This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say Ukraine is ready to give up Western weapons “due to supply difficulties”. The messages refer to material from The Wall Street Journal. This is manipulation.

Analysts from the StopFake project investigated this case and found that the WSJ material did not claim that Ukraine abandoned Western weapons precisely because of “supply difficulties”. This is an invention of Russian propaganda, because the leading theme of the material is how Ukraine, with the help of Western partners, intends to establish its own weapons production. Actually, the point is that Ukraine wants to start producing more of its own weapons. “Restoring Ukraine’s arms industry could help ensure the country’s long-term security and stimulate its economy, officials say”, the author adds.

That is, the material discussed the prospects for the development of our own weapons production and what caused this. At the same time, propagandists distorted the theses in their own way.

Using quotes from public figures, journalists, military officers, politicians and allegedly quoting Western publications, Russian propaganda is trying to convince consumers of disinformation of the authenticity of such an expression. Like, if a journalist from a foreign publication said this himself, he can be trusted, because he is an authoritative source although the authors do not explain how reliable the information presented in the manipulative publication is. This is how propagandists use the tactic of appealing to authority.

Accusations have appeared on the Internet regarding the FRIDA Ukraine medical mission project, which receives support from the UN Development Program and the Japanese government. The accusations are that the mission, instead of providing medical care to people in the front-line territories, is allegedly engaged in “organ transplants”. The underlying assumption behind these accusations is that Japan needs donors, while Israeli doctors are recognized as the best transplant surgeons in the world.

However, these accusations are unfounded. Analysts of the VoxCheck project drew attention to this. The Ukrainian-Israeli medical mission FRIDA Ukraine was founded by Israelis Roman Goldman and Mark Nevy; it unites 980 doctors from Ukraine and Israel. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, they have been providing medical care to children, people with disabilities and the elderly in the hottest spots of Ukraine. It is important to note that they do not perform organ transplants.

With the support of the Government of Japan and the UN Development Program, the organization is implementing only one of its projects - “Strengthening awareness of the acceptance and understanding of mine victims among volunteer doctors, members of territorial communities and the general public”. The project does not involve any operations or transplants, and its goal is to raise awareness among volunteer doctors and community members about the rules of working and interacting with victims of mine-explosive activities, purchasing equipment and attracting public attention to this problem. The implementation of the project includes training and an information campaign on the Internet.

Propagandists spread such fakes to discredit Ukrainian doctors and the government in general. This is not the first time they accuse the Ukrainian side of “black transplantology”, as Detector Media has already written about.

Pro-Kremlin media write that eight European countries sent 18 tons of humanitarian aid to the so-called DPR (Donetsk People's Republic). The publications say that assistance was allegedly provided, in particular, by Austria, Belgium, Germany, France and Switzerland. However, this is manipulation.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project examined the case and found that none of the European Union states officially sent humanitarian aid to the so-called DPR. The cargo was collected by the organization “SOS Donbas” - its members, as experts write, are mostly Russians living abroad. This organization not only supports Russia's illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory, but also opposes international military assistance.

At the same time, the propaganda materials distorted the context and presented the information as if it was official humanitarian aid from eight European countries. However, these are only the actions of a pro-Russian organization on EU territory. For example, on the website of such a “charitable” organization they write that they “provide support to the victims of the civil war in Donbas”. And also on their website one can sign a “petition against the supply of weapons to Ukraine”.

