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 15 May, on the 811th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2146
Fake
693
Manipulation
648
Message
438
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Fake A third of young Ukrainians allegedly went to Russia because of “better medicine” and “less unemployment”

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media claim that, according to the results of a sociological survey by Global Service and European Migration Support Bureau, a third of Ukrainian youth have migrated to Russia. In addition, the majority of Ukrainian refugees there allegedly recognized Russian aggression as “liberation”, and among the reasons for migration they named “better medicine” and “less unemployment” in Russia. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the companies supposedly conducting this survey did not exist, and the information about the survey itself was fictitious. The incorrect information also indicates that the name of the European Migration Support Bureau is misspelled (probably European instead of European). Structures with similar names that deal with refugee issues do exist (for example, the European Union Agency for Asylum and the European Asylum Support Office), but none of them published the data indicated.

In addition, the very fact of conducting such a study is questionable, since Russian media admit that the survey involved Ukrainians who “traveled to the territory of Crimea or former Ukrainian regions that later joined Russia”. This does not reflect the actual situation, since many refugees ended up in Russia due to the lack of alternative evacuation routes.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to justify Russia’s crimes by saying that it is allegedly ready to create a better life for Ukrainians, ignoring the problems of its citizens.

Fake The National Defense University of Ukraine allegedly asked for a luxury car

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks claim that the National Defense University of Ukraine is asking the Porsche Ukraine car dealership to transfer a 2022 AUDI A8 Long car to complete a military unit. Like, it needs a luxury car to interact with foreign delegations. As proof, they are distributing an image of a “letter” with a request. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the National Defense University of Ukraine denied the existence of such a “letter”. In addition, the “document” has errors; there is no seal, date or signature, which indicates that it is false. TSN journalists called the number indicated in the letter and confirmed that the person indicated in it did not make any relevant requests.

According to representatives of the National Defense University of Ukraine, propagandists created this fake news to discredit their activities. Since the educational institution is directly related to the training of personnel for the Ukrainian army, in this way propagandists are also trying to discredit the Ukrainian army as a whole. They say that it is corrupt, and therefore it is not worth risking one’s life in it.

Fake Ukrainian porn actress is allegedly running for president of Ukraine

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks claim that Ukrainian porn actress Maia Konovalenko (Nancy Ace) has allegedly announced her candidacy for the presidency of Ukraine, explaining that the Ukrainian economy “stands solely on porn stars”. The fake is accompanied by a video where Konovalenko allegedly makes retaliatory statements during an interview for the British tabloid The Sun. However, this is fake.

StopFake specialists drew attention to it. They found out that Konovalenko did not make any such statements, and the video was fake. It is indicated that it was created from a stream on the YouTube channel Rocco's World, where Konovalenko talked with porn actor Rocco Siffredi in April 2020. No statements by Konovalenko about his intentions to go into politics were found on the official resources of The Sun and other English-language publications. Also, the fakeness of the video is indicated by the fact that the actress’s lips move differently in the original and fake videos, which, according to StopFake, indicates the use of neural networks to create it.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists mock Ukrainian politics and reinforce the unfair treatment of Ukrainian women within the framework of the stereotype of “Ukrainian prostitutes”. Detector Media has already explained how Russian propaganda is trying to humiliate Ukrainian women.

Fake In Zhytomyr, people allegedly came out to protest against Zelenskyi

Propagandists broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks are distributing a video allegedly filmed recently at protests against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Zhytomyr. Like, slogans such as “Get out!” were heard on them. But in fact this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the video being distributed was recorded during a protest on Independence Square in Kyiv on October 1, 2019. In particular, analysts point out that in the video one can recognize the architectural ensemble of Maidan Nezalezhnosti. In addition, StopFake specialists found in the Russian search engine Yandex a video from the then Kyiv protest, where protesters can be seen chanting “Get out!” and holding the same posters and flags as in the video distributed by propagandists. This all confirms that both recordings show the same Kyiv action from four years ago.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to create internal tension and conflicts in Ukraine. Detector Media also noted the intensification of this narrative and refuted a number of fabrications of Russian propaganda aimed at personally discrediting Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

Manipulation A journalist from the British publication The Telegraph allegedly criticizes the Ukrainian Armed Forces for the “misuse” of Western technology

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks are publishing an article by the author of the British publication The Telegraph, Lewis Page, claiming that he allegedly writes about the misuse of Western equipment by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) during the counteroffensive. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that such an article by The Telegraph really exists, and its author actually writes about the difficulties of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but does not claim that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are using Western equipment incorrectly. The article notes that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is a difficult task. The author rather criticizes Western experts who say that “properly used” Western tanks will help quickly end the war.

The article also reveals some facts about the supply of tanks to Ukraine, noting that as of August 2023, only a limited number of tanks had been transferred. The journalist adds that criticism of the use of Western equipment by the Armed Forces of Ukraine is unfair, since the West has limited the use of equipment for attacks on Russian territory and delayed the supply of tanks to Ukraine. The article notes the success of the Ukrainian army in conditions of limited access to Western equipment and reveals the essence of the circumstances that determined the development of the situation at the front.

By spreading such manipulations, propagandists want to create a myth that Western media consider the Armed Forces of Ukraine to be insufficiently competent compared to the Russian army. They say that this is why the peoples of Western countries must resist military aid for Ukraine. Detector Media has repeatedly refuted fakes and manipulations of Russian propaganda directed against the Armed Forces of 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.