Spilnota Detector Media
Detector Media collects and documents real-time chronicles of the Kremlin disinformation about the Russian invasion. Ukraine for decades has been suffering from Kremlin disinformation. Here we document all narratives, messages, and tactics, which Russia is using from February 17th, 2022. Reminder: the increasing of shelling and fighting by militants happened on the 17th of February 2022 on the territory of Ukraine. Russian propaganda blames Ukraine for these actions.

On 29 March, on the 764th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2049
Fake
676
Manipulation
634
Message
419
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Fake Fake about the mobilization of 1000 students of Taras Shevchenko national university of Kyiv

Russian telegram channels are distributing a photo of a “document” from the Taras Shevchenko national university of Kyiv on “exemption from training of 1000 students in connection with their conscription for military service during mobilization”. In addition, the relevant document states that the reason for such an order was an appeal from representatives of the SBU, as well as the Shevchenko district territorial center of procurement and social support.

Experts from the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council undertook to analyze this information. They found out that in fact the photo of the “document” is just another photoshop of Russian propagandists.

Firstly, the execution of the document does not meet the legal requirements for the execution of organizational and administrative documents.

Secondly, the numbering of the order does not correspond to the numbering that is used to register orders of the National National Institution, which are posted in the public domain.

After all, the fictitious document contains many spelling errors, which also indicate its falsity.

This fake appeared as part of a large-scale propaganda campaign to discredit mobilization in Ukraine. Propagandists speculate on a sensitive topic for many Ukrainians and resort to such fabrications that are intended to demoralize, mislead and intimidate society. Previously, we refuted information that Zelenskyi allegedly mobilizes minors.

Fake Ursula von der Leyen's grandmother allegedly occupied Hitler, and her great-grandfather was the “chief Nazi”

Propagandists published a photograph on social networks showing Adolf Hitler allegedly hugging the grandmother of Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. They also claim that Ursula von der Leyen's grandfather, Karl Albrecht Oberg, was allegedly the “chief SS man and policeman” and sent 100,000 people to concentration camps. However, these statements are false.

Specialists from the Georgian project MythDetector drew attention to them. They found that these claims originated as a joke by American researcher Norman Finkelstein. The identity of the actual person in the photograph has not been confirmed by publicly available sources. Additionally, the claim that Ursula von der Leyen's grandfather, Karl Albrecht Oberg, was an SS general is false. In fact, the great-grandfather of the President of the European Commission was named Friedrich Karl Albrecht and he was an entrepreneur.

The photo circulating on social media is a screenshot of a message posted by Norman Finkelstein on his X network page on November 23, 2023. Finkelstein captioned the post as a joke, calling it “Photo from Ursulie von der Leyen's family album” and adding a made-up quote to the politician: “My dear grandmother did not wash her hands for a month after this wonderful incident”.

The real person in the photo remains unknown. According to the description of the American photo agency Getty Images, the photo was taken in 1937 in the city of Buckeburg, where Hitler shakes hands with a “traditionally dressed girl”.

Propagandists spread such fakes to discredit Western partners and justify Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Fake French troops are allegedly heading to Romania and then arriving in Ukraine

Information that French troops are being sent to Romania to confront the Russian army in Ukraine is actively spreading online. It is noted that they will be in Odesa. However, this information is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to this. They found out that such information first appeared on the FranceNews24 news portal on the X network, but was then deleted because it turned out to be false. It should be noted that this resource is not a reliable source of information as it does not have contact information or details of the owners or editorial team. He is also noted for publishing only pro-Russian materials.

Rumors about the deployment of French troops in Odesa circulated amid statements by President Macron about possible military assistance to Ukraine. However, even if this happens, military intervention requires permission from the relevant authorities, and in this case, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. It should also be noted that France has already stationed its troops in Romania as part of strengthening NATO's eastern flank.

Propagandists spread such fake news to intimidate the local population and discredit Western partners. Detector Media has already written about how Russian propaganda reacted to Macron’s recent statements.

Manipulation The general of the Polish army allegedly announced millions of losses in Ukraine

In an interview for the Polish news channel Polsat News, former Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army Raimund Andrzejczak, according to propagandists, expressed the opinion that Ukraine’s losses should be estimated in millions, not hundreds of thousands. However, this information is manipulated.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found that in his speech Andrzejczak mentioned the losses associated with the large flow of refugees and limited resources for mobilization. He spoke of a certain threat, pointing to the shortage of people in Ukraine and the problem with mobilization capacity, claiming “10 million refugees”.