A number of netizens spreading pro-Russian rhetoric are disseminating information that Alexander, the son of the famous philanthropist George Soros, allegedly entered into an agreement with the Ukrainian authorities to allocate 400 sq. m. km of land for disposal of hazardous waste from chemical, pharmaceutical and oil refineries. It is noted that this information was allegedly exposed by an investigation by French journalist Jules Vincent. He showed two “documents” that supposedly confirm this agreement - a Memorandum on the provision of land to foreign companies, allegedly signed by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrii Yermak on the one hand and Alexander Soros on the other, as well as the Decree of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi on the allocation of land in Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi regions. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the information was first published by a user of the X network (formerly Twitter) under the nickname @VincentVinxent1. In his 6-minute video, this user, introducing himself as Jules Vincent, said that he was allegedly approached by a representative of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, who anonymously handed over documents to the “independent journalist” @VincentVinxent1, which, according to him, confirm the transfer Ukrainian black soil for storing hazardous waste to the Soros family StopFake analysts discovered that the French journalist Jules Vincent really exists, but the @VincentVinxent1 account probably belongs to someone else. On the Strategic Horizons website one can find a biography and photo of columnist Jules Vincent, who, according to him, worked as a documentarian and journalist. However, a comparison of the photos shows that the people in the photos on the site and on Network X are different. A reverse search of @VincentVinxent1's profile photo yielded no positive results. It is also surprising that the “independent journalist” page consists mainly of retweets. So far, it has existed since September 2018, but there are only seven of its own publications, and all of them are without curse words or retweets. In addition, 1,129 accounts subscribed to the profile, a significant number of which are bots.

As for the information about the transfer of land to the Soros family, which is disseminated by this profile, it is not true. Documents distributed online are forgeries. The Decree of the President of Ukraine on the transfer of land plots to American companies shows that the document was supposedly signed on November 13, 2023 and has number No. 603/2023. However, such a document was not found on the website of the President of Ukraine, where all decrees are published. There is also a gross error in the spelling of the Ternopil region and insignificant differences in spelling. In addition, the “document” contains a mention of Part 1 of Article 116 of the Land Code of Ukraine, which does not correspond to reality. This part of the article provides for the transfer of the right to use a land plot by the President of Ukraine. Also, according to Ukrainian legislation, foreigners and foreign companies cannot purchase agricultural land.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to strengthen the myth of Ukraine’s subjectivity. They say that the Ukrainian authorities do not care about the rights of Ukrainians, they do not own their territory, and therefore they distribute it to their leaders. Russian media regularly spread disinformation about the Soros family, which was refuted by the Detector Media.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks claim that Svitlana Tykhanovska allegedly promised to transfer Belarusian tactical nuclear weapons to Ukraine during her speech at PACE. However, this news is fictitious.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case. The primary source of the news is the satirical telegram channel “The Empire is very evil”. The description of the channel clearly states that its materials are a creative invention, and all coincidences are random.

Svitlana Tykhanovska has never made such statements. There are no reliable sources confirming this information. Her last speech at PACE in June 2023 did not contain such promises, like all her other public statements. Reputable Ukrainian and international media also did not record any reports regarding such statements from Tykhanovska.

Propagandists use satirical materials to ridicule those who express support for Ukraine and confuse the information space. All this is so that people stop understanding what is truth and what is fiction.

This thesis was spread by pro-Kremlin media. Reports say that Ukraine seems to be using prohibited methods of warfare, in particular using prohibited weapons. They say this is stated in the Landmine Monitor 2023 report, compiled by independent experts from different countries, which was presented to the UN on November 14, 2023.

The case was studied by StopFake project specialists and explained: the analysts who worked on the report reported that Ukraine began an investigation into the case of how the Ukrainian Armed Forces “used anti-personnel mines in the city of Izium and its environs in 2022, when the city was under Russian control”. The report emphasized that Ukraine then used mines against Russian military targets, but as a result, “civilians suffered”. This case in relation to Ukraine is isolated, and international experts have recorded hundreds of facts of widespread use of prohibited weapons in Ukraine by Russian occupiers.

Among other things, the document wrote that Russia, probably with the help of neighboring Belarus, is actively using anti-personnel mines in Ukraine. According to the data presented in the report, in Ukraine in 2022 there was a tenfold increase in the number of victims of anti-personnel mines compared to the year before the full-scale Russian invasion.

Russia tries to ignore cases of the use of prohibited weapons and pays attention only to Ukrainian actions - although the case of the use of an anti-personnel mine is isolated, and it was primarily used to replace a Russian military facility.

The online media of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, ArmyInform, explains that the Ottawa Convention of 1997 provides for a complete cessation of the use of non-directional anti-personnel mines, a cessation of their production and accumulation. Ukraine signed the mine ban agreement on February 24, 1999 in New York and ratified it on December 27, 2005, becoming a state party on June 1, 2006. Russia is not a party to the Convention, so it has been using them since the beginning of the war back in 2014.

