I wonder if it's actual users with dormant accounts who just setup their Moltbot?

Some, maybe, but that's just another nice layer of plausible deniability.

The truth is that the internet is both(what's the word for 'both' when you have three(four?) things?) dead, an active cyber- and information- warzone and a dark forest.

I suppose it was fun while it lasted. At least we still have mostly real people in our local offline communities.