Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, in telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that an advertising campaign for washing powder with the image of Volodymyr Zelenskyi has allegedly been launched in Poland. The authors of the messages add that the commercial is broadcast on all national channels in Poland. As evidence of the publication, a likely screenshot from the commercial was attached. It is not true.

Analysts at the VoxCheck project drew attention to this case and determined that the image was edited using a graphics editor. They also checked the photo in a special tool with which one can make sure that some elements were previously added to the image. The specialists were convinced that the “screenshot” was fake, because after checking they noticed the added elements in the image. In addition, according to analysts, there was no mention of an advertising campaign or the existence of such washing powder in the foreign segment of social networks. Analysts emphasize that they came across the photo only in the Russian segment of social networks.

By spreading such a fake, propagandists want to discredit Zelenskyi, who is allegedly despised in Europe. Previously, propagandists spread messages about fake graffiti with Zelenskyi in public places, fake magazine covers, etc.

Fraudsters spread messages in the Ukrainian segment of social networks that supposedly the Safari special forces regiment of the National police of Ukraine was raising funds for thermal imagers and other military ammunition. The swindlers claimed that they were fellow soldiers from the Korosten region. Like, the regiment works not only at zero front, but also “behind enemy lines”, so it needs help to purchase the necessary equipment. The purpose of the collection is almost six thousand dollars.

In fact, the Safari special forces regiment does not and did not collect funds for ammunition. This was reported in the national police of Ukraine.

The department urges everyone to carefully check the messages about the fundraising, so as not to become victims of scammers.

Earlier, Detector Media talked about letters received by entrepreneurs from Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, Zhytomyr and Dnipropetrovsk regions from scammers who allegedly raised funds for the alleged needs of the Ukrainian army.

Messages are spreading on social networks that allegedly Twitter is asking unverified users to remove Ukrainian flags from their account names. The messages included screenshots of a Twitter message from the Ukrainian Walter Report page, allegedly asking the administration of the social network to remove the Ukrainian flag badge. They say that only subscribers of Twitter Blue, a premium service that provides users with access to various functions, can openly support Ukraine. It's fake.

There are no restrictions on the use of the Ukrainian flag badge. The fact-checkers of the MythDetector project drew attention to the distribution of messages. They found out that the Walter Report page deliberately posted a fake message. Thus, the authors wanted to draw attention to the fact that “fake memes” cause more publicity than real events in Ukraine. They also note that Elon Musk repeats the narratives of Russian propaganda and this affects Ukraine and Ukrainians. Subsequently, the owners of the Walter Report account denied the fake they had created.

Social networks have indeed become a convenient platform for the dissemination of Russian propaganda and disinformation. Read more in the investigation of Detector Media.

Russian and pro-Russian telegram channels began to circulate Ramzan Kadyrov's quotes that the “diabolical regime of Ukraine” is fighting against the “defenseless”, so this can be considered a “war without rules”. Kadyrov's statements are linked to reports of an alleged “Ukrainian reconnaissance sabotage group” (DRG) that allegedly attacked two villages in the Briansk region, took Russian civilians hostage and fired on a car.

Versions of the event in the Briansk region were specified several times both in terms of the number of victims, and the location of the so-called DRG (reconnaissance sabotage group), and the purpose of their stay in Russia. Despite this, the Russians immediately, without clarifying the circumstances, took advantage of the situation and accused Ukraine of terrorism. Like, the Ukrainian military commits crimes against peaceful Russians. The Ukrainian authorities called these statements a provocation and denied Ukraine's involvement in the events in the Briansk region. In the end, representatives of the “Russian volunteer corps” took responsibility and called the events an attempt to show that there are also free people in Russia who are ready to fight against the Putin regime.

Thus, Russia uses the tactics of reflection and shifts the responsibility for anything to Ukraine. Like, Russia does not attack first, but “strike back”. In fact, Russia is an aggressor state that started a war against Ukraine and commits war crimes on the territory of Ukraine, including against children.

Information is being disseminated on social networks that Ukraine seems to have completely exhausted its mobilization resource. Like, the twelve wave of mobilization begins, but there is no one to mobilize. Allegedly, therefore, since the beginning of March, Ukraine has increased the age limit for the mobilization of Ukrainians to sixty-two. The corresponding order was allegedly sent to the territorial recruitment and social support centers. It is not true.

