Pro-Russian propaganda telegram channels, including Polish ones, are distributing a video in which a Russian military UAV allegedly recorded a war crime by Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. Propagandists claim that the Ukrainian military shot at a civilian car in the border village of Zelenyi Shliakh near the town of Sudzha (Kursk region, Russia). The car, “from the fire of an American Stryker armored personnel carrier”, allegedly camouflaged in a forest belt, rolled to the side of the road and burst into flames. As a result, on an anonymous telegram channel they add that the driver and passengers of the car died.

In fact, there is no real evidence that such an incident actually happened. In the video, which was first distributed by one of the so-called Russian “military correspondents” (that is, the same propagandist), it is impossible to establish what exactly caused the car to catch fire.

Russia has once again decided to resort to fake accusations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the killing of civilians. This time near the city of Sudzha, where fighting continues. Thus, the Russians are trying to divert attention from the war crimes of the Russian army itself against the civilian population of Ukraine by resorting to a propaganda tactic called “deflection”.

At the same time, by recalling the American Stryker armored personnel carrier in this fake, propagandists are fueling a narrative aimed at both internal and external audiences: they say that NATO has broken into Russian territory.

A photo of a document is being circulated online, which talks about the decision of the Sumy District Council to include the Russian city of Sudzha and Sudzha District into the Sumy District as a separate territorial society.

In fact, this document is a fake. On its official Facebook page, the Sumy District Council announced that it is not considering the decision to include the city of Sudzha and the Sudzha district of Russia into the Sumy district of the Sumy region. There is no draft corresponding decision on the council's agenda. Moreover, this issue is not within its competence. The decision to establish and change the boundaries of districts and cities is made by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the proposal of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine

In the end, the session of the Sumy District Council for today, August 8, 2024, was not planned and, accordingly, was not held, although this is the date in the fake document.

The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council also stated that the document distributed online is fake.

Russian telegram channels disseminated information that the United States intends to “invite clarification” to Kyiv regarding the course of events in the Kursk region. The corresponding statement was allegedly made in the White House.

In fact, propagandists distorted the words of the White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, writes the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council. He said that the United States has not changed its policy regarding allowing Ukraine to use the provided weapons “on targets that pose an imminent threat on the other side of the border”. Kirby also added that officials “will be in contact with Ukrainian counterparts to gain a better understanding of the situation”. This is stated in the material of the American publication Bloomberg. That is, the wording about “inviting clarifications” from Kyiv from the White House on the situation in the Kursk region is incorrect - it was invented by Russian propagandists.

Also, the representative of the US State Department, Matthew Miller, also stated that the possible actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region “do not violate US policy”. He confirmed that the US had not received warnings about possible operations on Russian soil, adding: “It is not unusual for Ukraine to not tell us its exact tactics before implementing them”.

By manipulating information, Russians seek to fuel their narrative that Ukraine is a “puppet state” and is led either by the “collective West” or by “Washington and London”. That is why Ukraine seems to have to coordinate all its decisions with “Western leaders”. However, Ukraine is an independent and sovereign state, and such propagandists' reproaches are aimed at declaring the fictitious dependence of the Ukrainian government.

Some propaganda telegram channels claim that in Kyiv unknown persons attempted to assassinate the current Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umierov. An explosive device allegedly went off, after which the minister was immediately taken out. Propagandists add that there is no information yet about Umierov’s condition.

In fact, this “news” is fake. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council after it verified the relevant information with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

This is not the first time that Russian propaganda has carried out information attacks against Ukrainian officials, trying to destabilize the situation within the country. Thus, earlier we refuted information about the alleged death of the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyryl Budanov, and also that Rustem Umierov was poisoned.

Information is being spread in Russian telegram channels that Ukraine is going to surrender the Kharkiv region to Russian troops. Propagandists claim that this is evidenced by the “decision” of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to fire 10 thousand teachers in the eastern regions, in particular in the Kharkiv region, where it seems that only 40-50 schools will remain. Also, the number of children studying remotely is supposed to increase significantly.

After verifying this information in the Kharkiv Military Regional Administration, the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council reported that it was untrue. Order No. 850 provides for a reduction in the school network, but with the transfer of teachers to the personnel reserve while maintaining their salaries. Contrary to the words of propagandists, the Ministry of Education and Science, on the contrary, plans to gradually move away from distance learning and move to offline or mixed format learning. It is planned to increase the number of distance classes in Ukrainian specifically for children abroad.

In fact, these days the discussion of draft order No. 850 on obtaining general secondary education under martial law continues. The order has not yet been approved by the Ministry of Education and Science and, accordingly, has not entered into force. The Ministry of Education and Science writes that after joint discussions and developments, they will make changes to the draft order and submit it for approval.

The Center for Countering Disinformation adds that with such stuffing, the Russians are trying to cause a negative attitude towards government bodies on the part of Ukrainian society. Previously, we analyzed the fake order of the Kharkiv Public Educational Institution on the evacuation of heads of local administrations along with their families.