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 22 December, on the 1032th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2602
Fake
774
Manipulation
753
Message
541
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Fake An advertisement about high losses among the Ukrainian military is broadcast on the YouTube platform

On the YouTube platform, advertisements are being distributed regarding the high losses among the Ukrainian military. The video says that “350,000 warriors sacrificed themselves so that we remember”. The video accompanies the text that the United24 fund allegedly accidentally disclosed the losses. It's fake.

The case was noticed at the Center for Counteracting Disinformation. Earlier, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar commented in her telegram channel on information about the alleged number of dead Ukrainian soldiers, which appears in various publications, including foreign ones. She said: “During martial law, this information is a state secret. Not because someone wants to hide, but because this is a requirement of the military”. Maliar explained that the enemy could use data on the dead and wounded in order to calculate their further actions.

By launching fake ads about losses among the Ukrainian military, Russian propaganda is trying to sow panic and despondency among Ukrainians and discredit the authorities, saying that it is silent about the true number of deaths and the United24 fund, which raises funds for the army and humanitarian needs. Earlier, we refuted the fake advertisement about Zaluzhnyi, that claimed that the Foreign Ministry allegedly hides his incompetence.

Fake American actress Priscilla Presley urged Volodymyr Zelenskyi to be treated for drug addiction

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are circulating a video message from American actress Priscilla Presley to Volodymyr Zelenskyi, in which she allegedly urges him to seek help for drug addiction. The actress allegedly posted the video on her Instagram page. It's fake.

The case was investigated by fact-checkers of the Center for Countering Disinformation. There is no video message to Volodymyr Zelenskyi of Priscilla Presley's social networks, and the only source where this video was distributed are pro-Kremlin telegram channels.

This fake is part of an enemy campaign to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Like, the president of Ukraine is a drug addict, so he makes a decision in a state of altered consciousness. Earlier, we refuted fakes that American boxer Mike Tyson and American actors Elijah Wood, Dean Norris and John McGinley called on Zelenskyi to be treated for alcohol and drug addiction.

Fake On Independence Day, Ukrainian refugees beat Poles in Warsaw for refusing to shout Nazi slogans

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric and some users on social networks spread information that on August 24, Independence Day, 12 Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw allegedly beat Poles because they refused to shout Nazi slogans, namely “Glory to Ukraine”. This is a fake.

The case was studied by the fact-checkers of the Center for Strategic Communications. On the night of August 24-25, a skirmish really took place on the boulevards near the Vistula river, in which 13 people participated. The Warsaw Police Headquarters posted a message on the website in this regard. It says that the conflict involved, in particular, the citizens of Georgia, who were recognized as aggressors, and there were no people who had “identity cards of Ukrainian nationality”.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit Ukrainian refugees and turn Polish citizens against Ukrainians. Like, they create problems in Europe. Recently, Detector Media denied a fake that Ukrainian refugees caused an outbreak of an infectious disease in Rzeszow, Poland.

Fake In the advertising of the communications operator Kyivstar information was disclosed about the real losses of Ukraine in the war

Russian propagandists are spreading information that the Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar allegedly disclosed real losses among the Ukrainian military in the war against Russia in the promotion of a charity initiative. Allegedly, the company has created a video in which it encourages sending text messages to dead servicemen, but hundreds of thousands of defenders will not be able to respond to the messages. This is fake.

The case was investigated by fact-checkers of the Center for Countering Disinformation. They checked the information at the Kyivstar company, where they were told that the telecommunications operator did not conduct similar actions and did not release a promotional video.

Russian propagandists are trying to intimidate Ukrainians and discredit the military leadership by spreading fakes about casualties among the Ukrainian military. They say that the authorities are silent about real losses so that people are not afraid of mobilization. Earlier, we refuted the fake that in Ternopil they threatened to cut off the gas and hot water to conscripts who do not come to the Territorial centers of procurement and social support.

Fake A video is circulating on the network of how a Russian Su-57 aircraft shoots down all NATO F-16 fighters in Ukraine

A video is circulating on the American segment of Facebook and YouTube, which allegedly captures the moment when a Russian Su-57 aircraft shoots down NATO F-16 fighters in Ukraine. The Facebook user account that shared the video has the description “creator of the game video”. Also, some users asked if this was already the beginning of the Third World War and wrote that they “did not know that NATO was participating” in the war. It's fake.

The case was studied by Reuters fact-checkers. Pavel Kryzka, public relations manager for Bohemia Interactive, the creators of Arma 3, said in an email that the footage circulating on the Internet was taken from a modified Arma 3 game. Some social media users also recognized the game in the video, but others perceived the footage as real fights.

Thus, Russian propaganda want to show that the Russian “second army of the world” is powerful, therefore it wins on the battlefield, and also that Russia is at war with NATO on the territory of Ukraine. With such fakes, propagandists intimidate Westerners and seek to reduce assistance to Ukraine from Western partners. Earlier we talked about the manipulation that NATO could agree to send troops to the territory of Ukraine.

Fake The Pope of Rome was added to the Peacemaker database in recognition of the greatness of Russia

Pro-Kremlin media disseminated information that Ukrainians allegedly included Pope Francis in the Peacemaker database, which publishes enemies of Ukraine and is a center for researching signs of crimes against Ukraine’s national security, peace, human security and international law. Pope Francis allegedly came to this site due to the fact that he called on Russians “not to abandon the legacy of the majestic empire”. It's fake.

The case was investigated by fact-checkers of the Center for Countering Disinformation. The propagandists came up with this news, because there is no mention of Pope Francis on the website of the Peacemaker. That is, it was not included in the database.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit Ukraine and worsen its relations with Western partners and world leaders on the basis of religion. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that Pope Francis called for the release of Pavlo Lebed, Metropolitan of the UOC-MP, from arrest.

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.