Review

The article explores a new direction in criminalistics – the fixation and analysis of traces of infor-mation and psychological influence in the context of counter-terrorism. Given the current challenges of information warfare, the role of psychological operations and manipulations in acts of terrorism is increasing, necessitating the development of new approaches to forensic analysis. Particular atten-tion is paid to the methods of recording such activity and to the challenges and prospects of their analysis within the investigation of terrorist crimes. The purpose of the article is to establish scientifically grounded theoretical and methodological foundations and to develop effective forensic tools for identifying, analyzing, and documenting traces of information and psychological influence used for terrorist purposes. The authors focus on studying the phenomenon of information-psychological terrorism as a new and insufficiently explored issue that does not leave traditional material traces, but deeply affects public consciousness, individual behavior, and overall national security. The relevance of the topic is driven by the growing threats associated with the manipulation of mass consciousness through digital communication platforms, particularly social networks, messengers, and specially crafted information campaigns systematically employed by terrorist groups to achieve their goals. In this context, the study involves a thorough analysis of influence techniques, mechanisms of their implementation, and the identification of characteristics by which such actions can be detected and qualified from a forensic perspective. A key component of the research goal is the development of an interdisciplinary approach to studying information and psychological influence, integrating knowledge from criminalistics, psychol-ogy, linguistics, information security, and law. Special attention is also paid to improving the regulato-ry framework for responding to modern threats related to information and psychological influence in terrorist activities, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement and strengthen national security. Thus, the study is aimed not only at revealing the nature and mechanisms of information and psychological influence as a means of terrorist pressure but also at establishing the foundations of a new direction in criminalistics – the criminalistics of information and psychological influence, which corresponds to the challenges of modern hybrid warfare and information conflicts.