Such information was disseminated on social networks in the Russian segment, commenting on the meeting of the presidents (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic) of the Visegrad Group, who discussed issues of international politics, including the Russian-Ukrainian war. The authors claimed that Czech President Petr Pavel allegedly explained during the summit of heads of state that the Visegrad Group was “ready to engage in aggression against Russia”,  and NATO would allegedly attack Russia “after the war in Ukraine”. This is manipulation.

The StopFake analysts investigated the case and found that there were no statements about NATO’s readiness to launch an invasion of Russia at the Visegrad Four summit - this is an invention of the propaganda media. The meeting of leaders was devoted to European security issues in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The parties stated that Russia must bear responsibility for human lives and damage, and the four countries must “resolutely continue to fully support Ukraine and its citizens”.

Among other things, Peter Pavel said during the meeting that Russia is the main threat to the security of Europe and, accordingly, the defense Alliance. That is, the manipulators distorted the entire context of the officials’ statements and simply came up with profitable Kremlin theses.

Using quotes from public figures, military officers, politicians and other public figures, Russian propaganda is trying to convince consumers of disinformation of the authenticity of such expressions. Like, if the European leader himself said this, then he can be trusted, because he is an authoritative source although the authors do not explain how reliable the information presented in the manipulative publication is. This is how propagandists use the tactic of appealing to authority.

The Visegrad Group was founded on February 15, 1991 in the Hungarian city of Visegrad by the presidents of Central European countries - Poland, Hungary, and then Czechoslovakia with the goal of integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. After the collapse of Czechoslovakia, the official name of the group was the “Visegrad Four”, or V4, consisting of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. It was possible to achieve the European and Euro-Atlantic goal in 2004 - the four countries joined NATO, and on May 1 of the same year V4 joined the European Union. Currently, countries also cooperate in the fields of culture, education, science and data exchange.

Pro-Russian resources began to disseminate information that supposedly on one of the buildings in New York there is a banner hinting at the darkening of the topic of the war in Ukraine by the situation in the Middle East - the war in Israel. They say that on the banner the slogan “Stand with Ukraine” is gradually being replaced by another: “Stand with Israel”.

This case was analyzed by experts from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. They found that the information was not true. Outdoor advertising company Clear Channel Outdoors, which has the right to place materials in the mentioned location, said in a comment to Reuters that the banner is fake.

This is not the first time that Russians have fabricated banners at different places around the world with the aim of weakening support for Ukraine from its partner countries. Previously, we refuted the information that an advertising banner was placed in New York with the inscription: “No Zelenskyi - no war”.

In response to statements by Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who expressed that Chisinau has no common topics for discussion with Moscow, Russian officials point to the allegedly disastrous results of the municipal elections in Moldova for the ruling party. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from The Insider project drew attention to it. They emphasize that the “victory of the opposition” does not look very convincing. Moldova's pro-European Action and Solidarity party won 19 of 32 districts in regional elections, eight times better than in the previous elections in 2019. Also, the pro-Russian Party of Socialists lost five districts after these elections. They also note that the victory of the pro-Russian party is also not significant, since it was unable to gain success in the elections of mayors of the largest cities.

Ion Ceban, a former adviser to Moldovan President Ihor Dodon, left the Party of Socialists and created the National Alternative Movement, a center-left, also pro-European opposition political force. Ceban advocates European integration of Moldova and condemns Russian aggression against Ukraine. Despite the fact that there is an allegation about Cheban’s ties with Russia, his victory in the elections took place under slogans for European integration and condemnation of Russian aggression.

By spreading such manipulations, propagandists make their desire reality. They say that Moldova will never be able to become a full-fledged European state. However, Detector Media  using the example of material about the “Moldavian language”, explained how else Russians can use the internal political context of Moldova for their propaganda.

Pro-Russian resources began to disseminate information that the Lithuanian authorities are planning to introduce a “rain tax”, the reason for which was “exorbitant expenses” on the country’s defense and the supply of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine. They say that the Lithuanian government no longer knows where to look for additional resources to cover the country’s expenses, so it resorts to innovative methods. This is manipulation.

