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Spilnota Detector Media
Detector Media collects and documents real-time chronicles of the Kremlin propaganda about the Russian invasion. Ukraine for decades has been suffering from Kremlin propaganda. 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 17 February, on the 1454th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2732
Fake
816
Manipulation
775
Message
559
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Fake: “Banderites” beat Polish soldiers at the border with Ukraine

In mid-September, a video was actively circulated on Polish social media that allegedly described an incident in which Ukrainian soldiers, referred to as “Banderites”, supposedly beat Polish soldiers at the Polish-Ukrainian border while returning from training. Polish fact-checkers from Demagog have debunked this fake.

Origin of the fake

A video claiming that Ukrainian citizens dressed in Polish military uniforms beat Polish soldiers was spread on Facebook and TikTok. The post stated that one of the soldiers was allegedly hospitalized in serious condition. The video gained significant traction: one repost was viewed more than 150,000 times, while another post received over 6,000 reactions and 600 comments on Facebook. Some comments contained hate speech and doubts about government transparency, for example: “So why is the government hiding this?”, “This is a damn scandal”, “It’s a pity to shoot cattle”.

Official rebuttal

Poland’s Ministry of National Defence (MON) officially denied this information in a post on the X platform:

“Information appearing online claiming that Polish soldiers were beaten by Ukrainian citizens at the Polish-Ukrainian border is a complete fake. No such incident occurred. This is a classic example of disinformation aimed at stirring emotions. Before sharing a post or comment, check the source. Use only reliable and official information. Disinformation works only when we allow ourselves to be deceived by it. Do not spread lies.”

As Demagog experts emphasize, such fakes are part of a coordinated campaign aimed at fueling anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland. By spreading false information or sensational content that provokes strong emotions without verified facts, manipulators seek to sow distrust and hostility between nations.

Fake: a Ukrainian serviceman allegedly killed a fellow soldier over the theft of gold

Russian propagandist Telegram channels are spreading a fake in which a Ukrainian serviceman allegedly interrogates another about killing a fellow soldier over stolen gold. VoxCheck experts have debunked this video fake.

Origin of the fake

A video actively circulated by Russian sources shows a scene in which one serviceman allegedly questions another about killing their comrade over a dispute regarding the division of stolen gold. However, there are no mentions of such an incident in Ukraine’s information space. The video appeared exclusively in Russian sources, indicating its propagandist origin.

Signs of fabrication

VoxCheck experts cite the following evidence that the video was created using artificial intelligence (AI):

  • Visual AI artifacts: The serviceman’s face looks glossy and resembles an overlayed mask. During the conversation, the character’s teeth periodically disappear, which is a typical error of AI-generated imagery.
  • Voiceover: The off-screen voice sounds unnatural – overly fast, flat, and without intonational variation, which is characteristic of automatically generated audio.
  • Lack of identification: Apart from blue armbands, there are no chevrons or other identification marks on the serviceman’s uniform, which does not correspond to Ukrainian Armed Forces standards. The filming location also cannot be identified, a common feature of staged videos.

Fake: Zelenskyy is allegedly preparing the Armed Forces of Ukraine for an “attack on Transnistria and Kaliningrad”

Disinformation is being actively spread online claiming that Ukraine allegedly plans to deploy units of its Armed Forces to other countries to “attack Transnistria and the Kaliningrad region”. StopFake experts have explained why these claims are unfounded and manipulative.

On 24 September 2025, propagandist Telegram channels circulated screenshots of a draft law titled “On the Deployment of Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to Other States”, registered on 22 September. Propagandists claimed that this document allegedly provides for sending troops to attack Transnistria via Moldova and the Kaliningrad Oblast via Poland.

Debunking

In reality, the draft law clearly defines the purpose of sending Ukrainian military personnel to Turkey and the United Kingdom: training personnel and receiving military equipment from partner countries. The document contains no mentions of Poland, Moldova, Transnistria, or the Kaliningrad Oblast.

According to the text of the draft law, the following units will be sent to Turkey and the United Kingdom:

  • The corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa (Ada class) with a crew of up to 106 service members – to Turkey.
  • The mine countermeasure vessels Cherkasy and Chernihiv (Sandown class), and Mariupol, Melitopol, and Henichesk (Alkmaar class), each with crews of up to 39 service members – to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
  • The command of the Mine Countermeasures Division of the Naval Forces Flotilla, including the mine countermeasures staff (up to 20 service members).

The explanatory note to the draft law states that its purpose is to facilitate the receipt of military equipment from partners, the manning of units, and training in its use. This is necessary to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities, not for offensive actions against other countries.

Claims that Ukraine is allegedly preparing to attack Transnistria or the Kaliningrad Oblast are part of a disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine.

Andrii Pylypenko, Lesia Bidochko, Oleksandr Siedin, Kostiantyn Zadyraka, and Oleksiy Pivtorak are collaborating on this chronicle. Ksenia Ilyuk is the author of the project.