Propaganda -- The digital front -- Google's meta-data -- The truth behind the frontline.

Putin's war in Ukraine is not only fought on the battlefield. Combat also takes place on the digital front. Words and information are the ammunition of modern, hybrid warfare—targeting not only the opposing military but especially civilians. It is about manipulation and control, confusion and distraction from what is really happening. However, the internet is used not only for propaganda but also for intelligence and logistics. In doing so, Russia leaves behind numerous traces. Analyst Steven Broschart specifically shows which psychological and communicative tools are employed at Putin's digital frontline. He reveals what is really happening behind the digital frontline. Countless datasets on Google search behavior have been analyzed to answer questions that have remained unanswered—during the largest armed conflict in Europe in the 21st century. How was the war entry prepared? Is the Kremlin staging mood manipulation in Germany? What happened in Bucha? Who attacked the train station in Kramatorsk? Was the attack on the shopping center in Kremenchuk a mistake? Did the United States blow up Nord Stream? Is Kadyrov using Putin's help to eliminate political critics? Who destroyed the dam at the Kakhovka reservoir? What lies behind the military revolt of the Wagner Group? And are the deaths of countless Russian oligarchs mere coincidences? The Author Steven Broschart has been working as a digital strategy consultant, author, and speaker for over 20 years. His focus is on the analysis of digital behavioral traces. Since 2018, he has been advising the police, state criminal investigation offices (LKA), and public prosecutors on prominent cases with high investigative pressure. Additionally, he supports investigative journalism research for German television. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content. This book is a translation of an original German edition. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.