There is a telegram channel on the network, which, on its own behalf, sends telegram messages to users, urging them to provide information about the Armed Forces of Ukraine: coordinates, photos, videos, or even software. According to the authors of the messages, “our Ukrainian brothers have become hostages of the situation because of the confrontation between NATO and Russia”. The authors of the messages claim that “it is in their power to stop this madness, because the organization acts in the interests of the people”.

The Ministry of Defense notes that during the war it is fatally dangerous to report the presence or absence of weapons and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and, moreover, with reference to settlements.

Thus, the authors of the messages lure information from users about the location of the AFU equipment and not only. Helping the so-called organization, which “acts solely in the interests of the people”, first of all, users harm the Ukrainian army and endanger the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state. At the same time, the funds serve only as a bait, because the punishment for such a crime can be much more serious.

We recall that the Verkhovna Rada amended Art. 114-2 of the Criminal Code, which regulates the unauthorized dissemination of information, in particular, on the movement or deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or military formations.

According to the law, the dissemination of information about the movement or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations of Ukraine, if such information was not placed in the public domain by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, or without obtaining a written permission to disseminate it, committed in a state of martial law or a state of emergency, is punishable by deprivation freedom for a period of 5 to 8 years. In some cases, the punishment can be up to 12 years in prison.

As of December 2022, law enforcement officers opened about 200 criminal proceedings for the illegal dissemination of information about the movement of weapons and the location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Such a message was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the Ukrainian allegedly received official notice of the death of his son on a promotional booklet. Like, the advertising booklet was used as an official document and all the necessary information was written on its back side. As proof, the authors of the messages add a video to the publication, which allegedly shows this. It is not true.

The Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council explained that official structures, for example, the department of the Ministry of Defense, cannot send such a “document” because it is not properly formatted and generally compiled:

The seal of the Ministry of Defense with the code 12345678 was taken from an advertising template for a manufacturer of seals and stamps;

There is indeed a block of flats at the address indicated in the fake letter, but the recipient's apartment number is missing.

Therefore, the fact checkers are sure that the document is fake and no official structures sent it.

Such a message was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Newsweek and Franc-Tireur have dedicated their covers to Zelenskyi, who is watching the meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping from a burning room or sitting on fallen Ukrainian soldiers, reports say. As proof, the authors add a screenshot supposedly from real magazine covers. It is not true.

The Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council explained that neither Newsweek nor Franc-Tireur published such covers. Fact-checkers were convinced of this when they went to the official websites of both publications. Fact-checkers did not find similar covers on the site. Experts also note that none of the publications printed editions were dated 21.03.2023 as indicated on the fake covers.

Propagandists systematically spread fake stories about Ukrainian officials, in particular Zelenskyi, in order to discredit him. Thus, Russian propaganda uses the tactics of ridicule and tries to create the illusion that the leadership of Ukraine is despised in Europe. Previously, propagandists spread messages about fake graffiti with Zelenskyi in public places, fake magazine covers, etc.

“This is happening now, which means that…” This is a typical message template using the “primacy effect” propaganda tactic. It is used when it is necessary to form the desired attitude to events or processes about which there is no reliable information. The first one to report information, offer a version, how to understand it and cover the largest audience, has the highest chances of establishing his or her opinion in society.

The tactic of the “primacy effect” is used when it is necessary to react to a news occasion from opponents. The response does not have to be coordinated or truthful. The main thing is to promptly report the probable version of the incident. For example, when at dawn on October 8, 2022, a section of the bridge connecting the temporarily occupied Crimea with the Krasnodar territory of Russia fell into the sea, Russian propagandists reported the following versions of the event:

- train tank exploded with fuel,

- it was NATO that arranged the explosion,

- Ukrainian special services carried out a terrorist act.

Which of the versions one would not have come across first, each of them gave an explanation for what happened and pointed to the “guilty”.

The primacy effect tactic works well as an accompaniment to crimes committed by Russians themselves.

On October 10, two days after the explosion on the bridge to the Crimea, the Russians fired on the objects of the energy system of Ukraine. In the first hours after that, Ukrainian pro-Russian telegram channels, in order to cause panic and force the Russians to yield, offered ten versions of the explanation of what happened:

- Ukraine's air-defense system is useless and the Russians easily bypass it,

- the Ukrainians themselves brought trouble on themselves by attacking the Crimean bridge;

- the authorities of Ukraine hush up the catastrophe and forbid reporting the destruction,

- it will be even worse further, it is not for nothing that the embassies of other states leave Ukraine.

Propagandists also use the tactics of the “primacy effect” to form expectations for the future or to convince the audience that they are right. In the Ukrainian telegram segment, there are telegram channels that “specialize” in the distribution of all kinds of supposedly insider versions of certain events. The authors of such channels in their messages regularly refer to anonymous sources, offering the audience the so-called insiders. Also in the messages of channels there are often phrases like “there are rumors”, “our insider in ... reported”, “they are talking on the sidelines..”. For each of the informational occasions that fall into the field of view of the authors of these telegram channels, they offer more than one interpretation or forecast of what is happening and what will happen next. In the course of events, these reports are intended to set the propagandist's favorable interpretation of the situation. After at least one of the interpretations will come true, these messages serve to confirm the trust in the sources of telegram channels. Other false reports may be forgotten or serve as the basis for further explanation of new news stories.

