Kremlin media are spreading a photo of a sign purporting to be in a Berlin zoo asking them not to feed the leopards with “Zelensky’s empty chatter because the animals might vomit”.  This information was also shared on social media. Some users are convinced that the zoo is protesting against the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. In the picture distributed by the propaganda media, there is a man with a signboard with the corresponding inscription behind him. However, this is fake.

StopFake analysts conducted an investigation and found that the photo was actually edited. Due to a search using the hashtag #berlinzoo, it was possible to find the original image. There really is a sign there, but it only has the name and logo of the zoo.

Recently, the West agreed on a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, so Russia reacted to it by new falsifications. Prior to this, the Kremlin media called arms supplies to Ukraine a “theatrical performance” and insisted that the West was actually sending scrap metal to the battlefield. By spreading such fakes, propagandists seek to create the appearance that the level of support for Ukraine in the world is declining. Allegedly, everyone is against new arms supplies to Ukraine.

This message is spread by pro-Russian users of social networks, including the Georgian segment of Facebook. The publications say that after the sanctioning of the churches of the Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine, Ukrainians began to behave not like real Christians, and their level of spirituality, according to the authors of the message, is low. Like, Ukrainians denigrate canonical Orthodoxy. As proof, Facebook users attach a series of video clips to the message, in which, allegedly, “goodness knows” happens in Ukrainian churches, and this contradicts all Christian canons.

Fact-checkers of the MythDetector project explained that people began to massively distribute video clips from the Russian-language segment of TikTok on Facebook. In fact, the video shows a regular Vertep (Nativity scene) performing one of the scenes adapted to real life. In the video, one can see the likeness of Putin, devils and death. From the dialogue of the parties it is clear that Putin is equated with Herod - a very cruel, ferocious person. Actually, Herod is the main antagonist of the Nativity scene, because he dreams of killing the newborn Jesus. In a new interpretation, he wants to create a “Russian world” and defeat Ukraine, but death kills Putin. Death in the classical Nativity scene appears as the protagonist of Herod. The rest of the performance is not visible in the circulated video.

Fact-checkers add that the theatrical scene took place in Greek Catholic churches, and not in the churches of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. One of the videos was filmed in Zarvanytsia, Ternopil region, in the Cathedral of the Mother of God of Zarvanytsia, and the other was made in Truskavets, in the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Theotokos. However, this does not change the essence of the fact that the Nativity scene is a tradition of the Ukrainian church and, despite the denomination, we celebrate the only Christmas.

This message is beneficial to Russian propaganda in order to discredit Ukrainians, to show that their values are unworthy. Earlier, Detector Media debunked a number of fakes about allegedly incorrect Orthodoxy in Ukraine, including that paganism is being spread in Ukraine.

Such information appeared in Russian propaganda media and telegram channels broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric. Reports say Volodymyr Zelenskyi is allegedly threatening to cancel Ukraine's bid for EU membership unless Germany hands over Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Like, Zelenskyi is blackmailing the European community. However, this is not true.

According to the VoxCheck fact-checkers who investigated this case, this news has been made up. It was published by satirical telegram channels. At the same time, the propagandists referred to this news as real. The fact-checkers found the original source, and the telegram channel published by the text actually says that their materials are “a parody, a satire on political reality, only verified fakes”. Fact checkers add that Volodymyr Zelenskyi did not make such statements in order to get tanks.

By spreading this fake, propagandists are trying to prove that Ukraine is trying to get what it wants by various methods, blackmailing included. Thus, Russian propaganda also seeks to discredit President Zelenskyi and show that the level of support for Ukraine in the world is waning, so the authorities have to use blackmail to achieve their goal.

This information is spread by Russian propaganda media. It also appeared on anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric. Reports say mass rallies were held in Paris against arms supplies to Ukraine. Like, the protesters called for the dismissal of the incumbent President Macron, and also demanded that the authorities would withdraw from NATO. However, this is all fake. 

The fact checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the case. According to fact-checkers, to confirm their words, the propagandists published a video of the rally, in which you can see the logo of the Russian state news agency RT, the broadcast of which has been banned in the European Union since March 2022. In the RT story, you can see the comment of Florian Filippo, the leader of the far-right Party of patriots, who criticizes France's policy towards Ukraine. This politician also often organizes anti-vaccination protests, pro-Kremlin and anti-Ukrainian rallies. However, the video of the protest published by the propaganda has nothing to do with Ukraine. In the RT story, it is clear that the protesters in the video are carrying banners with inscriptions about the retirement age, and not about military assistance to Ukraine. However, propagandists use such fakes on purpose in order to create the appearance that the level of support for Ukraine in European countries is gradually falling. They say that in many countries, in particular France, people are against the supply of weapons.

