Pro-Russian telegram channels are promoting the message that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the head of the Office of the President Andrii Yermak allegedly do not intend to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, because then they will lose power and influence. Therefore, according to propagandists, Kyiv is preparing a provocation to incite the Kremlin to a powerful response, preferably with the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

By spreading this information, Russia seeks to shift responsibility for the war and the death of Ukrainians onto the Ukrainian authorities. In this case, the Russians resort to “scapegoat” propaganda tactics, abdicating responsibility for a possible nuclear strike and shifting it onto Zelenskyi and Yermak. However, the main reason for the continuation of the war is Russia, in particular, its aggressive policy towards Ukraine and its unwillingness to engage in fair and conscientious negotiations.

Also, citing a recent article by The New York Times about a supposedly possible secret military operation in Ukraine, propagandists claim that the Western press is taking the United States “out of the negative case of supporting terrorism”. According to the article, after the Kremlin warned the Pentagon about a “provocation from Ukraine”, the Americans contacted Kyiv and told it not to do anything like that.

By making statements about Ukrainian terrorism, Russia is diverting attention from its own terrorist acts on Ukrainian territory. Thus, the Kremlin makes similar accusations to those brought against itself. In addition, in this case, propagandists are feeding Russian narratives that “Ukraine is a puppet state” and is led by “overseas masters”.

Let us recall that Russia regularly makes accusations against Ukraine regarding preparations for the use of chemical weapons, or a “dirty” nuclear bomb.