Such messages are distributed in pro-Russian Telegram channels. Moreover, the photo of a still new book by Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a transparent wrapper is attached to the messages. Stylistically, the book's cover resembles Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf." It is a fake.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's book with that title doesn't exist. The forgery is immediately indicated by two errors in the name of the Ukrainian president. This picture began to be widely distributed during the day. It is probably a reaction to the news about publishing a book with Volodymyr Zelenskyi's speeches in Great Britain. A reverse image search through Google indicates only publicly available photos of Volodymyr Zelenskyy from his office. Checking with photo analysis programs indicates that the image has been altered.

Russian propaganda tries in every possible way to discredit and ridicule the personality of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Previously, fake covers of several satirical magazines were used for the same purpose. They also wrote that Zelenskyy fled from Kyiv to the border with Poland, and to simulate his presence in Ukraine, he used chromakey.

During the air alert throughout Ukraine (October 19), pro-Russian Telegram channels spread messages that allegedly the Ukrainian air defense couldn't cope with mass shelling. The Ukrainian authorities allegedly inform about the work of the Air Defense Forces, and local officials deliberately write about it. Then the authorities wait until the missiles hit the target. If the witnesses don't record the "arrivals" on video, they report that they have successfully shot down all aerial targets. Telegram users deny the propaganda message. At the same time, many channels that report on explosions and air raids post numerous photos of the work of Ukrainian air defense in the sky. There are also messages about the operation of air defense systems from users (without identification of the systems` location).

Russian propaganda manipulates official sources' reports to spread panic among the townspeople directly during the shelling.

Pro-Russian Telegram channels write about this. The European Union allegedly extended sanctions to the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. With such actions, the European Union allegedly recognized these territories as Russian. It is manipulation. In fact, on October 6, 2022, the European Union agreed to the eighth package of sanctions against Russia, including sanctions against legal entities and individuals involved in pseudo-referendums in the temporarily occupied territories. Sanctions previously imposed on the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions were also extended to the temporarily occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions: a ban on the import of goods from these regions; restrictions on trade and investment; ban on providing tourist services; freezing of assets of persons who are on sanction lists; prohibition of entry for these persons to the territory of the EU, etc. The European Union condemns the occupation of Ukrainian territories and doesn't recognize pseudo-referendums' results. Moreover, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognized the Russian regime as a terrorist.

Russian propaganda systematically manipulates facts and passes off wishful information as facts. They previously claimed that over 3 billion people allegedly abstained from voting on Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territories. More details.

Russian media spread such reports, allegedly quoting the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhii Nayev. Serhii Nayev allegedly believes that with the joint efforts of Russia and Belarus, it will take no more than two to three months to "capture" Kyiv. It is manipulation.

In fact, Serhii Nayev spoke about the situation on the border with Belarus on the air of the national telethon. He noted that the accumulation of Russian equipment and troops together with the armed forces of Belarus indicates the possibility of a repeated attack on Kyiv. Nayev added that the Ukrainian military constantly monitors the level of this threat, and appropriate countermeasures are taken. According to Nayev, Ukraine is now ready for a possible attack from Belarus. Russian propaganda distorted the commander's words of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine about a potential threat and gave the desired information as facts. The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the manipulation. Russian propaganda uses the possible joining of the Belarusian army in hostilities as a tactic to lure Ukrainians.

During the massive rocket attacks on October 10, Russian propaganda spread fakes that simultaneously with the rocket attacks on the cities of Ukraine, an offensive from Belarus and along the entire front line began. Propagandists also claim that Ukraine is trying in every possible way to draw Belarus into the war.

The fact-checkers of the NotaYenota project drew attention to the spread of messages. Reports of attacks on energy facilities and government officials' statements about problems with the power system after the attacks are used for advertising other Telegram channels from this network. The posts use the manipulative term "energy alarm" and write that you can follow this "alarm" by choosing the appropriate area. However, the link contains another Telegram channel from the same network, to view which you need to subscribe. There is no expected information about outages on the canals. "Detector Media" wrote about similar manipulative advertising to expand the audience of Telegram channels. In a week, the Russians destroyed 30% of Ukrainian power plants, so the load on the power grid increased significantly. Despite the restoration work, the authorities ask to be responsible for electricity consumption and, if possible, not to turn on energy-consuming appliances during "peak" hours.

We remind you that information about mass power outages or schedules should be sought on official resources, particularly on the website of Ukrenergo and notifications of local authorities. By spreading such messages, propagandists try to increase panic among Ukrainians and influence the work of the Ukrainian energy system from the inside. That is why the old fake about the need to turn off all electrical appliances at night and fake messages about emergency shutdowns began to spread again.

The Russian media spread this forecast concerning the head of the Russian Gazprom, Oleksiy Miller. Speaking at the Russian Energy Week forum, Miller said that Gazprom predicts an abnormally cold winter for the heating period. It is manipulation.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation, Gazprom doesn't have a meteorological service, so they couldn't make their forecast of a freezing winter in Europe. Scientists also believe that long-term weather forecasts aren't reliable. It is impossible to say precisely what the weather will be like in a few weeks, as all long-term forecasts are based on probabilistic formulations. That is, it is possible to talk only about a certain probability of a cold winter and not to assert that this will be the case.

As the cold season approaches, Russia's energy blackmail of Europe is gaining momentum. However, it is mainly based on Russian manipulation and outright intimidation.

Propagandists also manipulate the topic of finding alternative sources of energy in Europe. In particular, propaganda spreads information that the Germans allegedly cut down almost all the trees in Berlin's central park for firewood. Europe supposedly has to rely only on Russian gas, and its underground storages are empty.

Pro-Russian social media groups share a video in which dozens of people are blocking the movement of a convoy of military equipment.

The video description states that a protest is allegedly taking place in Moldova, where people are protesting the placement of NATO equipment in the country. Another "version" is about protesters allegedly preventing NATO troops from reaching the border with Ukraine. It isn't true.

The video has nothing to do with current events, including the international security crisis caused by Russia's war against Ukraine. Using the visual source verification tool InVID-WeVerify and reverse image searches on Google, StopFake fact-checkers discovered the news story used for the video. It is a report from May 5, 2016, of the Russian TV channel RTVI about the "Dragoon Pioneer" joint exercises with the United States, which took place in Moldova. It was also possible to find another video from which the footage was used, entitled "Moldova: Anti-NATO protesters block US tanks," published on May 4, 2016, on the YouTube channel of the Venezuelan TV channel TeleSUR.

The video of the "protest" was shot on the Romanian-Moldovan border, not on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. You can see a sign with the settlement's name in the video. It is the village of Skulen, located on the border between Moldova and Romania. The "anti-Nativ" protest was led by a pro-Russian politician, the former president of Moldova - Ihor Dodon (2016-2020). Moreover, he can be seen in the video, and the post's text about this promotion can be read on his personal Facebook page.

Russian propaganda systematically spreads fakes about NATO's participation in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Earlier, propaganda wrote that NATO wanted to enter the war in Ukraine and to prepare to attack Russia or that NATO troops had entered Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region.