Propagandists are spreading information that during Russia's missile strike on Kharkiv, facilities of the nationalist Azov battalion were hit, including a shopping center where the military allegedly set up their base. However, this is a fake.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes about this. They found out that this is a typical technique of Russian propaganda. Russia deliberately attacks civilian objects in Ukraine, committing acts of terror. Every time a Russian missile hits a hospital, school, shopping center or post office, propagandists claim that it was a “military object” or “Azov base”.

In this way, the occupiers are trying to shift responsibility to Ukraine, claiming that “the Ukrainian Armed Forces are using civilian objects and the population as a “human shield”.”

In fact, on September 1, Russian terrorists deliberately launched a missile attack on a shopping mall, the Sports Palace, and one of the Nova Poshta branches in Kharkiv. According to the city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, 44 people were injured as a result of the shelling of these facilities, including seven children, the youngest child being only three months old.

The “LGBT chemicals” conspiracy theory claims that certain chemicals added to food, water supplies, or vaccines supposedly have the ability to change a person’s sexual orientation, making them homosexual or bisexual. These chemicals are said to be intentionally distributed by governments or international organizations to reduce birth rates or control populations. Proponents of this conspiracy theory often use terms like “gay bombs” or “fluoridation” to describe these chemicals.

There is no scientifically proven evidence to support the existence of chemicals that can change a person's sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by genetic, biological, psychological, and social factors. The scientific community widely accepts that there are no chemicals that can have a significant impact on orientation.

Medical organizations like the American Psychiatric Association (APA) deny the possibility of “chemical influences” on sexual orientation. They emphasize that sexual orientation is not subject to change due to external influences of this type. This conspiracy theory is built on the manipulation of fears and prejudices of people in the LGBT community. Instead of real facts, its proponents use emotional arguments and false data to cause panic and distrust of scientific and medical institutions.

Russian propaganda uses the LGBT chemical conspiracy theory for several purposes. It attempts to portray Western countries as deliberately distributing dangerous substances in order to destroy traditional values and social order. This serves to undermine trust in Western governments and international organizations. Russian propaganda has traditionally been against LGBT rights, using such conspiracy theories to discredit the LGBT community and increase homophobia in society. Propaganda actively uses this theory to support nationalist sentiments, presenting the West as a threat to traditional values and cultural identity.

The Center for Countering Disinformation continues to monitor the Russian information space and expose new fake news and manipulations that the enemy is spreading regarding the events in the Kursk region.

So, the Center for Countering Disinformation has recorded another wave of disinformation around the following topics:

“Shoot your own soldiers”. In order to undermine the fighting spirit of Ukrainians and discredit the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian propaganda reports that Ukrainian commanders in the Kursk region are executing their subordinates for refusing to carry out orders.

“Attack on pensioners”. Propagandists created a story about the work of combat medics in the Kursk region, where it is about saving two pensioners after an alleged attack by a Ukrainian drone on their car. However, the story only shows assistance to wounded Russian soldiers, not pensioners.

“Genocide”. Russian propaganda continues to spread eyewitness accounts of Ukrainian war crimes in Sudzha in the Kursk region. In the video, “eyewitnesses” talk about “Ukrainian Nazis who shoot everyone indiscriminately” and allegedly seek to exterminate the Russian people. The operation in the Kursk region has been going on for almost a month, but no evidence of these “Ukrainian atrocities” has been provided.

“Looting in Kursk region”. A video of a Ukrainian-language blogger is being distributed, claiming mass looting in the Kursk region, citing reports from a wounded Ukrainian soldier. This information operation is aimed at the Ukrainian audience in order to sow doubts about the actions of our military leadership. The video uses narratives that have long been actively promoted by Russian propaganda - that the Kursk operation is a “conspiracy” and that Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers should fight not in the Kursk region, but in Donbas.

Propagandists on anonymous Telegram channels claim that the Kursk operation allegedly changed the “balance of attrition” to Ukraine’s disadvantage, since it allegedly lacks reserves to respond to Russian breakthroughs and is short of ammunition. They say this is what Foreign Affairs writes about. They compare it to other battles where, according to propaganda, Ukraine suffered heavy losses, and predict that a prolonged positional war could undermine public support.

However, this information is a distortion and manipulation based on the content of the Foreign Affairs article and is part of a broader disinformation campaign aimed at demoralizing Ukrainian society and reducing international support for Ukraine.

In reality, the manipulative lifts that highlight Ukraine’s supposed weakness are taken out of context to create a false impression about the situation on the front and the ability of the Ukrainian army to resist Russian forces. These operations, such as the Battle of Bakhmut or the counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia region, were important steps in countering Russian aggression. Although they were indeed complex and demanding of significant resources, they were of strategic importance and were part of Ukraine’s broader defensive and offensive strategy.

Propagandists spread such messages for several reasons. One of the key aspects of this disinformation is to lower the morale of Ukrainian society by creating the impression that Ukraine’s defense is futile and the losses are unjustified. Russia also tries to sow doubts in Western countries about the effectiveness of aid to Ukraine in order to reduce military, financial and political support. Propagandists seek to present Russia as a more powerful and experienced adversary in order to force Ukraine to make concessions or end hostilities on Russia’s terms. These messages are aimed at weakening Ukraine both internally and through international isolation, so they need to be examined critically and debunked using verified sources of information.

The so-called Coordinating Councils of Organizations of Russian Compatriots or CCORC operate in many countries around the world. This is a Russian initiative aimed at uniting and strengthening communities founded by Russian emigrants abroad. 

The study by the Civil Awareness Center team of the Prytula Foundation presents the deanonymization of 92 leaders of CCORC with a brief description of their activities, and with the first material devoted to Europe.

In some countries, CCORC activities are already banned or restricted, such as in the United States, Sweden and Ukraine. The study provides a rationale for considering banning their activities in other countries as well.

Each CCORC states that their main goal is “strengthening the ties of compatriots with their historical homeland”. However, the founding documents also contain other propaganda goals, such as:

support for the efforts of compatriots in promoting an objective image of Russia in the public life of the host country;

popularization of the achievements of Russian culture and history, traditions and customs of the peoples of Russia through all available information resources;

promoting the development of Russian-language media in the host country;

dissemination of information about the achievements of Russia's multinational culture.

Most CCORC do not have legal status. This is written in their principles as a separate point: “CCORC is a public institution, preferably without the creation of a legal entity”.

CCORC is actively used to spread Russian propaganda among foreigners in order to form a positive perception of Russia and its actions. One of the official goals of the activity is “actively attracting young people”, which is the main means of influence. The leaders of these associations mostly support Putin's policies. Some CCORC delivered humanitarian aid to the territories occupied by Russia during the full-scale invasion.