Telegram channels related to the Kremlin's foreign intelligence («Lehitymnyy,» «Spletnytsa,» «ZeRada,» etc.) are taking part in a planned disinformation campaign aimed at convincing readers that Poland intends to seize part of Ukraine. As proof of this, they are distributing photos of billboards, allegedly placed in Poland, with the image of the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces Jaroslaw Miki with the quote - "Time to remember history." This phrase calls for the annexation of Ukrainian regions, part of Poland before the Second World War. DFRLab researchers believe these images are fake; these posters do not exist as there is no BBC material, which allegedly showed the order of Mika with a plan to capture the Ukrainian regions. Fact-checkers have previously refuted this fake from Reuters and the BBC itself: such a plot did not exist, graphics, captions, and even advertising the BBC application was used to create a fake, which was distributed by many telegram channels in European languages.

Russian media reported that Lithuania allegedly intended to annex the Kaliningrad region; Lithuania is provoking Russia into a military conflict with NATO to achieve this goal. The Lithuanian newspaper Delfi noted that, in fact, Lithuania did not claim and did not claim the territory of Kaliningrad and the region. And the purpose of this fake story is to "cause a sense of threat and fear, to create a false picture of what is happening."

The publication emphasized that Lithuania, unlike Russia, firmly adheres to the 1975 Helsinki Final Act provisions and does not take any aggressive action against its neighbors. In particular, the country's Foreign Ministry reminded me of this. It stated the absence of territorial claims in 2017 when Russia once again began to talk about the alleged "encroachment on its territory." "The thoughts of both Russian media and pro-Russian bloggers that the Lithuanian government may decide to block transit through its territory to Kaliningrad. Therefore, the Lithuanian issue must be resolved: misinformation and an attempt to find a reason to pressure Lithuania. The transit from Russia through the territory of Lithuania to Kaliningrad is the subject of an agreement (signed on November 11, 2002) between Russia and the European Community, so Lithuania cannot unilaterally terminate it. The decision to block transit to Kaliningrad or not can be made only by the European Union, which, unlike Russia, adheres to the norms of international law and therefore continues to refrain from such a radical decision, " Delfi writes.

Russian propaganda often uses the message that Western countries are allegedly "encroaching on the territorial integrity" of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, etc. In fact, despite the Kremlin's spread of such messages and conspiracy theories, Russia occupied parts of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Japan, and Chechnya. Read more about the Russian-occupied territories in Transparency International Ukraine. You can also read more about the armed conflicts and wars Russia has participated in during the last 30 years in the Ukraїner article.

Russian authorities and propaganda media have been promoting the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and worldwide for the past month. For example, pro-Kremlin telegram channels have tried to shake up the situation in Ukraine with reports such as "Ukrainians are on the verge of starvation and Western countries are exporting all grain" or "Ukrainian authorities are exchanging grain for weapons while civilian food prices have risen sharply." However, following allegations from foreign politicians and foreign media investigations that Russia is looting and exporting food from Ukraine's occupied territories and blocking supplies through Ukraine's seaports, Russian propaganda has begun to spread manipulations accusing the West and Ukraine of supply problems. It is said that Ukrainians are "to blame for rising grain and oil prices in Europe," that Ukraine "mined ports and coasts," or that "the West's decisions prevent the export of grain from Ukraine." At the same time, Russia completely denies its involvement in looting Ukraine's food supplies, blocking ports, and supplying grain.

In fact, as of May 21, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia has blocked 22 million tons of food in Ukrainian ports and is gradually stealing it, exporting it, and trying to sell it. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia was using food supplies as a weapon. She added that Russia was accumulating its food, using its export delays "as a form of blackmail" to provoke rising global prices or "exchange wheat for political support." New satellite images from Maxar Technologies have shown two Russian dry cargo ships loading Ukrainian grain at the port of occupied Sevastopol. According to Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova, Russia exports grain from occupied Berdiansk to occupied Crimea and then to Russia; the occupiers are trying to remove the remnants of grain from the port of Mariupol by rail. Russia also exports looted Ukrainian grain to third countries through the ports of the occupied Crimea. The Matros Pozynich ship, which had already transported the stolen grain to Syria, returned to the Black Sea and was reloaded. After leaving the Crimean port, this vessel indicated the destination port of Beirut in Lebanon, " Denisova said.

