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 19 May, on the 815th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2151
Fake
693
Manipulation
649
Message
441
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Manipulation WHO recommends preparing for nuclear war

A video is circulating on social networks in which two men say that the World Health Organization (WHO) allegedly called for preparations for a nuclear war due to a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Allegedly, WHO urges countries to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances or events. Also, allegedly, the organization provided a list of medicines that need to be prepared for use in the event of a radiation hazard. This is manipulation.

The distribution of the manipulative video was noticed by the fact-checkers of the Maldita.es project. WHO has indeed updated the list of medicines needed to overcome the consequences of a possible nuclear emergency. But this update is a permanent practice and has nothing to do with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The previous document was prepared in 2007, so over time it has lost its relevance. The recommendations of the WHO generally consider any cases of radioactive contamination, in particular due to accidents or the use of nuclear weapons.

Propagandists systematically spread various fake news about the possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Previously, Russian propaganda spread false claims that allegedly the UK supports Ukraine in the decision to use a dirty bomb or Zelenskyi uses a “dirty bomb” at the request of the United States. They also wrote that allegedly Ukraine calls for the start of a nuclear war. Thus, propagandists are trying to intimidate Ukrainians and force them to surrender.

Message No safe places left in Donbas

Such a message is spreading in pro-Russian telegram channels in the context of the announcement of a new military aid package from the United States. They say that after the Ukrainian army receives GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) precision bombs with a range of more than 150 kilometers, there will be no “safe” areas in the temporarily occupied territories.

In fact, for Ukrainians, the danger is Russia and the Russian army, which occupied part of Ukraine. After the start of a full-scale invasion, the entire territory of Ukraine is only relatively safe, because Russia can launch missile strikes at any time in any area. The shelling was carried out on residential buildings and critical infrastructure facilities, which are a war crime. The Ukrainian military is using precision weapons to destroy Russian warehouses and against the Russian army, not against Ukrainian civilians living in the temporarily occupied territories.

By spreading such messages, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Ukrainian army, military assistance from partners and nourish the narrative that “Ukraine has bombed Donbas for 9 years”. Russian propaganda also meekly resorts to dividing Ukrainians according to their place of residence.

Fake In Denmark, they protest against the supply of weapons to Ukraine en masse

In social networks and telegram channels, messages are spreading allegedly about large-scale protests in Copenhagen. Users claim that they are allegedly protesting against the provision of weapons to Ukraine. It's fake.

There were indeed protests in Denmark, but they have nothing to do with the supply of weapons to Ukraine. According to VoxCheck, these are rallies against the abolition of the state holiday, which took place on February 6. The Danish government has proposed abolishing the public holiday on the Day of Great Prayer on 5 May. According to officials, this will help to quickly increase the country's defense budget. In response, the unions protested. There was no talk of the need to increase the defense budget through military assistance to Ukraine. The protesters also did not demand to stop helping Ukraine.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to distort information about the level of support for Ukraine abroad. They say that citizens of Western countries are holding rallies demanding to stop the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Previously, propaganda spread fake news about protests in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Moldova, Belgium, etc.

Manipulation Ukrainians are dying for the right to be homosexual

The alleged words of the vice-speaker of the Senate of Poland Michał Kamiński said on the air of radio Zet are spread on the net. It seems that now Ukrainians are dying for the right to be gay. The reports add that this is allegedly the key motivation of the Ukrainian military. This is manipulation.

The words of Michał Kamiński were taken out of context. In general, he said that the Russian-Ukrainian war is a war of values. VoxCheck fact checkers quote in full: “Today, Ukrainians are dying for the right to be homosexual, the right to be left, right, Catholic, Orthodox or atheist, for the right to choose their own president, ambassador, senator or whatever. They are dying for freedom, democracy and European integration”. That is, it was said that Ukraine is now fighting for the right to remain an original state where human rights are respected.

Russian propaganda systematically manipulates topics related to the LGBT community in Ukraine. Previously, Detector Media refuted the main myths about representatives of the LGBT community. Read more about Russian LGBT disinformation on social media in the investigation.

