Spilnota Detector Media
Detector Media collects and documents real-time chronicles of the Kremlin disinformation about the Russian invasion. Ukraine for decades has been suffering from Kremlin disinformation. 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 23 December, on the 1033th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2603
Fake
775
Manipulation
753
Message
541
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Message Ukrainians are Nazis because they choose big dogs

In the Russian media, you can find a number of reports according to which Ukrainians are supposedly Nazis because they choose big dogs. Such a reaction among propagandists was caused by one of the plots of the 1 + 1 TV channel as part of the national telethon. In it, the authors satirically say that Russians love smaller dogs because pets often “look like their owners” and that Russian dogs are no match for the same dog Patron.

The Russians argue that such statements are offensive and anti-human in nature. Like, comparing dogs is a humiliation for an entire nation and another sign that Ukrainians are Nazis. They also make excuses that they choose small dogs because they live in “Khrushchovka” type buildings.

Propagandists are constantly trying to portray all Ukrainians as Nazis, creating fakes and distorting real materials. Thus, they want to shift the responsibility for the war from the aggressor to the victim of the aggression. For example, recently the Russians were outraged that Yuliia Paievska (Taira) received an award from the United States and accused her of supporting Nazism.

Fake Vinnytsa diocese of the UOC blesses the murders of Russians

Propagandists are spreading information that the Vinnytsia diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church allegedly issued a statement according to which the killing of Russians is not a sin and in which it blesses the Ukrainian military to “wipe the Russian nation off the face of the Earth”. It's fake.

Analysts of the Georgian project MythDetector drew attention to it. They found out that the “statement” was not real. Several details point to this. In particular, the Kyiv patriarchate is indicated in the heading of the “statement”, and allegedly the Metropolitan of the Moscow patriarchate signed the “statement”. In addition, the heading of the “statement” is not correct - the Kyiv Patriarchate of the UOC merged with the OCU in 2019. In a comment to MythDetector, archimandrite Sofronii Chupryna, spokesman for the diocese of Vinnytsa-Bar, denied the diocese's involvement in this “statement”. He also noted that usually monks and priests do not sign documents with a regular signature, but write their names in manuscript. On the “statement” one can see the classic signature.

Thus, propagandists want to show that the UOC has departed from the traditions of Orthodoxy and is a demonic institution. They say that even the church in Ukraine calls for murders, while Ukraine itself is already in the spiritless networks of the West. Such materials are part of a large-scale propaganda information campaign about the need to “desatanize” Ukraine.

Manipulation The Polish government is forcing Ukrainian refugees to return the money provided earlier

Propagandists are spreading the news that the Polish government is forcing Ukrainian refugees to return previously provided support payments. Like, the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita published an article about this. This is manipulation.

Analysts of the Georgian project MythDetector drew attention to it. They found out that the publication cited by the propagandists really says that the Polish Social Security Service is trying to return funds paid “without legal grounds” to Ukrainian refugees. This applies to those who left the territory of Poland immediately after receiving public funds. Also, this practice only applies to payments under the programs “500+”, which is cash support for children, and “300+”, which is paid to cover the cost of school goods.

On January 28, 2023, an amendment to the Polish Law “On the Support of Ukrainian Citizens” was adopted, according to which payments stop being paid when the guardian or child leaves the territory of Poland and does not return to it within 30 days. Service Speaker Pavel Zhebrovsky notes that payments do not stop if these persons return to Poland within a certain time.

Thus, propagandists want to show that even the closest allies are tired of helping ungrateful Ukrainians. In addition, such messages are created to cause distrust of the Polish government and support the narrative about the seizure of Western Ukrainian lands by Poland. Like, today they help, tomorrow they take the money, and the day after tomorrow they are already in your house. Detector Media has already explored this narrative, which is present in a number of propaganda materials.

Disclosure SBU neutralizes a network of pro-Kremlin agitators

The Security Service of Ukraine exposed eight pro-Kremlin agitators in Kyiv, Zakarpattia region, Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions. In particular, they distributed materials and narratives of Russian and Belarusian propagandists, especially concerning the “church theme”. Also, some of them called for a violent seizure of state power and a change in the administrative borders of Ukraine.

Among the publications of agitators, one can find the spread of a fake about a “juvenile Ukrofascist from Aidar”, who allegedly wrote “Death to the Orthodox” on the projectile. Agitators express open support for the Russian army in the fight against the “Nazis” using this example. There is no mention of such a case in the public domain, which indicates that this is fiction. Thus, propagandists are again trying to discredit the Ukrainian army and justify their aggression against Ukraine. Like, that's who Russia is fighting against - against the Nazis, who are destroying peaceful Orthodox.

Also, agitators published articles that tried to explain the use of the symbols V and Z in the framework of the war against Ukraine with the “Old Russian alphabet”. Like, Z is a Slavic letter meaning “land” and “a symbol of unification”. In fact, the use of the symbol was primarily practical and aimed to help avoid “friendly fire” among Russian troops. The propagandists of the Russian state media did not attach much importance to the roots of the symbol.