This case was processed by fact-checkers from the Center for Countering Disinformation. They found out that in some Lithuanian counties there is indeed a rain tax, although it is not related to the war in Ukraine. For example, in Alytus, city residents have been paying it since 1996. It is worth noting that the tax is levied only on residents of private houses and provided that precipitation fell on their territory and entered the general runoff. It turns out that the tax is not really for rain, but for the treatment of rainwater by wastewater treatment plants.

Russian disinformation in this case aims to undermine Lithuanians’ trust in their government, encourage them to boycott financial assistance to Ukraine, and generally weaken international support for our country. One of the key messages of propagandists here is that the internal problems of the state have not been resolved in Lithuania and, for example, school teachers periodically go on strike due to low salaries, and the authorities are indifferent to this - they are thinking about Ukraine.

Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread information that the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, allegedly manipulates the topic of shelling of critical infrastructure. He declares that Ukraine is preparing for the “worst winter in history”, plays on the feelings of partners and thus seeks to increase aid. And Russia actually carried out “light strikes” on the heating and energy infrastructure in the fall and winter of 2022-2023. It is not true.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of the StopFake project. Dmytro Kuleba gave an interview to Die Welt, where he said that Russia may start shelling critical infrastructure again. After all, Russian attacks are not fabrications or blackmail. On October 10, 2022, Russia launched massive missile strikes allegedly “in response to a Ukrainian attack” on an illegally built bridge across the Kerch Strait.

According to the UN, 42 out of 94 (45%) key high-voltage transformers in Ukraine were damaged or destroyed as a result of Russian missile attacks. In the fall and winter of 2022-2023, there will be almost no whole thermal and hydroelectric power plants left in Ukraine.

That is why Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview: “I bought dozens of candles. My father bought a truck full of firewood. We are preparing for the worst winter in history. Therefore, we will turn a blind eye if we do not get Taurus , but we do get air defense systems. We try to protect our power plants as best we can. But the Russians are learning. They will once again test our endurance with their missiles”.

In this way, Russian propagandists are trying to legitimize attacks on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine and devalue the problems of our country. They are also trying to discredit Dmytro Kuleba, hoping that this will reduce Western support. Earlier, Detector Media refuted the fake that there may be blackouts in Ukraine in November even without shelling.

Anonymous Telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread information that “the supply of Ukrainian weapons to the Hamas group has tripled over the past month”.  Russian propaganda refers to an article published by The Washington Post, in which they allegedly wrote that Hamas currently has no problems with providing weapons thanks to Ukraine. This is a fake.

According to fact-checkers of the Center for Countering Disinformation, The Washington Post did not actually publish such an article. And the screenshot used by Russian propaganda was first published by the Ministry of Defense of Russia in 2022.

In this way, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Ukraine and reduce aid from the West, including the supply of weapons. Previously, we refuted the fake that the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Paris thanked Ukraine for weapons for Hamas.

Pro-Kremlin resources are spreading disinformation about the losses of American troops in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Propagandists refer to an interview with American volunteer Matthew Van Dyke, published on the YouTube channel Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom. In it, a volunteer allegedly stated that 510 American volunteers who joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces died. This is manipulation.

The Center for Countering Disinformation worked on this case. They found out that during a volunteer’s answer to the presenter’s question about the number of American soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, Van Dyke voiced the figures of five to ten people. He also added that many American volunteers were wounded.

Russian propagandists exaggerate the achievements of the Russian army in the war against Ukraine to fuel the narrative of the “second army of the world”. On the other hand, by manipulating information, Russian propaganda is trying to convince everyone around that mobilization in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is useless - and so everyone will die, and therefore it is easier for Ukraine to surrender now. Previously, we denied information that American students were allegedly being recruited into the Foreign Legion of Ukraine.

Pro-Kremlin media are distributing a video of an alleged advertising video on YouTube, in which a military man in an Israeli army uniform is supposedly campaigning in Ukrainian to join the IDF - the Israeli Defense Forces - and fight against Hamas. It's a lie.

