Almost as soon as Russia invaded Ukraine, it began shutting down news sites that spoke the truth about the war. The “information iron curtain” in Russia is so strong that misinformation and propaganda have almost completely obliterated the truth. For those who depend on state media for their news, the war in Ukraine is but a mere “special military operation” and anyone who goes against Kremlin propaganda could face fines up to $45,000 and up to 15 years in prison.
Nebo, and 72andSunny found a loophole that has enabled them to spread accurate information to Russian citizens. Last month, the Kremlin began encouraging Russians to pirate the products and services of companies based in countries currently supporting anti-Russia sanctions. It is completely legal in Russia to download blockbuster movies, popular TV series, software and music from “unfriendly countries”. Content pirating is already runnnig high.
So Nebo and 72andSunny disguised eye-witness content and news reports about the war in Ukraine as pirated content and uploaded them to Russian pirate sites via torrenting. The files can then be downloaded by Russians looking to access pirated Western content, such as The Batman, The Multiverse of Madness and Spider.Man: No Way Home.
When a Russian internet user downloads a file and clicks on it to play, they will be told, “This isn’t what you expected to see. But this is something that you should see. The truth.”
A compilation of TV news from around the world about the war will then follow, ending with the call to action, “Keep spreading this torrent to keep spreading the truth. Find out more in the ReadMe.txt file. torrentsoftruth.org.”
The ReadMe file in the Torrent package includes trustworthy sources of information about the ongoing war in Ukraine, with an extensive list of verified links, resources and tools people can use to keep seeking the truth.
In one of the most powerful videos, Ukrainian journalist, TV and radio host Volodymyr Biriukov describes the Russian war atrocities he witnessed in Irpin and Bucha. He says, “I saw with my own eyes how exactly people were killed. They were set on fire, tied up, shot in the head at point-blank range, their nails were cut off right from the fingers. As a journalist, I never thought that I would have to face such brutality and horror. A mother was tied to a chair and her 14-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son were raped in front of her eyes. And they (Russian soldiers) said: ‘This is for you because you do not like Russians’. But all this can be stopped if you speak the truth, if you don’t remain silent, if you send this video and other videos related to the war to other people.”
The aim is to get the people who download Torrents Of Truth videos to ‘seed’ them across platforms. By sparing a bit of bandwidth to download and share the hidden files, anyone, anywhere can help to tackle censorship in Russia and spread the truth about the horrific invasion of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Biriukov stated, “When I was asked to take part, I immediately agreed. This is a unique platform that will reach out to those who have fallen under the influence of powerful propaganda. Fortunately, it is curable. Truth always wins. I am more than sure that the truth will help save thousands of lives on both sides.”
Olga Kokoshko, owner and chief executive officer at Nebo, added, “Working through the war made us stronger. If we are capable of doing this, there is no project to scare the Nebo team. We are proud to create such an impactful project in collaboration with 72andSunny. It shows that we are ready to join the international creative community and do beautiful work together. I believe that we have a unique perspective that gives a great cultural impact to any project. The war didn’t just hurt us, it also gave us a superpower to see the beauty of life.”
Daryna Ponomarenko, copywriter at Nebo, commented, “Even when poisonous lies are in all places around us, we will not stop screaming for the truth because it is our weapon today. This is what this project is about.”
Guillaume Roukhomovsky, associate creative director at 72andSunny, added, “Most Russians don’t know what is really going on in Ukraine -even if they are doubtful about what they are told, it is impossible for Russians to find out the truth, in a country where the truth has been banned from TV channels and newspapers by the Kremlin. Torrents of Truth’s purpose is to create a new, mass undercover channel that re-empowers journalists in face of the information war.”
