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 April, on the 789th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2096
Fake
687
Manipulation
644
Message
429
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Fake In Ukraine, they “dug a ditch on the border with Moldova to stop men fleeing from mobilization”

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that Ukraine has dug a ditch on the border with Moldova, which should “stop the mass escape of men from mobilization”, the Border guard service of Ukraine itself told Moldovan colleagues. It is not true.

The case was noticed by the experts of the StopFake project, who investigated that the Border guard service did not make such statements. At the same time, they explain the construction of fortifications on the border with Moldova as the need to increase attention to this area due to the situation in Transnistria and the possibility of provocations there. The Moldovan border guards also commented on the situation and stated that, among other things, this would aggravate the fight against an attempt to introduce smuggling from Ukraine to Moldova. Analysts stressed that there was no talk of stopping the “mass flight of men from mobilization” as the reason for the appearance of the structures.

Fake Latvian cars donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine are resold in Ukrainian car markets

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that the donated Latvian cars of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are allegedly resold in the Ukrainian car markets. As evidence, the authors of the messages cite a commercial from tiktok, on which there is an inscription “confiscated from Latvia” and the date “13.03.2023”. It is not true.

The experts of the StopFake project drew attention to the case, having previously decided to verify the authenticity of the video. Analysts found the real video on Tiktok. However, in the original video there are no inscriptions, as in the fake one. The voice-over tells only about the availability of cars in the car market. Analysts are convinced that the authors of the messages simply overlaid the inscription “Confiscated from Latvia” on the video and, to make it more convincing, the date “13.03.2023”.

Thus, Ukrainians do not resell cars donated by Latvia. At the same time, experts explain that the cars handed over to Ukraine differ from those shown in the video.

We recall that earlier Detector Media told how propagandists use videos of the Ukrainian military in a similar way to spread anti-Ukrainian narratives.

Fake The Poltava Territorial recruitment and social support center forged the documents of a minor in order to send him to the front

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports state that employees of the Territorial recruitment and social support center in Poltava allegedly forged the documents of a minor in order to send him to the front. In support of this, the authors of the messages distribute scans of the passport and military ID of the minor. According to the information in the passport, the young man was born on July 14, 2006, and he is now only 17 years old. However, in the military ID, he was already 4 years older - in the column “date of birth” 2002 is indicated. It is not true.

The case was noticed by the experts of the StopFake project, who investigated that the scans were edited using a graphic editor. Using a Google image search, StopFake analysts managed to find a scan of the same military ID that was used to create the fake. It turned out to be a document of a man born in 1992. The signature of the military commissar, as well as the series and number of the military ID match the data indicated on the fake military ID. The attackers also partially changed the date of birth: “July 4, 1992” was corrected to “July 14, 2002”. StopFake journalists are sure that this story is fiction.

By spreading this fake, the propagandists are once again promoting the message of total mobilization in Ukraine. Like, there is no one to fight, so they mobilize minors. Allegedly, the Ukrainian authorities are indifferent to the Ukrainians, which does not even take into account the tricks and carelessness of the Recruitment and social support centers, which mobilize “everyone in a row” and even dogs.

We recall that earlier Detector Media denied a fake, which said that Ukrainian underage boys were not allowed to go abroad because they would soon be mobilized, and explained the manipulation of the so-called combat training of Ukrainian children. In addition, analysts explained why Ukrainian teenagers cannot fight and denied the thesis that “women and their children should prepare for mobilization”.

Manipulation Joe Biden said the doctors “had to take the top of his head off a couple times, see if he had a brain”

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that during an address by Joseph Biden to members of the International Association of Firefighters, he said that “the doctors were checking his skull to see if there was a brain”. As evidence, a video of the appeal itself is added to the publication, where such a statement can be heard. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project, who found out that the propagandists took the words of the US President out of context, then distorted its meaning. As the checkers explain the fact, a recording of this Biden speech was published on the White House YouTube channel. The President of the United States told how firefighters saved his life. At first, he told a joke that the doctors were looking for his brain, but Biden continued to tell the real story. “I came back from a trip, after being away for a couple of days, and — I had these terrible headaches.  I was diagnosed with having a — well, anyway.  They had to take the top of my head off a couple times, see if I had a brain”, he said. Talking about the brain, Biden laughed. Then he said “all kidding aside, what happened was..” and he went on to tell the real story. That is, Joe Biden told a joke, which he said later. However, the propagandists cut out this moment from the video and did not explain that it was a joke.

Propagandists systematically spread fakes about Ukrainian partners in order to discredit them. Thus, Russian propaganda uses the ridicule tactics and tries to create the illusion that Ukrainian partners are despised.

We recall that Detector Media denied a number of fakes about US President Joe Biden, in particular about Biden's alleged fall from an airplane during a visit to Warsaw or about his statement, which claimed that Putin could not be defeated. Analysts also denied the fake about Biden’s meeting with Zelenskyi’s “double” in Kyiv and, against the backdrop of the meeting, explained that representatives of local authorities did not create any instructions “how to deal with an American during a meeting”.

What Russian propagandists wrote about Joe Biden's visit to Kyiv can be read here.

Tactics and tools How Russian propaganda is using video games to spread anti-Ukrainian narratives

In the conditions of the Russian aggressive war against Ukraine, anti-Ukrainian propaganda penetrates into all spheres of life: literature, music, cinema and other areas of culture. In particular, propagandists use the field of video games as a platform for relaying their “ideal” life scenario.