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council analyzed this case and found that such advertising from the official representative of the Israeli Ministry of Defense does not exist. It was compiled: after all, using a reverse search on Google, experts found that to create a fake advertising video, the authors used a TikTok video from the official account of the Israeli Defense Forces on this social network. And later a voice in Ukrainian was superimposed on the video.

Let us recall that the Institute for the Study of War’s statement on October 7 said that the Kremlin is actively using the Hamas attack on Israel for information operations aimed at weakening US and Western support for Ukraine. And the thesis about “mobilizing people to Israel” is used by fake bots to, first of all, convince that the Ukrainian leadership sees only military force in men and women - and officials, say, will use this for their own purposes. Even for mobilization to other countries.

Previously, we have already documented a propaganda campaign, supposedly Ukrainians were given draft notices to mobilize into Israeli volunteer battalions.

Pro-Kremlin media are disseminating information that the summit regarding the Ukrainian Peace Formula in Malta allegedly became a failure for Ukraine. Russian propaganda refers to an article by Bloomberg. It is not true.

The case was examined by the fact-checkers from the Center for Strategic Communications and the BezBrekhni (No Lies) project. In fact, at the summit held in Malta, working groups were created on practical issues. Moreover, thanks to the help of Qatar, several Ukrainian children have already been returned home.

The Center for Countering Disinformation notes that the number of countries that took part in the summit in Malta increased from 15 (at the negotiations in Copenhagen) and 42 (in Jeddah) to 66 states and international organizations. The summit was attended by representatives of the USA, EU, UK, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil and India. That is, it destroys the Russian myth about Ukraine losing the support of the Global South.

Moreover, at the summit for the first time it was possible to adopt a document in which, as a result of these meetings, the intention to convene a Global Summit at the level of the leaders of the countries participating in the Peace Formula was confirmed. The global summit will be held to ensure that state leaders approve all the provisions of the Ukrainian peace formula.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to devalue the results of the Malta summit, discredit Western countries and promote the narrative that Ukraine needs negotiations with Putin for the sake of peace. As for Bloomberg journalists, they do not have enough information to correctly assess the results of the summit - this is what makes them advantageous for Russian propagandists.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks claim that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi allegedly said that “if Ukraine loses the war, it will be because of the Jews”. This is a fake.

Analysts of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security Council of Ukraine and the Georgian MythDetector project drew attention to it. They found out that the circulated quote is a fake, because it cannot be found either on the official pages of the President, or in Ukrainian or Western mass media. On the contrary, Zelenskyi condemned the actions of Hamas and drew parallels between the current events in Israel and the Russian-Ukrainian war. He condemned terrorism and emphasized Israel's right to self-defense.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to convince Ukrainians that after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, Western countries will redirect the aid intended for Ukraine to Israel and Ukraine will not have the support of the international community.  Detector Media explained how propagandists still manipulate the topic of events in Israel.

Pro-Russian resources began to disseminate information that Sony, a company specializing in electronics and other high-tech products, allegedly released the PlayStation 5 game console and its accessories in the colors of the Russian flag. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by fact-checkers from the VoxUkraine project. They found out that when creating new designs for the game console and joysticks, the authors relied on the colors of the Earth, and not the Russian tricolor. Thus, one of the designers explained that his team was inspired by the beautiful and powerful shades that can be found in the depths of planet Earth. The colors used are Sterling Silver, Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, and not pure white, blue and red, as in Russia. If one reads the colors according to the usual version, that is, from left to right, then it will be obvious that the sequence of colors of the presented game consoles and accessories is different from the sequence of colors of the Russian tricolor.

Pro-Kremlin propagandists trying to trace at least latent manifestations of the civilized world’s solidarity with Russia resort to manipulation and use information for their own purposes. They use one of the propaganda tactics when they write about such “support” for the transnational company Sony: they try to evoke in ordinary Russian citizens a feeling of euphoria - a psychological state in which a person experiences elation, happiness and joy, which is unjustified by objective conditions.

Russian propagandists are disseminating information that Ukrainians are constantly discussing the topic of joining the EU due to the fact that they are now losing the war to Russia. At the same time, pro-Kremlin sources claim that Ukraine will never join the EU, and the promises of European leaders are nothing more than empty words. They say that even the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, is bluffing: he realizes that none of his promises will ever be fulfilled. He allegedly uses the situation in Ukraine to increase his personal rating, on the one hand, and to gain the favor of Washington, on the other.

