Russia is waging war with Ukraine on all fronts. The informational front is one of the most important. Television and news resources of the Russian Federation often spread information that a thinking person would not believe. Let's only fresh in our minds the most famous stories about «Donbas was being bombed for 8 years» or nationalist admirers of Bandera eat children. Today we analyze the most interesting fakes spread by Russian propaganda last week.
«Manual» for Ukrainian media
Russian occupiers spread another fake: Ukrainian media allegedly have a manual that describe how to cover the situation in Bakhmut, Donetsk oblast.
According to the manual, Ukrainian journalists were allegedly forbidden to:
Recall the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Bakhmut direction,
Refer to the outdated military equipment that the Armed Forces of Ukrainе use, mention the number of Russian-speaking population in Donetsk oblast
Tell about the opponent in a positive way
Doubt the victory of the Ukrainian defenders in the battles for the city.
A fine of 8 thousand hryvnias is provided for violation of these non-existent «rules».
The Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Malyar considered such a «manual» to be a ridiculous fake.
In addition, she explained that every day the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy provides the evening addresses, every day the summaries of the General Staff and the position of the Ministry of Defense are published. Moreover, press officers – Yurii Ihnat, Serhii Cherevatyi, Nataliia Humeniuk, Andrii Yusov, and Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi share official information.
«We publicly broadcast our official position.And we don't need to write it down on papers - it's public,» Malyar stressed.
What is more, the head of the Office of the President, Andrii Yermak, emphasized that Bakhmut is Ukraine. He called for a calm reaction to propagandists' fakes.
A Ukrainian soldier complains about the command
The occupiers have recently spread a fake, where allegedly a Ukrainian soldier complains about the command. A video shows a man in uniform saying that he and his comrades are in Avdiivka, it's March, they are from Vinnytsia, they were mobilized for a week and they have already been without communication for three days. Also, the unknown warrior does not know where «the orcs are and where ours are.»
In the video, the “fighter” does not name his data, but the propagandists claim that he allegedly is in the 110th separate mechanized brigade.
The Center for Strategic Communications called it a lie and a new informational and psychological operation of the enemy. They emphasized that this video is not true for several reasons:
Firstly, in Ukraine, all mobilized draft-age people who have passed a medical examination and are deemed fit for military service are sent to training centers. The training of mobilized persons under martial law lasts at least two months.
Secondly, pay attention to the pronunciation of “soldier”. It does not at all correspond to the realities and rules of the Ukrainian language.
«The Russians always exploit narratives about bad Ukrainian leadership, unprofessional commanders, casualties and deaths in their IPSO. They do not stop trying to discredit Ukrainians and the military leadership in the eyes of international partners», the Center for Strategic Communications noted
The fake was published on a Facebook page called Cripto nucergeq, which is disguised as trading and earning in cryptocurrency on games. According to the Center for Strategic Communications, another hostile campaign was launched on April 1.The first signs of activity on the page date back to March 1.
Ukrainian strike hit NATO Center
In March, Russia spread a fake story that a «Kinzhal» missile had allegedly struck a «NATO center» in Ukraine, in which Ukrainian and NATO officers were present. NATO officers allegedly managed the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They referred to the article of the Greek portal ProNews, published on March 12.
It said that the attack on the «NATO base» was allegedly carried out on March 9 in response to an attack by saboteurs on the Bryansk region, the Russian Federation.
However, this source cannot be considered reliable. In the article about «Kinzhal», journalists referred to unnamed «Russians». On that day, even the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation did not announce the attack on the «NATO center».
Russian mass media, spreading this fake, also referred to the American publication The Intel Drop.Specialists of the VoxCheck project found out that the article The Intel Drop is a translation of an article on the website sv pressa, banned in Ukraine.
The Russian propagandist Oleksandr Sytnikov is the author of the article that is full of standard Kremlin narratives and fakes.
The publication does not indicate the source of the information about the «strike», but refers to insiders and anonymous interlocutors who «go into the political backstage of Banderstadt».
Resale of Western aid by Ukrainians
The Russians launched a fake about the resale of Western aid given to Ukrainians.
The Russians placed on the advertisement a text apparently from foreign publications, which talks about the sale of humanitarian aid in Ukraine. In the post, the propagandists claim that Ukrainian «speculators» are driving up prices and putting up for sale the aid sent by the West. In particular, ammunition for the Armed Forces. Like, because of this, a loud scandal is gaining momentum in Poland.
In fact, the text is fake. The Russians often say that Ukrainians resell humanitarian aid and weapons. This is how they try to discredit Ukrainians and weaken aid from partners. According to the Center for Strategic Communications, the ads were published from traditionally empty Facebook pages called Dyau Juad on March 28.
Kyiv refused to create a protective zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Pro-Kremlin media write that Ukraine “is not ready to implement the IAEA initiative, which would prevent an attack from the territory of the power plant”. As the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security explain, Ukraine, on the contrary, supports all the efforts of the international community to disarm the captured Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while Russia does not stop systematically shelling the nuclear facility.»
