On the air of the "Hristo Botev" program on Bulgarian National Radio, journalist Nikoleta Atanasova conducted an in-depth conversation with Gennady Vorobyov – founder of Netpeak Bulgaria and initiator of the media project "Bessarabian Front". The discussion covered numerous critical topics related to the current geopolitical situation and information challenges.
The "Bessarabian Front" project was initially conceived in 2020 as a platform for promoting the cultural heritage of Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Moldovan Bessarabia.
A key moment in the project's development was the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Vorobyov noticed a decreasing journalistic interest in the war and decided to create a platform to document chronicles of the conflict. Together with photographer Alexander Baron – his compatriot and currently serving in the National Guard of Ukraine – he chose the name "Bessarabian Front".
The media initiative is aimed at two main target groups: the Bulgarian public seeking reliable information about events in Ukraine, and Bulgarian journalists who can use the platform as a reliable information source.
One of the main focuses of the project is combating disinformation. The team performs an in-depth analysis of media content, including a detailed study of the "Pogled Info" website. The results are impressive – over 50% of publications are verbatim translations from sanctioned Russian media with propaganda orientation.
Vorobyov emphasizes the exceptional importance of information literacy in the modern digital space. According to his calculations, there is approximately a 30-percent probability that users will be exposed to propaganda content when using social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Regarding the geopolitical perspective, the expert is categorical – the war in Ukraine is not a short-term conflict. "This war will not end tomorrow, nor in a month, nor even this year," he firmly states. Vorobyov views Ukraine as a strategic buffer protecting European security.
The technological aspect of the war is another significant moment in the analysis. Drones are becoming a revolutionary factor that changes military strategies. "Thanks to drones, the war can be observed like a live broadcast," Vorobyov notes, emphasizing the transformation in military actions.
Among the project's future plans is the digitization of books dedicated to the history of Bessarabian Bulgarians, which further expands the cultural mission of the initiative.
"Bessarabian Front" positions itself not just as a media project, but as a platform for information counteraction against hybrid attacks and Russian influence in the digital space. The entire conversation is available in the sound archive of Bulgarian National Radio.