However, Andrzejczak's estimates of losses are not precise. According to the Mykhailo Ptukha Institute of Demography and Social Research, more than 9 million Ukrainians are abroad, only some of them are refugees, and the others are labor migrants or those who left the country earlier. According to various estimates, the number of Ukrainian refugees ranges from 4.9 to 6.5 million.

The Center for Economic Strategy study also cites different figures, pointing to fewer Ukrainians abroad due to the war. Estimates of the actual losses of the Ukrainian military also vary, but do not reach millions. Approximate numbers of dead and prisoners are contained in the materials of the “Book of Memory of those who fell for Ukraine”, which has been keeping records of losses as a result of the war since 2014.

Propagandists often take phrases of famous politicians and military personnel out of context in order to dramatize the situation and cause despondency among Ukrainians.

Fake Western pharmaceutical companies allegedly conducted experiments on patients in a mental hospital in Mariupol

Propagandists are disseminating information that Western pharmaceutical companies allegedly conducted dangerous experiments with drugs for rheumatoid arthritis on patients in the psychiatric ward of Hospital No. 7 in Mariupol. It is noted that the drug “could contribute to the occurrence of cancers of the lymphatic and hematopoietic systems”, but the “research subjects” were not informed about this. “Documents” have emerged that, according to propagandists, indicate the “criminal activities” of these pharmaceutical companies. Among them is a brochure that supposedly confirms the risk of lymphoma, leukemia and other diseases of the hematopoietic system. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that this study was not conducted at the psychiatric ward of Hospital No. 7 in Mariupol, as propagandists claim. Claims regarding the use of children and the mentally ill in experiments are false. According to Ukrainian legislation, participants in clinical trials must be fully informed about the risks and possible side effects of the drugs being tested.

Propagandists spread fake news to discredit Ukraine’s Western partners and cause panic among the population. They say that Ukrainians are testing biological weapons, and Russia is saving them from precisely this. However, this fake does not correspond to the legislation of Ukraine and reality.

Disclosure The Russian community discredits Zelenskyi in Germany

Pro-Kremlin resources are distributing online photos of leaflets depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, who holds out his hands and asks for money in different languages of the world. According to propagandists, such leaflets began to appear in European countries.

In fact, these postcards were posted by the Russian community in Germany. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council after contacting the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. They were posted solely to create propaganda content, after which the leaflets were torn off by the Russians themselves.

Thus, Russia continues to portray Zelenskyi as a “beggar”. Finally, the goal of such actions is to influence the reduction of international financial support for Ukraine. Previously, we refuted the information that graffiti with Zelenskyi was created in Munich, where Elon Musk beats him and forces him to “not whine for money anymore”.

Fake Ukrainian volunteers allegedly handed over a trench candle to the military, and it exploded

A video recording of the moment of the explosion of a trench candle, which was allegedly handed over to the Ukrainian military by volunteers from Mykolaiv, is being distributed online on behalf of the Ukrainian volunteer telegram channel. In the text to the video they write that the soldiers almost died. Therefore, the volunteers are suspected of a “planned action” that was intended to harm Ukrainian fighters.

The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council analyzed the video and found out the source of distribution. As a result, the Center stated that this is an “orchestrated Russian IPSO”, the purpose of which is to discredit Ukrainian volunteers in the eyes of the people of Ukraine, including military personnel, and undermine confidence in them.

The volunteer movement in Ukraine is a powerful component of the fight against the occupiers, so Russia is trying to disgrace it in various ways, in particular through the dissemination of edited videos, fake articles and news. Previously, we refuted the information that the Ukrainian volunteer allegedly received gratitude from the Ministry of Defense, and at the same time a draft notice as an invitation to “serve” in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Fake Russian missiles allegedly hit the Patriot air defense system, GUR and SBU facilities during the shelling of Kyiv

Propaganda telegram channels write that on the morning of March 25, 2024, Russia launched a strike on Kyiv with Zircon hypersonic missiles. As a result, two Patriot air defense systems were allegedly destroyed in Zhuliany, at the Kyiv airport. The Russians also seem to have managed to strike the headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate and the “decision-making center” of the SBU.

