Ukrainian Developer Creates Syto AI Tool to Track Russian Propaganda Narratives

Ukrainian developer Dmytro Simonov has unveiled Syto, an innovative artificial intelligence service designed to analyze Russian propaganda narratives targeting Ukraine. Simonov, who serves as CEO of Aiter.io, created the tool to provide regular, systematic monitoring of disinformation campaigns flowing through Russian-affiliated media channels.

The system works by analyzing content from pro-Russian Telegram channels previously identified by the Security Service of Ukraine as sources of propaganda. Through sophisticated AI processing, Syto identifies key narratives, examines their strategic objectives, and dissects the psychological techniques used to influence audiences.

“We’re essentially creating a sieve for information warfare,” Simonov explained. “The name ‘Syto’ derives from the Ukrainian word for ‘sieve,’ reflecting its purpose of filtering through massive amounts of content to reveal hidden patterns.”

Among the propaganda patterns detected are claims about the European Union allegedly abandoning Ukraine and warnings about potential internal conflicts stemming from territorial recruitment centers’ activities. According to Simonov, these narratives aim to undermine public trust in Ukrainian institutions and heighten social tensions during wartime.

The service provides particular value in showing how Russian propaganda operations exploit legitimate societal concerns to spread disinformation. By identifying the kernels of truth that propagandists manipulate, Syto helps communicators develop more effective counter-messaging strategies.

“What makes Russian disinformation particularly effective is how it weaves together facts with fabrications,” said media analyst Olena Kovalenko, who has tested the platform. “Syto helps separate actual issues from manipulated narratives, which is crucial for maintaining information resilience.”

In its current iteration, Syto provides analytical reports covering the current and previous week, allowing users to track narrative evolution and measure the intensity of propaganda campaigns. The platform generates visual representations of narrative clusters, showing how different themes interconnect across multiple channels.

The technology represents a significant advancement in Ukraine’s information defense capabilities. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian technology specialists have increasingly developed tools to combat the information dimension of hybrid warfare. Syto joins an ecosystem of Ukrainian-developed solutions addressing everything from missile alert systems to disinformation tracking.

While acknowledging that AI analysis may contain certain imprecisions, Simonov emphasizes that even in its current form, the service provides valuable insights for understanding the information environment and identifying emerging propaganda trends.

The platform primarily serves journalists, communications professionals, and intelligence specialists who need to monitor disinformation at scale. Government communications teams can use the insights to develop preemptive messaging strategies rather than simply reacting to each new false narrative.

Looking ahead, Simonov and his team plan to expand Syto’s functionality to analyze longer historical periods and provide deeper analysis of individual narratives. The roadmap includes developing capabilities to study broader meta-narratives and track how propaganda themes evolve over months rather than just weeks.

“In information warfare, seeing the big picture is essential,” Simonov noted. “Individual false stories might seem disconnected, but when analyzed together, they reveal coordinated campaigns with specific objectives.”

The development comes as Ukraine continues to strengthen its capabilities in the information domain, recognizing that battlefield success depends partly on maintaining public morale and international support against Russian disinformation efforts. Tools like Syto represent an increasingly sophisticated approach to what Ukrainian officials describe as a critical front in their defense strategy.