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 24 November, on the 1004th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2545
Fake
758
Manipulation
739
Message
535
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Fake Volodymyr Zelenskyi allegedly supported the bill on the “dismissal” of Russian-speaking fighters from the Ukrainian Defense Forces

Anonymous telegram channels are distributing a video that allegedly states that Volodymyr Zelenskyi supported the so-called petition of Ukrainian linguist Iryna Farion for the “dismissal” of Russian-speaking fighters from the Ukrainian Defense Forces. “From now on, we will mobilize only Ukrainian-speaking citizens”, Zelenskyi was quoted. It's a lie.

The Voxcheck specialists analyzed the case and found that there is no such petition on the website of the official Internet representation of the President of Ukraine, and the quote from Volodymyr Zelenskyi was completely invented. Analysts also checked the social networks of the former deputy of the 7th convocation - they did not find any information about the presentation of the petition. And the original source of this video is a TikTok account in which the author systematically disseminates fakes about mobilization, humanitarian aid and creates deepfakes with the participation of Ukrainian politicians. The author also runs a telegram channel, where, according to analysts, he relays Kremlin narratives: for example, he does not call Russia an aggressor.

This fake is most likely spread against the backdrop of Iryna Farion’s scandalous statements about Russian-speaking military personnel on the air of the program “Rendezvous with Yanina Sokolova”. Then she stated that “she cannot call Russian-speaking military personnel Ukrainians”. After all, according to her, if there is no discipline in the army (to study the Ukrainian language - DM), then it is a rabble. Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets appealed to law enforcement officers and the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting to verify Farion’s statements about Russian-speaking military personnel.

Subsequently, on November 8, 2023, she released an email from a Crimean student, which supported his position on the importance of using the Ukrainian language among the military. At the same time, Farion published the letter and did not hide the student’s personal data. Anonymous and pro-Russian telegram channels “thanked” the linguists for the information provided and a few days later they published a video in which the guy confirms that it was he who sent the letter to Farion. In the video, he also said that he was at the Center for Combating Extremism of the Russian occupation Ministry of Internal Affairs and they had an “intelligent conversation” with him. As a result, Dmytro Lubinets contacted the Security Service of Ukraine regarding the disclosure of confidential information.

Now criminal proceedings have been opened against Farion under several articles, in particular, violation of the equality of citizens depending on their race, nationality, regional affiliation, religious beliefs, disability and other characteristics.

Message Ukrainian refugees have turned Poland into the “criminal capital” of the EU

This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that under the “influence of Ukrainian gangs” money laundering, trafficking in children, drugs, weapons, etc. are flourishing in Poland. The publications refer to materials from Polish media.

The VoxCheck analysts worked on the case and explained that the material was published in a Polish-language media system that systematically disseminates Kremlin propaganda. Consequently, any theses do not claim to provide objective information.

One of the materials that really reveals the topic of crimes committed by foreigners in Poland is the material in the publication Rzeczpospolita, which analyzes what crimes migrants have committed in Poland in 2022. The National Police Headquarters prepared statistics specifically for the publication on crimes committed by foreigners in Poland. Thus, in total in 2022, 15 thousand crimes were committed by representatives of different nationalities; Ukrainians, as the largest group, as well as Belarusians and Georgians, were most often included in the statistics. Analysts add: there are about 1.5 million people with Ukrainian citizenship in Poland. That is, according to relative indicators, the number of Ukrainian offenders is 0.15% of all Ukrainians in Poland. The most common type of crime among foreigners, notes Rzeczpospolita, is driving while intoxicated. The second most popular crime is drug possession.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to present Ukrainian refugees as criminals or terrorists, as a cultural and economic threat to the EU - in order to reduce support for Ukraine. We mentioned this in our own investigation.

Detector Media analysts have refuted a number of fakes and manipulations on the topic of Ukrainian refugees in Poland. For example, we analyzed a manipulation to increase thefts in Polish stores by a third, allegedly due to Ukrainian refugees. But they also explained another manipulation, according to which propagandists claimed that the attitude of many Poles towards Ukrainians had worsened.

Fake Ukraine is allegedly introducing a 24-hour curfew during the New Year holidays

In the Ukrainian segment of social networks, information is being spread that a curfew is being introduced in Ukraine during the New Year holidays. As they add, it will take place from December 30, 2023 to January 2, 2024. To find out the exact list of areas in which there will be a curfew, users are asked to go to anonymous telegram channels using the link. The publications also refer to the TSN story. However, this is not true.

The VoxCheck analysts were able to analyze the case and establish that the “story” has been compiled: there is no mention of the introduction of a 24-hour curfew on TSN’s social media pages.

The experts also checked the video for the use of artificial intelligence using a special tool called AI Speech Classifier. It turned out that the probability of using AI is 98%. This is indicated, among other things, by the fact that the presenter’s facial expressions do not coincide with the words superimposed by artificial intelligence. That is, the authors used real TSN news material, but put other words on it.

By dispersing such stuffing, telegram anonymous people seek to artificially increase the audience on telegram channels for their own benefit.

Fake The West allegedly confirmed that expectant mothers are being “mobilized” in Ukraine

Telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric disseminate information that pregnant women are being “mobilized” in Ukraine. At the same time, they refer to “material from a foreign journalist” in support of their theses. It is not true.

The VoxCheck analysts investigated the case and found out that the author of the material was not a “foreign journalist” at all, but was in fact a Russian propagandist. Accordingly, the content of the “journalistic text” is untrue and deceitful. Moreover, the material itself was published in the Bangladeshi edition of Weekly Blitz. As experts explained, the editor-in-chief of this publication worked as the chief correspondent of the Kremlin TASS agency in Bangladesh.

At the same time, the text of the Russian propagandist is filled with Kremlin narratives regarding Ukraine: both about the mobilization of women; or about the hated “Kyiv regime” and the “collective West”.

Russian propaganda is once again speculating on the topic of “mobilization of women”.  But only doctors and pharmacists must register with the military from October 1, 2023; however, military registration does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on travel abroad. The Ministry of Health notes: registration is necessary only to summarize data on the existing reserve of doctors in the country. The travel of this category of women is unlimited. To register for military service, this category of women will have three years - until December 31, 2026.

Fake The Prime Minister of Estonia allegedly said that it is necessary to “kill” EU residents holding Russian passports

Pro-Kremlin media are spreading information that Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that it is necessary to “kill” all Russian passport holders living in the countries of the European Union. It's a lie.

The VoxCheck analysts analyzed the case and found out that the prime minister did not call for killing people with Russian citizenship at all. Experts add that the Kremlin’s minions manipulated one of Kaja Kallas’ quotes:

“In a situation where a person’s acquisition of Russian citizenship is a clear signal of support for terrorism and Russian actions against Estonia and our allies, it is certainly necessary to consider the person’s suitability for life in a human rights-respecting democratic country”.

The question is whether a person can function in European society and not threaten people's lives. Moreover, the Prime Minister of Estonia says: such a decision may indicate that, if necessary, a person (who has received Russian citizenship and lives in Estonia) is ready to join the Russian army and commit crimes against Ukraine and Ukrainians.

She also assured that the official position of the Estonian authorities is to look for ways to deport persons who decide to obtain Russian citizenship.

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.