In fact, this information is not true. Propagandists have not decided among themselves what Russia “destroyed” during the morning attack on Kyiv - one false version contradicts the other, they write in the Center for Strategic Communications at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

In reality, air defense forces destroyed both of the two ballistic missiles that the Russians launched at Kyiv from temporarily occupied Crimea. The debris of one of the downed missiles destroyed part of the Boichuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative-Applied Arts and Design.  The building containing the gym, assembly hall and congress hall was damaged, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine reported. In general, destruction as a result of the attack in Kyiv was recorded in the Pecherskyi, Solomianskyi and Holosiivskyi districts. According to the mayor of Kyiv Vitalii Klychko, ten victims are known, two of them were hospitalized.

Russian propaganda deliberately exaggerates Russia's achievements in the war against Ukraine, trying to spread another victory story for Russians. That is, propagandists engage in eye-catching activities and publish fake information. Previously, we refuted the report that the Russians allegedly destroyed a batch of missiles for the Patriot air defense system and warehouses with Storm Shadow missiles.

Message Ukrainian defense forces plan to “blow up” the Dnipro hydroelectric station

Pro-Kremlin resources are disseminating information as if the Ukrainian military is planning to blow up the Dnipro hydroelectric station in order to cause a “large number” of victims and subsequently shift responsibility for these actions to Russia. They say that it does not resort to shelling of civilian infrastructure and such a step may be the work of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Fact-checkers of the Center for Countering Disinformation write that these falsehoods only serve to escalate the situation around the critical infrastructure of Ukraine. The point is that none of the Ukrainian military plans to blow up the Dnipro hydroelectric power station, this is just an element of the Russian disinformation campaign.

In reality, Russia is shelling critical infrastructure, residential buildings and killing civilians. And all it is trying to do by spreading such messages is to intimidate Ukrainians and create in them a sense of distrust of the state and the defense forces of Ukraine.

Back in early March 2024, Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal reported that Ukraine went through the winter without “blackouts or shutdown schedules”. Due to the reliable protection of Russian energy facilities, it was most likely not possible to damage them. However, the terrorist country does not give up its attempts to destroy Ukraine, including threatening future “shelling”. And he demonstrates this as a so-called response to the Ukrainian military.

For example, Bloomberg journalists write that the Russian-Ukrainian war has entered a new phase. Ukrainian drones are beginning to attack Russia's Soviet-era energy infrastructure. Since the beginning of 2024, Ukraine has carried out about 15 drone attacks on oil refineries in 9 Russian regions.

That is, Ukrainian attacks demonstrate Russia’s vulnerability and at the same time the inability to effectively counter them. In order not to demoralize the Russians, the Kremlin is building different theories regarding “retaliation strikes”. For example, the Russian Ministry of Defense on his telegram channel called the massive attack on March 22, 2024 a “retaliation strike” against Ukraine for its “illegal” shelling.

And even earlier, on the night of December 30, 2023, there was shelling of military facilities in the Belgorod region, but as a result of the unprofessional work of Russian air defense, fragments of Ukrainian missiles fell on the center of the city of Belgorod and on the housing sector.

That is, the Kremlin is looking for ways to enrage Ukrainian society by churning out scare messages like this.

Fake Valerii Zaluzhnyi allegedly received $53 million for abandoning his political ambitions

An alleged story from the BBC is being circulated online, which states that Valerii Zaluzhnyi allegedly received $53 million for abandoning “his ambitions in politics”. And Bellingcat investigative journalist Hristo Grozev allegedly studied the details of this agreement and also confirmed information about the receipt of money. It's a lie.

The VoxCheck analysts examined the case and found that the fake robes cut out parts from different recordings and edited them into one video. Journalist Eliot Higgins also called the recording fake.

In fact, the BBC did not publish such a story on its social media pages. We also did not find this entry on the Bellingcat investigative page. While the head of Bellingcat, Eliot Higgins, on his X page called this video fake. Moreover, in another message, Higgins indicated that Hristo Grozev has not worked for Bellingcat for more than a year. Therefore, he could not comment on anything on behalf of the organization.

Orest Slyvenko, Artur Koldomasov, Pavlo Rud, Oleksandra Kotenko, Oleksandr Siedin, Kostiantyn Zadyraka, and Oleksiy Pivtorak are collaborating on this chronicle. Lesia Bidochko serves as the project coordinator, while Ksenia Ilyuk is the author of the project.