The information was analyzed by the fact-checkers from the EUvsDISINFO project. They found that, despite accusations against EU representatives of the insincerity of their relations with Ukraine, it is possible to clearly trace the steps and efforts taken by both sides towards the integration of Ukraine into the EU. On February 28, 2022, Ukraine submitted its application for EU membership. In June of the same year, the European Commission presented its favorable findings on the EU membership applications submitted by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. According to the conclusion of the commission on Ukraine’s application for EU membership, our country noticed the European vector of movement and granted Ukraine candidate status by unanimous consent of the leaders of all 27 EU member states. This happened on June 23, 2022.

The path to EU accession is a relatively long technical process. In June 2023, the European Council called on Ukraine to continue reforms in the country and fight corruption. At the same time, the European Council assures that it will work closely with Ukraine and support its efforts to fully comply with all necessary conditions for accession.

The Kremlin is afraid of losing its leverage over Ukraine and is trying to neutralize its aspirations to become a member of the EU by repeating this disinformation narrative. Russia’s position is the same regarding Ukraine’s entry into NATO.

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.

In the Russian segment of Facebook, a statement is being circulated allegedly by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba that Ukraine should participate in the formation of the US state budget for 2024. “As a country that relies on part of this budget in the form of military or other assistance, we have the right to participate in its discussion. We may not be satisfied with the numbers, and we should be able to influence the final decision”, Kuleba said. It's fake.

As the VoxCheck project specialists note, Dmytro Kuleba has never made such statements. On social networks, on the official pages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in authoritative Ukrainian and foreign media there is no mention that the Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke about this. Russian propaganda took this news from the satirical telegram channel “Here is my Yandex wallet” and spread it on social networks as regular news.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and turn Western partners against Ukraine, which could lead to a decrease in aid. They say that Ukraine is trying to influence processes within another state. Previously, Detector Media refuted the fake that the European Union will not provide military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 5 billion euros in 2024.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on anonymous telegram channels claim that problems with Swedish Westinghouse brand fuel have begun at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant. They say that there is a risk that one of the power units will be completely shut down, and the station workers are panicking and don’t know what to do. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to this. They found out that the general director of the Rivne NPP, Pavlo Kovtoniuk, noted on October 4 that the station was operating in a steady state, and after messages from propagandists on the NPP page they reported a normal and stable radiation background. The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine also denied Russian statements about problems with Swedish fuel.

By spreading such fakes, according to project analysts, propagandists want to take revenge for the fact that Ukraine refused to use Russian fuel for its nuclear power plants. In particular, on September 10, non-Russian nuclear fuel was loaded into the VVER-440 reactor of the Rivne NPP for the first time, which led to a wave of disinformation messages about the plant. Detector Media has already refuted fakes about the shortcomings of Swedish assistance to Ukraine. By resorting to them, Russia wants to create distrust in its Western partners.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on anonymous telegram channels claim that with the expansion of the BRICS bloc to include six new members (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia), it will be able to control 80%.

The message was noticed by specialists from the VoxCheck project. They found out that according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) as of 2022, the BRICS bloc accounted for about 19% of global oil production (in the original composition with Brazil, India, China, South Africa and Russia). New data from the organization indicates that after expanding production of crude oil products, BRICS will increase to about 41% of global production. Data from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as of 2022 indicate that after the accession of new members, the BRICS share will be about 47% of global production of crude oil products. The Energy Institute (UK) estimates that the expanded group will account for 43.1% of global oil production.

By spreading such messages, propagandists want to show the “weakness” of Ukraine’s allies and cause concern among Ukrainians about whether they should continue to respond to Russian aggression. Detector Media has already written about how Russian propaganda artificially praises BRICS and presents the bloc as a geopolitical victory for Russia, using the example of materials about the bloc’s summit.

