translated from RU/UK to Serbian.
The New Atlas (Brian Berletic) YouTube🇬🇧 VoxUkraine network analysis. FORSEA: 'conspiracy blogger'.
Балтика — наша Telegram🇷🇺 Anti-Baltic propaganda channel
Война с фейками / War on Fakes Telegram🇷🇺 Pseudo fact-checking channel. conflictmisinfo.org: dropped from #12 to #29.
Пивоваров (Редакція) YouTube🇷🇺 Russian soft power propaganda. Investigative framing but narratives align with Kremlin interests.
вДудь YouTube🇷🇺 Russian soft power propaganda. Large interviewer platform normalizing Kremlin-adjacent narratives.

Why This Matters

Russia's information operations don't just rely on state media. A key tactic is narrative laundering — planting a story in state channels, then getting it amplified through proxy accounts, anonymous Telegram channels, and eventually into mainstream-adjacent sources.

Even well-intentioned commentators can become vectors. A sensationalist headline about "imminent Russian attack on Estonia" generates engagement — but if that narrative was seeded by Russian military bloggers to test Western reaction or create panic, the commentator has become an unwitting tool.

By tracking narrative propagation across all categories simultaneously, we map how specific claims travel from origin to amplification, and distinguish genuine analysis from information operations.

Methodology & Sources

estWarden Media Monitor · Baltic Security OSINT
[email protected] · Telegram · GitHub