Manipulation Ukraine and the West are responsible for mine contamination of territories

The Kremlin media say that the US, NATO, the EU and Ukraine allegedly caused mine contamination of the territories of Ukraine and Russia. The reports refer to the words of the head of the Russian delegation in Vienna on military security and arms control, Konstiantyn Havrylov. He claims that the supposedly “collective West” violates the norms of humanitarian law. This is not true.

Neither Ukraine nor its allies will be held responsible for the forced mining of Ukrainian territory due to a full-scale invasion. This is determined by international law, in particular, in Article 51 of the UN Charter. According to StopFake, at the UN World Summit in September 2005, all UN member states officially confirmed that they have the right to protect their citizens from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

In addition, Russian propaganda resorts to manipulation, claiming that Ukraine or the West are involved in the mining of Russian territories. From the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian army has been protecting exclusively the territory of Ukraine. Only Russia is responsible for mining Russian territories.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to justify itself and shift the responsibility for the war and its consequences to Ukraine and the West. Previously, propagandists spread messages that Ukraine is a terrorist state, and Russia seeks to become a “safe harbor” for all people.

Fake Russia received more than twenty thousand documents confirming the work of American biological laboratories in Ukraine

Russian media cite Lieutenant General Ihor Kyrylov, commander of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces of Russia. At the briefing, he said that allegedly during the full-scale invasion, Russia received more than twenty thousand documents confirming the work of American biological laboratories in Ukraine. Like, the Pentagon created components of biological weapons and tested them on Ukrainians and residents of other states bordering Russia. These messages also got into the foreign information space. However, this is not true.

The fact checker of the MythDetector project found out that the “documents” published by the Russian Ministry of defense are not evidence of the creation of biological weapons components in Ukraine. They are available in open sources. Moreover, the appendices to the order are presented without a signature or seal, so they have no official value. Some of these “documents” have been published previously.

The narrative about the development of biological weapons in Ukraine is one of the longest-running Russian propaganda narratives. Detector Media has repeatedly explained the origins of this information and refuted the fakes: the United States conducted training in Ukraine with pathogens of especially dangerous infections; The US has developed a drone that will transport “infected insects”; the work of biolaboratories led to an outbreak of African swine fever in Ukraine; American scientists tested biological preparations on patients in a mental hospital in Kharkiv; The US planned to use Ukrainian birds and mosquitoes to carry diseases to Russia. Russia also used the narrative about American biolabs in Ukraine to justify a full-scale invasion, but there is no real evidence about them.

Message War in Ukraine escalates into World War III

Such a message is spread by pro-Russian telegram channels. Like, Ukraine and Russia are attracting support: Biden is leaving for Kyiv, and Xi Jinping is going to Moscow.

However, this message is built on manipulation. Joe Biden did visit Kyiv, but the visit of the Chinese leader to Moscow is still scheduled for the coming months. Despite the unprecedented military assistance Ukraine has received since the start of the full-scale invasion, Western partners have repeatedly said that their military does not and will not fight in Ukraine. Reports of Xi Jinping's possible visit to Moscow also speak of a more active Chinese role in ending the war.

The message about the beginning of the Third World War is not new, it was promoted at the beginning of a full-scale invasion. Also recently, an edited video from a speech by Joe Biden was distributed on the network, in which he allegedly confirms the beginning of the Third World War. Thus, Russian propaganda uses intimidation tactics. Also, this message is used to explain the duration and failures of the so-called “special military operation” - they say, Russia is at war not only with Ukraine, but also with the “collective West”.

Disclosure A fake letter from the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities of the UK government is being distributed online

This was reported in the Center for counteracting disinformation. According to the “document”, the participants of the “Housing for Ukraine” initiative must provide information about the residence of Ukrainian male refugees aged eighteen and over. Also, allegedly, the British are urged to report the possible stay of adult Ukrainians after changing their place of residence. Homeowners are allegedly obliged to encourage Ukrainians to visit the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK to clarify their personal data.

This “document” is fake. UK officials and departments did not send such a letter. In addition, there are lexical and grammatical errors in the text. The domain “report@levellingup.gov.uk”  mentioned in the letter is real, but it was never used for official correspondence.

Recently, a fake was spread that supposedly the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia and other European countries received a letter with a request to provide information about people of military age. Thus, propagandists once again parasitize on the topic of mobilization and try to demoralize Ukrainians. Like, you can’t hide from mobilization either in Ukraine or abroad.

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.