Putin-backed ‘army’ of Russians behind Southport riots | UK | News

A cybersecurity expert has warned that Russian troll farms linked to the Kremlin may have helped spread disinformation about the identity of the triple Southport child killer, sparking widespread concern.

Cardiff-born Axel Rudabukana, 17, was yesterday named as a suspect in the attack in which three children – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine – who were attending Taylor Swift-style dancing classes in Southport were stabbed to death.

Rudakubana was identified by Judge Andrew Menary at Liverpool Crown Court, who decided to lift the section 39 order guaranteeing anonymity to defendants under the age of 18.

Mr Justice Menary said he made the decision after a false name and claims emerged online that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel on a rubber dinghy.

He explained: “Continually preventing full reporting has the downside of allowing others to spread disinformation in a vacuum.”

The day after the tragedy, large groups of protesters, some with their faces covered, threw bricks at police and smashed the windows of the city mosque, apparently thinking that the person responsible for the incident was a Muslim.

Multiple social media accounts, incorrectly naming the suspect, cited reports posted on the news website Channel3 Now, the origin of which is unclear.

The earliest YouTube videos were in Russian, but five years later they began posting news about Pakistan and then the United States.

Tortoise Media’s investigation found only one author, a man who runs a lawn mowing business in Nova Scotia, Canada. The site later apologized for misrepresenting the name of the Southport suspect.

A separate Sky News investigation found that a network of anonymous TikTok accounts were trying to incite riots in UK cities, with one, username @quercrqfi6j, sharing an inflammatory graphic demanding mass deportations and urging people to wear masks and gather on Luke Road in Southport.

Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at software company ESET, stressed that it is “nearly impossible” to prove with any degree of certainty where such accounts are coming from.

He told Express.co.uk: “The spread of disinformation is increasing rapidly, particularly with the aim of causing further anxiety and distrust about an ongoing or live situation.

“However, it is often difficult to determine the origin or even motive behind such campaigns and the matter can remain quite speculative.”

Mr Moore explained: “Bots are a serious problem on social media platforms and one that remains difficult to effectively combat.

“They often operate in groups, especially when such amplification is very rapid and can even be used for political purposes by foreign states.”

He added: “That’s why it’s incredibly important to question anything you see online – especially from accounts you don’t follow – and to double-check information before sharing or commenting.”

In May 2022, three months after Russia invaded Ukraine, British-funded research by experts revealed how the Kremlin uses a troll factory to spread lies on social media and the comments sections of popular websites.

Researchers suggested so-called “cyber soldiers” had targeted politicians and members of the public in multiple countries, including the UK, South Africa and India.

It also revealed how the Kremlin’s “wide-ranging disinformation campaign” aimed to manipulate international public opinion about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The project’s brains are believed to operate openly from an old factory in St. Petersburg, employing paid workers and in-house work teams.

At the time, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “We cannot allow the Kremlin and its shady troll farms to invade our networks, spreading lies about Putin’s illegal war.

“The UK government has alerted international partners and will continue to work closely with allies and media platforms to undermine Russian information operations.”

The FCDO has not commented on speculation about Russian involvement.