Unknown people sent letters to the mailboxes of the Czechs claiming that one of the candidates for the presidency of the Czech Republic died on the night of January 26, the day before the opening of polling stations, from “probable heart failure”. The letter was sent through the Russian mail service “Yandex”. The letter itself allegedly quoted the press secretary of the candidate Petr Pavel.

However, all the information in the letter is fake. In particular, according to Yevropeiska Pravda (European truth), the header of the e-mail contains an error, namely, Pavel's surname is spelled incorrectly, and in the letter itself there is a link to a website with the “com” domain, which has an address similar to the address of the official website of Pavel's election campaign. Visually, the site is really very similar to the original. The journalists found out that the metadata of the letter has a Russian trace, because the letter was sent from a Russian mail service.

The domain and website are operated by Njalla based in the Caribbean island of Nevis. And the domain itself is registered for the Canadian company Tucows, so it is impossible to trace the owner from public sources. This company is involved in pseudo-news sites that are used as a tool to destroy competition in business, Seznam Zpravy notes.

According to journalists, the unknown sent not only a letter announcing Pavel's death. Subsequently, another one came to the mailbox, it was on behalf of his communication manager. The letter stated that at night the candidate for the presidency of the Czech Republic experienced clinical death, but survived thanks to the efforts of doctors. However, all this is not true, and the manager's quote is fake. Pavel himself said that the criminal police of the Czech Republic were investigating the situation.

We remind that a new president is currently being elected in the Czech Republic. Among the candidates who made it to the second round, having received the voters' commitment, is Petr Pavel who received the largest number of votes in the first round of elections - 35.39%. His opponent was 0.39% behind.

Reflection is a typical Russian propaganda tactic, used in particular to divert attention. Propagandists make the same accusations against Ukraine / USA / EU / ”collective West” as they bring against Russia. That is, they reflect the actions of the opponent. At the same time, Russian propaganda uses real and far-fetched pretexts for accusations.

An example of the use of reflection tactics is the accusation of the Ukrainian authorities of lying to Ukrainians that there are no losses in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In practice, the expression “there are no losses in the armed forces of Russia” from the very beginning of the great war became a meme. It was Russia that for a long time did not recognize its losses, and then significantly downplayed them. On the other hand, the Ukrainian authorities have never denied the losses, moreover, they constantly note the price that Ukraine pays every day, although it does not clearly state the number of deaths.

The Russians also used the tactics of reflection to conceal the war crimes of the Russian army. After the liberation of the Kyiv region, it became known about the atrocities of the Russian army in the temporarily occupied territories. In particular, both Ukrainian and world media wrote about the war crimes of Russians in Bucha. Russia denied these accusations, calling them a staged and provocative act by the Ukrainian authorities. Further, during the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russians began to spread messages that Ukraine was preparing for “Bucha-2” in the Kharkiv direction and “new Bucha” in the Kherson region. After the publication of information about the numerous sexual crimes of the Russian military in the temporarily occupied territories, Russian propaganda began to accuse the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the same crimes, but did not provide any evidence.

The main purpose of the reflection tactic is to divert attention from the subject of discussion or change the direction of the discussion. In English sources, it is called Whataboutism, as a derivative concept from the expression “what about”.

This message was spread by propagandists on social networks and the Kremlin media. The report says that the hospitalization of Ukrainians in Kyiv is ending. According to the propagandists, this was due to “overcrowded beds by the military from the front”. Like, because of the large number of wounded, there are no more places for sick civilians.

As VoxCheck explains, in early December, the Ministry of Health did recommend that regional military administrations consider suspending planned operations and hospitalizations. However, the reason was the systematic massive shelling of the energy infrastructure by Russia, and, accordingly, threats of a possible complete blackout. The recommendations refer to the stabilization period of the energy supply.

However, the recommendation does not mean a complete ban on hospitalization, and subsequently a possible operation. The final decision is made by the doctor depending on the patient's condition.

This message is aimed at destabilizing the mood of Ukrainians and discrediting the “incompetent” government. It seems that at the front “everything is so bad” that civilians are not given the opportunity to receive decent treatment.

Such a document was shared by propagandists in their telegram channels and the Kremlin media. It says that Ukraine is preparing to deport women and men who are abroad and allegedly asks the Ukrainian Embassy in the EU to provide information about people of military age. After the deportation, all women and men are mobilized. In particular, such an appeal was allegedly received by the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia.

As experts from the Center for counteracting disinformation explain, the Ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine did not send such appeals to the Ukrainian Embassy in Latvia and other European countries. The document is fake and has nothing to do with the official position of Ukraine.

By sharing such a document, propagandists want to sow panic among Ukrainian refugees in Europe. The propagandists also create the appearance that the situation at the front is extremely bad, because the Ukrainian authorities supposedly have to return people from abroad and mobilize even women.