This thesis was spread in social networks, in particular, on tiktok. Reports say that people in Ukraine will not be compensated for property destroyed or damaged as a result of Russia's armed aggression. The authors of the messages refer to the Law of Ukraine “On compensation for damage and destruction of certain categories of real estate objects as a result of hostilities, terrorist acts, sabotage caused by the military aggression of the Russian Federation”. However, this is manipulation.

The fact-checker of the project “Beyond the news” drew attention to the case, which established that compensation can be received precisely for destroyed housing, and damaged ones will be helped to rebuild either with work or building materials. The adopted law refers to two methods of compensation “in a special form”:

Monetary compensation to a current account “with a special purposes for the use of these funds” to finance housing construction;

A housing certificate to buy a ready-made housing or finance its construction.

As the fact-checkers explained, if people’s “manor-type house, garden or country house” and the same construction objects were destroyed, people can independently choose the type of compensation”: a current account or a housing certificate.

At the same time, if people have lost their apartment, compensation is provided only in the form of a certificate that will cover the construction or purchase of a new one.

In any case, the person will receive monetary compensation, but with the possibility of targeted use of funds - in this case, to compensate for the destroyed property. Funds can be disposed of by local governments, but this is not a prerequisite.

Such a message was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that a concentration camp has allegedly been organized near Odesa for those who do not want to fight with Russia. Like, this is evidenced by “intelligence data” of the occupying authorities. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the fake, and found out that the information about the “concentration camp” was not true. The representative of the Odesa military administration, Serhii Bratchuk, said that there were no concentration camps on the territory of the Odesa region. He noted that in Ukraine there are only camps and military training grounds, where citizens are preparing with the desire and motivation to destroy the enemy.

In addition, as analysts explain, there are no photo or video materials testifying to the existence of the so-called “concentration camp”. According to analysts, the information is simply fictional.

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 everyone is mobilized, and those who do not want to are transferred to concentration camps. Thus propagandists demonize the Ukrainian authorities, who allegedly mock Ukrainians.

We recall that earlier Detector Media refuted the fake, which said that the Territorial recruitment and social support centers were intensively recruiting female chemists and biological specialists, and explained the case about the alleged preparation of Ukrainian women and their children for mobilization. We also refuted the fake, in which the propagandists claimed that in Ukraine they “dug a ditch on the border with Moldova in order to stop the flight of men from mobilization”.

Such a message was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that Ukrainian media have published an infographic that allegedly indicates the number of people mobilized since the beginning of 2023 in certain regions of Ukraine. According to these data, the largest number of mobilized is in the Odesa region. The Odesa region is followed by Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv regions. The authors of the messages add that, allegedly, the current Ukrainian authorities “destroy Russian-speaking Ukrainians” in this way. It's a lie.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case, they investigated that the Ukrainian media did not publish such infographics, while there is no data on the total number of the mobilized in open sources. As the checkers explain, the infographic contains a list of areas where one area is misspelled. Instead of “Mykolaiv” you can see “MIkolaiv”. Information on mobilization in the regions is indicated only in a few areas. For example, the situation in Kyiv, Transcarpathians, Cherkasy and other regions is not indicated, although mobilization continues throughout Ukraine. Analysts also failed to find Ukrainian media that would distribute such infographics. Therefore, analysts are convinced that the information on the infographics was invented and the Ukrainian media did not distribute the infographics.

Analysts of Detector Media have repeatedly analyzed cases related to Ukrainian mobilization. For example, we refuted a fake about the alleged forgery of a document of a minor by one of the Territorial recruitment and social support centers. We also explained a case about a false document that was distributed by the Russians, claiming that young people from 15 to 18 years old are forbidden to travel abroad.

This thesis was circulated in social networks and propaganda media. Reports say the New York Post “has ditched” the permanent placement of the Ukrainian flag on its cover. Like, the last major publication does not want to place the Ukrainian flag on it. As evidence, the authors of the messages attached a screenshot of two covers of an American newspaper to the publication. The first cover shows the Ukrainian flag at the top right, but the cover of the next issue shows a clover leaf instead of the flag. This is manipulation.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project investigated the case and found out that the cover of the New York Post newspaper with the image of a three-leaf clover is dedicated to St. Patrick's Day, which is traditionally celebrated in the USA on March 17th. In the future, the cover of the publication continued to depict the Ukrainian flag according to the usual schedule: six issues are published with the image of the flag, one without. That is, the publishers of the newspaper “did not abandon” the Ukrainian flag, it was rescheduled to be replaced in only one issue, which was dedicated to the celebration of St. Patrick's Day. For example, in the March 20 issue of the newspaper (the latest available at the time of publication), the flag of Ukraine was again placed.

Such a message was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. A shopping mall in Austria is reportedly displaying an ad with the inscription “It’s not our war” in German. The authors of the messages attach a video to the publication, where such advertising can be seen from the TV screen. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case, and determined that such advertising was fake. At the same time, analysts explain that the photo shows signs of editing. As the checkers explained, in the photo one can see the untypical placement of pixels on the TV screen. They should be placed evenly. In this case, they are placed unevenly and “moved out” on top of each other. Therefore, it lets fact-checkers verify that the photo has been edited with a photo editor.