Fake At the international festival in China, the Ukrainian hopak was called a Russian dance

Propagandists spread information, allegedly on Chinese television during the broadcast of the international festival on the occasion of the Chinese New Year, hopak was called a Russian dance. It's fake.

VoxCheck analysts drew attention to it. They found out that you can see in the screenshots of the broadcast that it took place back in 2021. The festival showed dances from different countries, in particular Egypt, Spain, Argentina and China. Among them was a Russian folk dance, but it was not a hopak.

VoxCheck notes that in this case we are talking about the Kamarynska dance. It differs from hopak in that girls play balalaikas during the performance. Hopak elements can be found in the Belarusian folk dance “liavonykha” and “trepak”, as well as in Crimean Tatar dances.

Thus, propagandists are trying to show that there is no independent Ukrainian culture, since it is allegedly a simulation of Russian. Allegedly, even abroad, everyone recognizes this.

Fake The BBC reported that the SBU prevented an attempt to poison Zelenskyi with psychotropic substances

Propagandists are spreading information that the Russian news service BBC allegedly reported the following: the Security service of Ukraine (SBU) prevented another attempt to poison Zelenskyi with psychotropic substances due to an overdose. It's fake.

VoxCheck analysts drew attention to it. They found out that there was no such message on the website and social networks of the Russian service of the BBC. There is no such news in public access either, even through translation in Ukrainian and foreign media. The SBU did not comment on the attempts on the life of the President of Ukraine. Secretary of the National security and defense council Danilov and adviser to the head of the Office of the President Podoliak did not talk about the ways in which somebody tried to kill Zelenskyi.

Thus, propagandists are trying to discredit the Ukrainian authorities again. Like, the President of Ukraine is a drug addict, and the war only aggravated the problem. Detector Media has already written about the invention of propagandists, according to which Zelenskyi was invited to speak at a rehabilitation center for drug addicts.

Fake US distributes awards to Ukrainian Nazis

Propagandists and Russian diplomats are spreading the information that the medic and volunteer Yuliia Paievska, with the call sign Taira, is a Ukrainian Nazi thug who killed civilians, so the International Women of Courage Award is unacceptable for her. It's fake.

Analysts of The Insider drew attention to this case. They found out that Russian propaganda was still trying to characterize Taira as a Nazi. In particular, while in captivity, Taira was interrogated by representatives of the propaganda media, accusing her of supporting Nazi ideology. During this interrogation, then broadcast on Russian television, even Taira's hairstyle was called “in the best traditions of the Reich”.

In fact, Yuliia Paievska is a medical doctor and volunteer. She became known during the Euromaidan. After the outbreak of war in 2014, she traveled to the east of Ukraine and organized her own volunteer service, which also helped the military. As a medic, Paievska cooperated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2018-2020.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists are trying to justify the actions of the aggressor again and shift the responsibility for them to the victim of aggression. Like, Russia is fighting against just such Nazis, who kill civilians in Donbas. Also, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit Ukrainian civil society and the armed forces by inventing various horrifying stories about them. Using these stories, Russia accuses the “collective West” of supporting the spread of Nazism.

Newspeak How Russia blurs reality with the help of a newspeak: “staging”

The atrocities of the Russians in Bucha and Hostomel in the Kyiv region, in Izium in the Kharkiv region, the destruction of the Mariupol maternity hospital and the drama theater, the murder of Ukrainians at the railway station in Kramatorsk - all these and other crimes against civilian Ukrainians are called “staged” by Russian propaganda.

By using this term, propagandists want to cover up their terrorist activities and absolve themselves of responsibility. Like, Russia does not commit any war crimes, they just want to discredit it. Allegedly, in order to expose Russia as an aggressor, Ukraine lies. Moreover, Russian propaganda is trying in every possible way to justify the murder of Ukrainians, speaking of the so-called staging of events: all the bodies of the dead, located in the territories liberated from the invaders, are called “fake with the participation of professional actors”. For example, after the liberation of Bucha, Russian propaganda promoted all sorts of theses, including: “Ukraine is committing a provocation” or “not a single civilian was hurt”, etc. Other liberated territories are named as “Bucha 2.0” (Kharkiv region), “Bucha 3.0” (Kherson region). Thus, propagandists once again emphasize the alleged non-involvement of Russia and its occupying troops in all war crimes on the territory of Ukraine. As for terrorist attacks, Russian propaganda also finds an excuse, looking for a so-called “military target” in everything. Allegedly, in civilian infrastructure facilities, in hospitals, in schools and in maternity hospitals, there is a “Nazi headquarters” or “decision-making centers”.

However, the term “staging” really hides something else: the genocide of the Ukrainian people. The genocide is committed daily by the Russian army on the territory of Ukraine destroying Ukrainian cities and villages, killing thousands of Ukrainians, children in particular.

Orest Slyvenko, Artur Koldomasov, Vitalii Mykhailiv, Oleksandra Kotenko, Oleksandr Siedin, Kostiantyn Zadyraka, and Oleksiy Pivtorak are collaborating on this chronicle. Lesia Bidochko serves as the project coordinator, while Ksenia Ilyuk is the author of the project.