This dataset consists of open source data collected from various Telegram channels between July 2022 and January 2024. The targeted channels were selected based on ongoing monitoring and their known associations with the Wagner Group and linked paramilitary groups fighting on behalf of Russia. The evidence for these associations is extensive, with one notable indicator being that these channels routinely publish original content about or directly from these groups before anyone else, which is subsequently verified.
Telegram channels targeted for data collection include (a complete list is included in the README):
- 💀REVERSE SIDE OF THE MEDAL💀 (rsotmdivision)
- Alex Parker Returns (apwagner)
- GRAY ZONE (grey_zone)
- Afrika Corps / Африканский Корпус (KorpusAfrica)
- TopaZ Speaks☠️ / Говорит ТопаZ☠️ (Topaz_Govorit)
- GENTLEMEN / ДЖЕНТЛЬМЕНЫ (gentlemenGK)
- DSHRG Rusich / ДШРГ Русич (dshrg2)
- Prigozhin's Cap / Кепка Пригожина (Prigozhin_hat)
- Wagner's Orchestra | Wagner / Оркестр Вагнера | Wagner (orchestra_w)
- Detachment "Tuning Fork Akhmat" / Отряд «Камертон Ахмат» (kamerton_press)
- Prigozhin's Press Service / Пресс-служба Пригожина (concordgroup_official)
- Unloading Wagner / Разгрузка Вагнера (razgruzka_vagnera)
- SPbGKO Convoy / SPbGKO Конвой (convoywe)
- PMC Wagner. Briefs. / ЧВК Вагнер. Сводки. (VAGNER_svodki)
There are two different collections related to the Rusich group. The first collection, dating from summer 2022, preserves content from an earlier Rusich channel that was removed by Telegram in fall 2022 for violating terms of service. The second collection, DSHRG Rusich / ДШРГ Русич (dshrg2), was created concurrently with the prior group's ban.
The collected groups include the two main channels Yevgeny Prigozhin used throughout his final years of life, including the ones he posted to during his short-lived mutiny in June 2022. As such, these channels represent a chronological record of that historic event. Several other channels, such as Alex Parker Returns, purported to participate in the mutiny as well.
The data collection process involved gathering publicly available posts and comments from these Telegram channels at various points between July 2022 and January 2024. The dataset provides a unique insight into the activities and communications of these groups during the specified period, including the transition of the Rusich group from one channel to another due to Telegram's content moderation actions.
***The format of the collected data varies depending on the time of collection. Earlier collections are stored as .CSV files with dates written into the filenames, while later ones are stored as .html files in directories labeled by collection date. ***
The dataset does not contain individual user data; it consists solely of the publicly available posts and comments from the targeted Telegram channels. The content shared on these Telegram channels is often graphic and may contain information related to ongoing conflicts.
