When Verification Is Not Enough: Susceptibility to Russian Disinformation in Eastern Europe

Citizens are increasingly encouraged to verify information as a means of protecting themselves from online disinformation. Media-literacy campaigns, fact-checking initiatives and public discourse promote behaviours such as cross-checking sources and checking information before sharing as important components of democratic resilience. Yet there is surprisingly little evidence on whether self-reported verification behaviour is associated with lower susceptibility to disinformation. This paper examines the relationship between verification behaviour and endorsement of Russian disinformation about the war in Ukraine. It employs a mixed-methods design combining original survey data and focus groups from Poland, Romania and Serbia. We first explore how citizens describe and justify verification behaviour, showing that participants widely regard it as a desirable and responsible practice and frequently present themselves as careful and critical consumers of information. We then test whether self-reported verification behaviour is associated with lower endorsement of false claims, while accounting for socio-demographic characteristics, perceptions of foreign interference and prior geopolitical attitudes. The findings reveal a striking disconnect between the widespread endorsement of verification and its apparent protective effect. Although verification behaviour is widely reported, it is not consistently associated with lower susceptibility to Russian disinformation. Instead, prior attitudes towards Russia emerge as substantially stronger predictors of belief in false claims. Integrating the qualitative and quantitative evidence, we argue that verification may function partly not only as an information-processing strategy, but also as an identity-affirming practice through which individuals present themselves as critical and responsible citizens. However, this sense of epistemic agency does not necessarily translate into greater resilience against disinformation. By bringing together self-reported behaviour, political attitudes and qualitative accounts, the paper challenges assumptions that encouraging verification alone is sufficient to combat disinformation. It highlights the importance of addressing the political and attitudinal foundations of susceptibility, alongside improving citizens’ access to reliable information.