Propagandists are spreading information about alleged “atrocities” by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region. In particular, Russian State Duma deputy Mykola Ivanov accuses the Ukrainian military of creating “torture chambers in the homes of civilians”, burning down villages, and destroying social infrastructure. Proponents place particular emphasis on the “fate of 45 children” who were allegedly “taken to Ukraine for organ trafficking”, which “caused a drop in the price of donor organs in the West”. Additionally, there are allegations of “livestock and grain theft”.

The Russian People’s Deputy did not provide any independently verifiable confirmation of his statements. Similar statements are often spread by Russian propaganda for manipulation purposes without any factual basis. The claim about “decreasing prices for donor organs” is absurd and reinforces the already existing propaganda message about Ukraine as a “hub for illegal organ trafficking”. The organ transplant system has high standards of verification of their origin and international monitoring.

Such insinuations are aimed at diverting attention from Russia’s actions, in particular its aggression against Ukraine and the crimes committed within it by the Russian military. These statements are part of an information and psychological warfare aimed at discrediting Ukraine and creating a distorted reality for the Russian audience. In addition, in this way they aim to demoralize the opponent.

Propagandists are spreading information on anonymous Telegram channels claiming that the French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo allegedly featured a caricature of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on its cover, depicting him as the Hunchback of Notre Dame, shunned by the leaders of France and the United States. However, this cover is a fake.

This is reported by the Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security. They discovered that the actual publication date of the magazine (every Wednesday) and the real cover with entirely different stories prove that the fake was created by Russian propagandists.

Fakes, similar to the fabricated Charlie Hebdo cover, aim to create a negative image of President Zelenskyi and the Ukrainian government, as well as to undermine international support for Ukraine. Fakes ridiculing Ukraine are designed to create the impression that Western countries are supposedly reducing their aid and support. These actions seek to erode Ukrainians' faith in international support and to sow discord among Ukraine’s allies. They are part of a broader information warfare campaign designed to weaken Ukraine.

Propagandists claim on anonymous Telegram channels that parts of the Ukrainian military, primarily territorial defense forces and mobilized personnel, are allegedly fleeing Kurakhove in chaos. In reality, this information is yet another fake.

This is reported by the Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security. Advisor to the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces Command, Oleksii Mochanov, refuted these claims, emphasizing that they are an absolute lie. He urged Ukrainians to maintain information hygiene and not succumb to the enemy’s manipulations, as it continues to refine its disinformation campaigns.

Russian propaganda spreads such disinformation to sow panic, despair and chaos among Ukrainians, especially among relatives of servicemen. These statements aim to demoralize Ukrainian society, undermine trust in the defense forces, and create an illusion of success for the Russian army. Such messages are also designed to distract attention from Russia’s real problems and losses while attempting to break the morale of Ukrainian troops and their loved ones through psychological pressure.

Russian dictator Putin has said that Russia's nuclear doctrine will remain unchanged, but with an increased number of missiles like the Oreshnik, it will supposedly be improved. This statement is part of the Kremlin's broader campaign of nuclear blackmail.

This is reported by the Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security. Its experts emphasize that Russia is actually using the Oreshnik missiles primarily for propaganda purposes to escalate fears and destabilize. After the missile strike on Dnipro on November 21, Russia intensified its information campaign: Belarusian dictator Lukashenko announced the deployment of missiles in Belarus on December 10, and Putin compared the Oreshnik to nuclear weapons. These statements are accompanied by appearances of Russian influence agents abroad, who amplify hysteria.

This coordinated informational and psychological operation aims to pressure the West into reducing military support for Ukraine. The operation's escalation followed a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Emmanuel Macron, and Donald Trump in Paris on December 7, highlighting the connection between these actions and the strengthening of Ukraine’s support from its partners.

Propagandists continue to propagate myths about the “Ukrainian trace” in Syria, in particular, statements about the cooperation between Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) and groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, incorporating them into their speeches at international organizations. Media loyal to the Assad regime actively spread such fabrications as well. For example, the Syrian newspaper Al Watan reported an alleged recruitment of militants by General Budanov.

This is written by the Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security. Its experts noticed that Russian propaganda contradicts itself: on the one hand, it claims the elimination of militants in 2015, and on the other, it claims that they cooperate with Ukraine. After the collapse of the Assad regime, Syrian media admitted their fabrications, yet Russia continues to insist on its disinformation narratives.

This strategy to discredit Ukraine reveals the contradictions in Russian propaganda, which has fallen into its own trap, unable to explain its numerous fabrications. Claims that Ukraine is recruiting or arming Syrian militants are baseless and unsupported by any evidence. Their goal is to divert attention from Russia’s actions and its war crimes in Syria and Ukraine. Russian propaganda creates such fabrications to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community and shift the focus away from Russia’s destructive actions in the region. This strategy is also aimed at legitimizing Russian aggression, portraying it as a supposed fight against global terrorism.