Russia finances its video game developers in every possible way so that they create mass products with “their own scenario”, which is beneficial to propaganda. Consequently, Russian products can offer their own alternative reality, disfiguring real facts and presenting it as reality. Players can have specific scenarios in their minds and they will perceive them as something real.

For example, the video game “Atomic heart” was recently released; a Russian company is developing this game. The game is positioned by the developers as retrofuturistic in the style of the USSR. It describes the events of the alternative history of the 50s, when the Soviet Union emerged from World War II as an absolute winner. In addition, it is scientifically and technically advanced, because it is able to create robots “replacing human labor”.

After the release of the game, scenes hinting at the criminal Russian war against Ukraine were found in it. For example, a flying drone that carries a pot of geraniums (an allusion to the Geranium kamikaze drone, a terrorist country launches into Ukraine and kills thousands of Ukrainians). In addition, the game has “beautiful Soviet photos” of Ukrainian Mariupol, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. That is, the bridge, which at that time did not hit Russian missiles. The game also found quotes about mentally handicapped “Nazi pigs” and a can of minced pork in a blue and yellow wrapper. The Ministry of digital transformation of Ukraine has called for limiting the distribution of this game in other countries due to its toxicity and the potential collection of user data information.

This is not a rare case of discrediting Ukraine with the help of Russian video games, because their only goal is to distort Ukrainian history, discredit domestic and foreign policy, and create a negative image of Ukraine among both foreigners and Ukrainians. Parasitizing on “alternative realities”, game developers fix certain images in the minds of the players. Therefore, such stereotypes are created that “Ukraine is the territory of Russia” or “The Soviet Union is the best education of mankind”.

Fake When booking hotels in Poland, they offer the option “without Ukrainians”

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that Polish hotel booking sites offer a “no Ukrainians” option. The authors of the message indicate that Ukrainians are even tired of their neighbors. A screenshot from a Polish site is also added to the publication, where you can see such an “option”. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case, and found that the photo was not real, because it was edited using a special editor. Fact-checkers examined a fake screenshot, which shows several hotels, each establishment has a short description. In accordance with brief descriptions, experts found the source of the site. As the experts explained, the site does not have such an “option” as in the fake screenshot. Among the options to choose from, you can see, for example, “parking” and “playground for children”. Instead of “without Ukrainians” option, the site indicates another one - “sandbox”.

By spreading such a fake, propagandists want to demoralize Ukrainians, because they are supposedly despised in the world and even the most devoted allies want to rest without Ukrainians. Thus, the authors use ridicule tactics to discredit Ukrainians.

Fake Kharkiv regional military administration employees resell humanitarian aid from France

Such a message was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the Kharkiv OVA (regional military administration) is allegedly reselling generators that France provided to Ukraine as humanitarian aid. As proof, the authors of the messages provide a screenshot of the sale of generators of the same brand in one of the online stores. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case and investigated that there is no evidence to confirm that the site sells generators from the humanitarian aid cargo provided by the Kharkiv OVA. On the official page of the head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleh Syniehub, fact-checkers found a message dated January 20, 2023, which stated that France had transferred 188 generators as part of the “Light and Warmth for Ukraine” project. As the experts explained, they plan to use them in the new Invincibility points.

The fact-checkers examined the photographs published by the head of the Kharkiv OVA and found out that various brands of generators can be seen in the general photo, including the Kohler brand, which the propagandists cited as an example in the screenshot. Experts say that they were unable to find an advertisement for the sale of the Kohler generator, the screenshot of which was used in the message. However, on the official website of the Kohler company in Ukraine, they found several ads for the sale of a generator of this brand. Fact-checkers are convinced that this does not prove in any way that Kharkiv OVA is selling generators specifically for humanitarian aid as on the pages of various online stores there is a wide selection of generators from Kohler.

We recall that earlier Detector Media also explained the manipulation in which it was claimed that people in the Kharkiv region allegedly do not receive humanitarian aid.

Manipulation UN investigation “found no evidence of Ukrainian genocide” during Russian-Ukrainian war

This thesis was widespread in the foreign segment of social networks and the media. Reports say that the UN report found no evidence of genocide among Ukrainians. Like, one of the members of the UN Commission confirmed this. Subsequently, the information was intercepted by propagandists and distributed in the pro-Russian segment of social networks, in particular, telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of the NotaYenota project, who found out that the report was not intended to establish an act of genocide against Ukrainians at all. The Commission was engaged in investigating violations and harassment of human rights or international humanitarian law. During the investigation, the UN commission recorded numerous war crimes committed by the army of the terrorist country.

The UN Commission has identified specific war crimes that include attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure, intentional killings, false imprisonment, torture, rape and other types of sexual violence, and the illegal transfer and deportation of children.

As the fact-checkers explained, the Commission's evidence indicates that the Russian authorities committed deliberate killings of Ukrainian civilians in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia. In addition, the Commission found numerous cases of rape, sexual and gender-based violence committed by Russians. That is, the report does not really talk about genocide, because the real purpose of the investigation is to identify war crimes and violations of human rights.

The thesis regarding a member of the UN Commission, who allegedly confirmed the fact of “non-discovery of evidence of genocide”, is manipulative. In fact, he said that the Commission had not yet found such evidence, but they would continue their investigation. At the same time, some foreign media, in particular L'Agence France-Presse, published the news on their Twitter that “the UN did not find evidence of genocide in Ukraine”.

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.