In the Russian segment of the social network X (formerly Twitter), information is being spread that the speaker of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, allegedly received a positive test for HIV. Users of the social network allegedly refer to an article by Breitbart News, where they note that Sarah Ashton-Cirillo was previously under investigation due to accusations of pedophilia and rape of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It's fake.

The case was investigated by the fact-checker of the VoxCheck project. They found out that the article about HIV that Russian propaganda refers to is not on the website, social networks or web archive of Breitbart News. Moreover, the primary source of this publication is the Russian telegram channel. Breitbart News wrote an article that the speaker was suspended pending an investigation into her statements about Russian propagandists. So Russian propaganda created a fake photo based on this publication.

Moreover, the fact-checkers did not find information about the official being accused of pedophilia and rape. And HIV testing results are confidential, so if Sarah Ashton-Cirillo actually tested positive, the results would not be disclosed.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the speaker of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Troops Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, who belongs to the LGBTQ+ community. Russian propagandists nourish false information that LGBTQ+ people are the main carriers of HIV and AIDS, pedophiles and rapists. This is all part of a Russian campaign to discredit the LGBTQ+ community and Ukraine, which has allegedly moved away from traditional values. Previously, Detector Media published research on Russian LGBT disinformation on social networks and explained how Russian propaganda is trying to use LGBTQIA issues in the context of the war against Ukraine.

A phishing attack on group administrators has begun on the social network Facebook. They receive a message saying that, allegedly due to serious violations of community rules, their account will be blocked within 24 hours. To prevent the account from being blocked, they  need to follow the link in the message and appeal the decision.

The specialists from the Center for Countering Disinformation have investigated this scheme and urge people not to click on dubious links. In this way, scammers try to gain access to your Facebook account and information about bank cards and personal data.

Moreover, the Facebook administration does not send such messages. If someone has written something like this, send a complaint and block the author. If you have become a victim of scammers, contact the cyber police.

In the Ukrainian segment of Instagram, a video is being circulated with information that the Estonian Council allegedly provides financial assistance to children for winter clothes in the amount of $250. “Today, the Estonian Council provides assistance for winter clothes to all children in Ukraine who are under 10 years old (...) Or one can choose a box with clothes”. To receive it, you need to follow the link and fill out the form. It is not true.

The case was examined by the fact-checkers from the Brekhunets (The Liar) project. The page that distributed the video on Instagram has more than 20 thousand subscribers, and the link, where one can supposedly find a form to fill out, leads to the “Kyi City” telegram channel, which one needs to subscribe to.

Moreover, the fact-checkers checked the official information resources of the Estonian Refugee Council and determined that there was no such message. So, information about cash benefits from international organizations should be found on the organization’s official pages on social networks or on the official website.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric disseminate information that Ukrainians will allegedly use ATACMS weapons systems transferred from the United States against civilians. “The vile hand of the United States always promotes death, because we know that these weapons in the hands of Ukrainian Nazis will be used against civilian targets”, the message said. It is not true.

The case was investigated by the fact-checker of the EUvsDiSiNFO project. There is no evidence to support that these weapons will be used against civilian targets. There is also no evidence that Ukrainians attack civilians, unlike Russia, whose crimes have been documented by human rights organizations and the UN.

Moreover, in September 2023, the United States introduced the so-called Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, the purpose of which is to track and prevent civilian deaths from weapons supplied by the United States, including to Ukraine.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to promote the narrative that Russians are fighting Nazism in Ukraine, as well as demonizing the Ukrainian military, saying that they don’t care about the Ukrainian people. Previously, we talked about the message that Ukrainian refugees in Europe are demonstrating their “Nazi tendencies”.

Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are disseminating information that Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna allegedly called the Ukrainians “a cheap way to fight Russia”. He allegedly said this during a meeting organized by the Atlantic Council. This is manipulation.

The case was examined by StopFake specialists. The head of the Estonian Foreign Ministry did not make such statements. At a meeting organized by the Atlantic Council, he said: “Instead of military conflicts or aggression between Russia and NATO members, Ukraine is fighting in our region. And this is the most effective and cheapest way, if I may put it so roughly, to get rid of the desire for aggression on the Russian side”. Russian propaganda distorted this phrase to create manipulation.

In fact, the Minister said that Ukrainians are fighting for European values.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Western partners and show that they allegedly devalue the deaths of Ukrainians in the Russian-Ukrainian war. It is also a continuation of the narrative that the West started the war, and Russia “was forced to defend itself”. Previously, we refuted the fake that Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine should participate in the formation of the US state budget.