There were no changes in the age of Ukrainians who could be mobilized. According to the legislation, men and women up to sixty years old are subject to mobilization. Senior officers can be mobilized up to sixty-five years old. There are no “waves of mobilization” in Ukraine. The mobilization was announced on February 24, 2022, and since then the term of the relevant law has been extended several times. So far, the duration of martial law and mobilization has been extended until May 20, 2023.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to sow panic among the population, discredit the Ukrainian authorities and the Ukrainian army. They say that the situation at the front is bad, because they will take everyone into the army. More details.

Russian propagandists continue to elude responsibility by using different phrases to define the war that Russia unleashed in Ukraine. Very often, the use of the official wording “special military operation” can get the audience tired. Therefore, a more informal construction is the “Ukrainian crisis”.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for the ninth year. The situation of war is a moment of crisis for the whole country, a test of strength. This crisis, however, has a well-defined name: a war. Russia has launched aggressive military actions against Ukraine. This, as well as the crimes of the Russian armed forces against civilians, at least fall under the definition of “crime of aggression” under international law. Accordingly, in the future there is every reason to hold Russia accountable not for the crisis, but for the start of a targeted war.

Using this phrase, Russia is trying to show that the war against Ukraine is a temporary phenomenon. The term “Ukrainian crisis” is also being used to play along with the “blitzkrieg” message that the Russian government promised its citizens in the event of an attack on Ukraine. In addition, in this way, propagandists are trying to reduce the degree of the tragedy of the situation. Like, there is nothing serious, just a small “crisis” that can be easily resolved by negotiations and big concessions towards Russia. Additionally, Russian propaganda with the help of this phrase is again trying to shift the responsibility for the crimes of the aggressor onto the victim of aggression.

This is a new text for the “Newspeak” section, which Detector Media launched as part of the “Disinformation Chronicles” project. In it, we tell and explain new lexemes that Russian propaganda uses to distort reality.

There are messages disseminated to both Ukrainian and foreign audiences that allegedly Volodymyr Zelenskyi believes that the United States is not helping Ukraine enough. Allegedly, America like Ukraine should send its daughters and sons to war. Allegedly, if NATO “does not want to give enough weapons”, they should take part in the war. They say Zelenskyi made such a statement during a press conference on the anniversary of the great war. It is not true.

The video circulating online is edited and taken out of context. Volodymyr Zelenskyi does not call on the US or NATO to enter the war. StopFake fact-checkers explain that the video shows a fragment of the President's answer to a question from a BBC journalist about what Volodymyr Zelenskyi would like to say to those Americans who do not support military assistance to Ukraine. The response stated that if Ukraine did not win the war, Russia would start a war with NATO countries, primarily with the Baltic countries. In this case, all NATO countries, including the United States, will have to send their military to war. From this answer, the propagandists compiled the text they needed. The fact-checkers of the MythDetector project came to the same conclusion.

Since the beginning of the war, Russian propaganda has been promoting the narrative that Ukraine is trying to draw other countries into a war with Russia.

A video of a column of tanks allegedly being transported to Ukraine is being circulated on social networks. On one of the tanks you can allegedly see the inscription “14/88”  symbolizing the Nazi slogan. Users of social networks write that this video was filmed in Germany, and symbols are applied to tanks before being sent to Ukraine. It's fake.

The video circulating on social media has been intentionally altered. There are no symbols on the tanks in the original video. The reports also refer to a fake about encrypted Nazi symbols in the number of tanks. Fact-checkers of StopFake found out that the video shows American Abrams tanks. The video was published back in March 2022, that is, the tanks could not be transported to Ukraine, since at that time there was no talk of their deliveries.

Russian propaganda began to spread messages about “Nazi crosses” on tanks for Ukraine in advance, saying that “Nazis” can not hide their views. Thus, propaganda nourishes the narrative of Russia's one more fight against Nazism and fascism by appealing to the events of World War II.

A photo of a German Leopard tank allegedly captured by the Russians with a Russian flag attached is circulating on social networks. Like, the tank went on the attack near Bakhmut, but got stuck in a swamp after a hundred meters. It is not true.

The spread of the fake was recorded by the fact-checkers of the NotaYenota project. They found out that Russians used a photo published on one of the Dutch sites back in 2007 for this message. The Russian flag was added to it. There is no evidence that the Russians managed to capture a German tank.

After the decision to supply tanks to Ukraine, propagandists launched a campaign to discredit them, saying that they would not help on the battlefield, they would be burned right away. Also, the Russians have already spread fakes about the destruction of the first Leopard tank.