Russian propaganda is spreading information that the administration of the Zaporizhzhia region has allegedly announced that the region will not return to Kyiv's control, saying that it is "historically Russian territory." The StopFake project drew attention to this.

In fact, Russian media do not cite the position of the Ukrainian government or the position of local residents of the region, but the words of the protege of the occupying power in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region Vladimir Rohov, who is not the first year a mouthpiece of Russian propaganda. Back in March 2022, the National Police of Ukraine opened a criminal case against him for collaborating. "Zaporizhzhia region is the territory of Ukraine both legally (enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine) and historically. On these lands, the Zaporozhian Cossacks were formed, and the Zaporozhian Sich was created. Even after the region became part of the Russian Empire, the largest number of Ukrainians lived in the region, ” StopFake reminded, adding that part of the Zaporizhzhia region is currently under temporary occupation.

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The video of the US ambassador in Georgia, Kelly C. Degnan, broadcast in Georgian, has spread on social networks. In this video, she allegedly says that Georgia needs to open a so-called second front against Russia. The video quotes Degnan as saying: "To make sure that the armed forces are on high alert and that the United States is supporting Georgia in its steps towards NATO membership. It is an incredible opportunity for Georgia, and time cannot be wasted. " These words are followed by footage of the explosion, which gives the impression that Degnan talked about hostilities.

Russian media are spreading the statement of one of the pro-Russian officials that the Sea of ​​Azov has allegedly changed its status, and now the water area allegedly "belongs" to Russia and the occupation administration of Donetsk. This statement is part of Russia's narrative of "inland seas." "This is how propaganda began to call the Black and Azov Seas after the beginning of the armed aggression against Ukraine in 2014 and the Kremlin's temporary occupation of Ukrainian Crimea by the Kremlin. The narratives that Ukraine allegedly "lost" its rights to the peninsula and the adjacent Black and Azov Seas in 2014 are disinformation, " StopFake explained.

In fact, according to all international norms, in particular, the central UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Ukraine has the full right to use the Black and Azov Seas. This right is not affected by the status of Ukrainian Crimea as "temporarily occupied" or by the Russian armed blockade of the Azov Sea coast and local ports.

Along with the fake about "changing in the status of the Sea of ​​Azov," Russian propaganda is spreading information that it has "succeeded in ruining NATO's plans to consolidate and build military bases in the region." Russia is constantly exploiting the topic of "NATO aggression" to justify its illegal actions, such as the occupation of Crimea or a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Fake of NATO's intention to dominate the Black Sea has been circulating for at least 20 years and was actively used in early 2014. StopFake noted that Russian propaganda has now shifted the message from the Black Sea to the Azov coast. However, the North Atlantic Alliance forces did not declare their intention to "build military bases" on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov.

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According to him, in these bots, attackers try to convince users that the real chatbot does not work. The “Shos letyt” chatbot, developed by Lviv Regional Military Administration specialists and IT specialists at the request of “Zahid” Air Command, is running smoothly. The bot works only in the mobile version of the telegram application. It allows all willing residents of the Lviv region to report the threat in the sky (missile, drone, or plane) and Ukrainian defenders - to neutralize it. You must log in through the "Diia" application to report a hazard.

Information, that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station captured by Russian troops held 30,000 kilograms of plutonium and 40,000 kilograms of enriched uranium, was first spread by a Wall Street Journal journalist on social networks; from where it was picked up and disseminated by the Russian media. Russia can use this fake to spread the message that Ukraine is allegedly preparing to "resume nuclear weapons production" because enriched uranium and plutonium could potentially be used as raw materials for nuclear weapons.