The network of propagandists began to distribute allegedly screenshots of an article allegedly published in the American publication The American Insider about the head of the National Bank Andrii Pyshnyi. The material seems to contain information that there are no grounds for the dismissal of the head of the NBU and no favorable reviews of his work. Enemy resources claim that Andrii Pyshnyi ordered an article from an online resource for money. It's fake.

Colleagues from the Center for Countering Disinformation analyzed the original source and found out that the site to which the propagandists refer was registered as recently as October 2023. That is, it is fake. Another confirmation of this is that the first publications on the same site are dated September 2023. It can be argued that at least one of the purposes of creating this resource is to spread misinformation for one's own purposes.

It should also be noted that in the United States there is a publication called America Insider, which has a similar name, but it uses the “org” domain, while on the fake site one  can see the “live” domain.

In this case, Russian propaganda uses discrediting tactics, that is, it undermines the authority of Andrii Pyshnyi in order to reduce the population of Ukraine towards him and the institution he heads. At the same time, propagandists hope to provoke panic among Ukrainians and reduce international support for Ukraine in order to weaken our state's ability to finance defense needs. This fake is a continuation of the information campaign against the National Bank of Ukraine, which Russia began back in March 2023.

This information was disseminated by pro-Kremlin media. In the messages, the authors wrote that the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance recognized “the West’s tiredness of driving Ukraine into debt”. Allegedly, this was stated by the Minister of Finance of Ukraine Serhii  Marchenko. The authors refer to material from the Reuters news agency following the meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Marrakech (Morocco). It's a lie.

The case was examined by analysts from the StopFake project. They found out that the quote about the “pit of debt” was completely made up. The head of the Ministry of Finance did not make such statements. At the same time, the Reuters story states that Serhii Marchenko told the meeting how it is becoming increasingly difficult for Ukraine to receive financial support as the attention of donor countries is now focused on their upcoming elections. And he added that as the war with Russia continues, Ukraine needs to enlist financial support from Western countries to cover the budget deficit of about $42 billion by 2024.

On October 17, 2023, in an interview with Ukrinform, the head of the Ministry of Finance noted that Ukraine really depends on international support because of Russian aggression, which is precisely what hinders the country’s economic development.

According to experts from the International Monetary Fund, despite the Russian-Ukrainian war, the financial system of Ukraine has survived. The IMF also acknowledged that the sharp economic downturn in 2022 has now given way to a gradual economic recovery. For example, Ukrainian GDP growth in 2023 increased to 1-3%, and the Central Bank's reserves strengthened.

This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular on anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the German concern (an association of several enterprises, in this case in the field of defense) Rheinmetall is canceling the construction of a tank factory in Ukraine through Russia. We are talking about constant shelling of infrastructure, so German representatives are supposedly afraid of the power of the occupying army. The authors refer to news from the Reuters news agency. This is manipulation.

The VoxCheck fact-checkers analyzed the case and came to the conclusion that the news indicated: Germany did approve the creation of a joint venture between the main German Rheinmetall and the Ukrainian Ukroboronprom. Further, the journalists wrote that Rheinmetall will be involved in technical maintenance of the equipment. But on the official website of the German defense concern it is indicated that its specialists will be engaged in the maintenance and repair of combat vehicles, and in the future they will produce equipment together with Ukraine.

Actually, the fact-checkers write that this format of work was assumed from the very beginning of the conclusion of the strategic partnership agreement in May 2023. According to the agreement, the enterprise was supposed to begin its work in July, but the project implementation deadlines were delayed. In mid-August, the general director of Rheinmetall explained that tanks within the united concern would begin to be repaired “before the end of the month”.

That is, we are not talking about any canceled construction projects or agreements. According to Reuters, the German defense company, on the contrary, approved the decision to create a joint organization. During the implementation of the construction plan, there were no reports of cancellation of such a plan. Propagandists distorted the context of the material and wrote that even the NATO representative country allegedly fears Russia and curtails any companies on the territory of Ukraine.

This is how the authors try to dispel the thesis about their “irresistible technology”, which is ready to destroy everyone, and as confirmation of this they give the example of the “cancellation” of construction.

In our Newspeak section we described the Russian phenomenon of “irresistible technology”. In short, this is how the Russians try to convince the domestic audience of constant victories.