Propagandists on anonymous telegram channels are disseminating information about a new Ukrainian counteroffensive, which was allegedly developed by the Ukrainian high command. It allegedly includes an attack on Enerhodar in order to gain control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. They say that Ukraine is ready to risk a nuclear disaster in order to save its energy system.

The purpose of this message is to create panic and fear among the population and the international community, linking possible actions of Ukraine with the threat of a nuclear disaster. Let's take a closer look at its manipulative elements and the goals of the propagandists. Propagandists want to make people believe that it is the actions of Ukraine, not Russia, that can lead to a nuclear disaster. They say that it is ready to risk global security to achieve its goals. Propagandists try to create an impression of authenticity by using “insider information” language. However, most often they use such words to hide their lack of any reliable sources confirming what they want.

Russia often uses nuclear threats as a tool to intimidate and influence the international community. Propaganda is actively using the topic of nuclear security to force the international community and Ukraine to make concessions and compromises in favor of Russia by creating fear of a nuclear disaster. And also to divert attention from Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine. In general, Russian propaganda creates controversial or sensational messages to influence the ability of those in their audience to distinguish truth from lies.

Propagandists are distributing on social networks a fake quote from director Iryna Tsilyk, which was published by the Babel publication. It says: “An American director negotiated with us. He wanted to make the film “Volyn Chainsaw Massacre”. We refused, but now I think it was in vain. The vile Poles will poke our noses at the massacre like kittens as long as it benefits them, and will block our entry into the EU to the last”. However, the editor-in-chief of the publication confirmed on social networks that such a quote had never appeared in the publication.

Poland is an important ally of Ukraine, especially in the context of Russian aggression and Ukraine's integration into the EU. Intensifying conflicts based on historical events, such as the Volyn tragedy, are intended to worsen diplomatic relations and cooperation between countries. This could influence public opinion by creating a negative image of neighboring Poland and its policies

The spread of fake quotes and misinformation about Ukrainian cultural figures may reduce the level of support for Ukraine from Poland and other European countries. Russia wants to complicate the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU and other international organizations in this way. Such fakes help to divert attention from the real problems associated with Russian aggression and shift the focus to other problems.

Propagandists are distributing photos of a supposedly Ukrainian school history textbook for high school. It calls Hitler “a German statesman and politician” who liberated the Lviv region during World War II. This information was disseminated on anonymous telegram channels in other languages, including Bulgarian, French, English and Russian. However, this is fake.

Examples of fake posts about Hitler that were refuted by German and Austrian fact checkers

AFP and the Austrian-German hub GADMO checked all current Ukrainian history textbooks and found no such page or statement. The experts they interviewed confirmed that glorifying Nazism is prohibited by Ukrainian law. In 2015, the Ukrainian parliament banned propaganda of Nazi and communist regimes. All textbooks must be approved by the Ministry of Education and the Institute for Modernization of Education.

In Ukrainian schools, history begins to be taught from the fifth grade, and the Second World War in detail - from the tenth grade. All textbooks are updated every five years, with the last update occurring in 2022. AFP found that not a single textbook portrays Hitler as a “liberator”. On the contrary, it describes millions of deaths and crimes of the Nazis in Ukraine.

By spreading such false information, propagandists are trying to portray Ukraine as a country that supports Nazi ideology. The spread of fake news about Nazi ideology in Ukraine supports the Kremlin’s rhetoric about “denazification” as one of the reasons for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This creates the appearance of a moral justification for Russia's aggressive actions. The spread of such fakes may prompt international partners to doubt the need to support Ukraine, reducing economic, political and military assistance.

The court's decision to detain the once leading 1+1 TV channel and others, and now Russian propagandist Zhan Novoseltsev in Ukraine, allegedly demonstrates exemplary punishment of citizens who defend their rights. Propagandists claim this.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security explains that Zhan Novoseltsev is not a journalist or human rights activist, but is known as a distributor of fakes and an ally of anti-vaccination activist Ostap Stakhiv. On July 23, the Security Service of Ukraine detained him for calls for armed resistance against the Territorial centers of recruitment and social support workers and attempts to destabilize the situation in the country. Novoseltsev and his accomplices, including pseudo-experts and administrators of online communities, disseminated false information about the Ukrainian military and published personal data of Ukrainian defenders and law enforcement officers. All of them pretended to be journalists, the SBU reports. Novoseltsev also spread conspiracy theories and fake news about the war and energy situation in Ukraine.

Russian propaganda uses this information drive to discredit the Ukrainian authorities and create distrust in state institutions. This is part of an information war aimed at weakening internal unity and damaging its international reputation.

Russian propagandists disseminated information on anonymous telegram channels about an alleged rally in support of Palestine, which took place on Sophia Square in Kyiv. They illustrated it with a video recording, which confirms the protest. The reason for the action was the assassination of Hamas Politburo leader Ismail Haniya in Iran. Propagandists also noted that mass protests are prohibited in Ukraine due to martial law. However, this is fake.

The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council found out that this news is not true. The video distributed by propagandists was filmed back in 2021 at a pro-Palestinian rally organized by pro-Russian organizations.

Such fakes can create tension between different ethnic and religious groups in Ukraine, causing internal conflicts. Russia is trying to shift the focus away from its war crimes and aggressive actions by creating false scandals in Ukraine. Accordingly, the spread of such fake news is part of Russia’s strategy aimed at undermining stability and discrediting Ukraine in the international arena.