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 16 September, on the 935th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2388
Fake
731
Manipulation
710
Message
504
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Disclosure US Intelligence: The Kremlin has stepped up its disinformation campaign against Zelenskyi

American intelligence agencies note that in recent months, Russian propaganda has intensified discrediting messages against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. This was reported by European Truth with reference to CNN.

Russian disinformation focuses on two topics - the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Avdiivka, as well as the postponement of the presidential elections in Ukraine. The Russians are trying to present the first not as a strategic decision, but as a defeat, and the second - that supposedly Zelenskyi is no longer legitimate. At the same time, we have repeatedly refuted reports about the illegitimacy of the current President of Ukraine.

US intelligence agencies believe that Russian intelligence services are behind the campaign and are spreading disinformation through pro-Kremlin media, fake websites and social networks.

Fake Ukraine allegedly provokes nuclear escalation at Zaporizhzhia NPP

Pro-Kremlin media are spreading messages that it is the “Kyiv regime”, and not Russia, that is shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power plant - the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. In asserting this, propaganda resources refer to a statement by Russian Foreign Ministry representative Zakharova.

However, this information is fake. It is Russia, after the seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, that puts Ukraine and the world at risk of a nuclear disaster. They write about this in the Center for Strategic Communications and Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Russia places soldiers of its occupation army on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, military equipment, and also illegally interferes with the operation of the nuclear power plant. Also, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia is simulating drone attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in order to accuse Ukraine. And Zakharova’s words are simply a lie.

In the end, it is the Russian Federation that provokes nuclear escalation with repeated threats to use atomic weapons against Ukraine and other European countries. Previously, we refuted the information that the IAEA was allegedly “satisfied with the state of the Zaporizhzhia NPP under Russian control”.

Disclosure How Russian propaganda justifies terror against Ukrainian civilians

Russian propagandists addressed the military personnel of the occupation army with a “disclaimer” that the Ukrainian special services had trained a large number of saboteurs in the Kharkiv region. According to them, “representatives of the Ukrainian underground” can even be women, elderly people and teenagers. Propagandists also call for special attention to be paid to the relatives of killed or captured Ukrainian soldiers. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council writes about this.

In fact, information about Ukrainian saboteurs among women, the elderly and teenagers does not correspond to reality. Thus, Russian propaganda carries out “information processing” of the military in the context of intensifying hostilities, encouraging them to commit crimes against Ukrainian civilians. The Center also states that Russian propagandists must be held accountable for war crimes, as well as the authorities in the Kremlin who give orders to kill the civilian population of Ukraine.

Disclosure Russia has intensified attempts to discredit the Ukrainian Formula Peace

Amid the offensive in the Kharkiv region, Russia has resorted to more belligerent rhetoric towards the Ukrainian Peace Formula. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

For example, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, commenting on the summit on the Ukrainian Formula of Peace, which is scheduled to take place in Switzerland in June of this year, made the following manipulative statements:

- “Russia is ready for negotiations, taking into account the current realities”;

- “if the West wants to fight on the battlefield, then so be it”;

- “Switzerland is not suitable for negotiations because it has abandoned neutrality”;

-”The Istanbul agreements could have ended the war on terms favorable to Ukraine”.

The Center adds that the Russian Federation sees a threat in the Ukrainian Peace Formula, therefore, as a result, it is making efforts to discredit it on the eve of the summit in Switzerland. Moreover, the Kremlin repeats the thesis about its supposed readiness for negotiations and at the same time increases the level of threats. He also wants to force Western states to reduce military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, trying to intimidate and persuade them to make concessions.

Fake The State Emergency Service allegedly calls on residents of Kharkiv to evacuate

Russian telegram channels are spreading information that the State Emergency Service of Ukraine is sending out messages calling for people to evacuate from Kharkiv to a safer place.

However, the National Police of Ukraine reports that this is another Russian fake. There is no need to evacuate Kharkiv residents yet, the department adds.

The purpose of this fake is to sow fear and panic among Kharkiv residents. Even before the offensive of Russian troops in the Kharkiv region, Detector Media wrote about the increase in disinformation regarding the region. Yes, we have already refuted information about the “flight of local authorities”, “announcement of deportation of Kharkiv residents”, “panic mass exodus of Kharkiv residents from the city”, etc.

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.