In August 2022, during a meeting of the UN Security Council, they called for an end to any military actions near the station, to give the IAEA mission access to the ZNPP and to create a demilitarized zone around the station. In turn, the Russians staged a demonstration shelling of the IAEA mission during the visit in September. In addition, experts have confirmed that the Russians have stationed military personnel, vehicles and equipment at the facilities of the ZNPP, which violates all nuclear safety regulations.
After the visit to the ZNPP, the head of the IAEA, Grossi, officially announced the start of negotiations with Ukraine and the Russian Federation regarding the creation of a protective zone around the ZNPP. Ukraine supported the proposal to demilitarize the captured nuclear facility. However, the Russian Federation continued to ignore international efforts to protect nuclear safety and even made attempts to legalize the seizure of the Ukrainian ZNPP,» the Center said.
«Black hole»
The Russians have launched a campaign to discredit the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and named it «Black Hole». Primitive fake videos are supposed to convince the audience that Ukraine is a black hole that sucks Western financial aid.
Firstly, the video appears on a dubious Western resource, and then Russian propaganda media spread this news. Fake videos are often branded with «icons» from prominent foreign media outlets or digitally alter existing reports to give disinformation credibility and believability. However, the original source that refers to such fake videos is usually not the authoritative channel itself, but, for example, some channel in Telegram. In the same way, propagandists make fake covers of leading foreign media and even fake street graffiti.
The National Security Council of Ukraine claims that the campaign to disrupt financial support from allies began in the summer of 2022.A coordinated Russian information campaign aims to influence public opinion regarding the reduction of financial and military aid.
Since June, reports have been circulating on the Russian Telegram channels that the funds allocated to Ukraine from the EU and the USA are being stolen. A little later, the allegory with a black hole was used for the first time. Russian propagandists liked it very much. Since October 2022, the aggressor has been actively creating fakes on this topic.
Andrii Shapovalov, Acting Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the NSDC, said that Russian fakes are being spread through a network of pseudo-experts. The center has already identified about 400 such persons and it is monitoring their statements. Russia also supports its Ukrainian network of agents who spread the Kremlin's narrative about stolen money or aid. Among them is Geo Leros, who is facing criminal charges. The Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security Council prepared a detailed report on the malicious activities of the Russian Federation and handed it over to partner countries.
Massacres of Melitopol residents after de-occupation
In Melitopol, the Russian invaders and collaborators themselves are panicking and trying to scare others. The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, announced this on his social media pages.
Fedorov noted that the other day the invaders held “secret” meetings between “their own” in groups of kindergartens, schools, hospitals and the Melitopol district police. Collaborators have been informed of the procedure to follow to evacuate and warned that the time could be short.
«They showed the way through the Crimea. Also, in the racist telegram channels, instructions are distributed for residents: what to do if the Armed Forces of Ukraine start counteroffensive. Fakes about massacres of Melitopol people after de-occupation are being spread around the city. It's really time for the rats to run away. And our people under occupation should believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wait for the de-occupation and don't listen to the occupiers,» Fedorov added.
Shells with depleted uranium
The Ministry of Defense in the United Kingdom has stated that Vladimir Putin is trying to «deliberately misinform» by publicly criticizing the decision to send munitions containing depleted uranium to Ukraine.
«It is a standard component and has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or capabilities. Russia knows this, but is deliberately trying to misinform,» the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
According to the ministry, these shells are highly effective for defeating modern tanks and armored vehicles. Scientific studies show that any impact on human health and the environment from the use of depleted uranium munitions is «likely to be low».
On March 21, the UK Deputy Minister of Defense, Annabel Goldie, announced that, in addition to tanks, the country will provide Ukraine with shells containing depleted uranium. They are effective against tanks and armored vehicles.
Putin reacted to such news. «It looks like the West indeed intends to fight Russia until the last Ukrainian,» he said.
Women with chemical and biological education are being mobilized in Ukraine
Russian mass media spread information that Ukraine has allegedly begun to mobilize women, primarily with chemical and biological education. The so-called LPR and intelligence of the Russian Federation provided this information. Russian «experts» claim that Ukraine is preparing to use biological or chemical weapons in this way.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine denied the statement about mandatory mobilization of women, and even more so the information that some purposeful mobilization of female biologists and doctors is being conducted. Currently, about 5,000 women are at the front of their own accord.
«There is no mobilization of women. Now there are changes regarding the accounting system. Until 2026, even Ukrainian women who have a medical specialty – the only one for which they can be mobilized – do not necessarily have to register. Other professions are only voluntary,» the Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar explained.
In October 2022, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on the voluntary procedure for enlisting women in the military. The document was also signed by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to the law, women who are fit for military service due to their health and age and who have completed vocational, professional higher or higher education and have obtained a medical or pharmaceutical specialty are subject to military registration. The rest can register voluntarily.
Such changes aim to simplify the accounting system and they were developed by the General Staff even before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Malyar also emphasized that the topic of mobilization and, in particular, the mobilization of women in Ukraine is repeatedly used by Russian propaganda, but without any success.
