Analysis: Coordination of disinformation by the “Office for Kosovo”, Serbian List and the “KosovoOnline” portal through a simple 'CheapFake' manipulation

In a new attempt to manipulate public opinion, the so-called 'Office for Kosovo and Metohija', led by Petar Petkovic, together with the Serbian List and the 'KosovoOnline' portal, have developed a disinformation campaign against the Republic of Kosovo. At the center of this campaign is a staged event involving the fabrication of a graffiti in the village of Gorazhdevc in the Municipality of Peja. The so-called 'Office for Kosovo and Metohija' is using this to build a false narrative about the alleged threat to the Serbian community.

Case: Use of suspicious graffiti to incite fear and manipulate public opinion

On 25.04.2025, a photograph (photo 1) was published on the official website of the so-called “Office for Kosovo and Metohija” showing the graffiti “UQK” written on fresh concrete. The officials claimed that this act was committed in the village of Gorazhdevc in the municipality of Peja, a place inhabited by Serbs, and described it as “offensive and provocative”.

However, the photograph presented contained no corroborating evidence of the actual location or authenticity of the event. From the outset, the lack of a clear location and other visual evidence made this claim seem dubious.

The flow of disinformation and visual montage

A little later, the Serbian portal "KosovoOnline" published the same news, but this time accompanied by another photo (photo 2), where the graffiti "UQK" appeared written on a house wall and not on concrete, as was initially shown.
Although the "Office for Kosovo and Metohija" was again mentioned as the source of information, the two photographs differed significantly from each other, further raising doubts about the credibility of the entire event.

The “KosovoOnline” portal had interfered with the published photo by cropping it, in order to focus only on the inscriptions that served their narrative. In fact, the original photo (photo 3) showed a completely different picture: a wall filled with Serbian nationalist graffiti, where well-known symbols such as “4S” (the four letters C in Cyrillic), “SRB” (the abbreviation for Serbia) and “KiM” (the abbreviation for “Kosovo and Metohija” – a Serbian church term used to manipulate the historical narrative) stood out.
Fabrication elements
A more in-depth analysis of the visual and informational materials highlights several important elements that indicate fabrication:

• Language error

The graffiti “UQK” is an incorrect form of the Albanian abbreviation “UÇK.” Albanians usually never use this variant.

• Visual manipulation

The “KosovoOnline” photo has been intentionally cropped to hide the presence of surrounding Serbian nationalist graffiti.

•  Color consistency

All of the graffiti on the wall, including the alleged "UQK" one, is done in the same black color and has the same level of fading, indicating that it was written at the same time.

Tactics evaluation

This case constitutes a clear example of the use of a 'cheapfake', a simple and cheap form of manipulation that attempts to create a false reality without using advanced technology.
Unlike 'deepfake', which involves advanced digital interventions, in this case the effect is achieved through the selective selection and processing of existing materials, thus distorting the public's perception through simple but deliberate means.

Political involvement

The so-called “Office for Kosovo and Metohija” appears as the main initiator of this disinformation campaign, while the portal “KosovoOnline” has taken on the role of the amplifier of this narrative. On the other hand, the Serbian List has chosen to maintain a more withdrawn stance, reacting only through public statements and without providing visual evidence, which suggests an attempt to protect itself from direct exposure to manipulations.

cONcluSiON

This case clearly illustrates how coordinated methods of disinformation attempt to influence public opinion perceptions, both within the Serbian community and in the international arena.
Using simple manipulation techniques like “cheapfake,” Serbian political officials attempt to reinforce narratives of victimization and incite interethnic tensions, manipulating perceptions that are not based on solid facts, but on deliberately created perceptions.