A “news story” has been spreading on social media, purporting to show British MP Andrew Bridgen claiming that NATO is planning to carry out a false flag attack on a European city using a nuclear “dirty bomb” and blame it on Russia.

But fact-checkers at VoxCheck reported that Andrew Bridgen provides no evidence for his thesis. Moreover, he has repeatedly spread conspiracy theories.

A reverse search was used to find an interview, an excerpt from which was distributed by propagandists. It was published on June 20, 2024, on the YouTube channel Resistance GB. The Guardian journalists found out that this channel spreads conspiracy theories, in particular, anti-vaccination narratives.

Mr. Bridgen did not provide any evidence, names of experts, details, etc., by which this information could be verified. The statement about a “NATO plan to detonate a bomb” has already been invented in Russian channels. In his messages in X, Bridgen also promotes pro-Russian narratives, in particular calling the transfer of military aid to Ukraine an “escalation”.

Russia is speculating on the use of a “dirty bomb” to sow distrust in Ukraine and force the world to spend resources on refuting the accusations of propagandists. An IAEA commission came to Ukraine to check whether a “dirty bomb” was really being developed at the sites that Russia claimed to be developing – the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Zhovti Vody and the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The result of the inspection was that the Agency did not find any signs of such a weapon at Ukrainian nuclear sites.

The fake news about Ukraine creating a “dirty bomb” is a mirror response from Russia, the purpose of which is to try to convince the world that it is Ukraine that is acting as a terrorist group. This, by the way, is one of the most common messages of Russian propaganda, constantly trying to accuse Ukraine of terrorism, saying that it itself is shelling Ukrainian civilians and launching missile strikes on its own critical infrastructure.

Read more on “Dirty Bomb”: What is it and why did Russia come up with this fake?

Russian resources claim that French General Bertrand Toujouse believes that NATO would be unable to respond to a potential Russian attack. When spreading this information, propagandists refer to the material from Politico.

However, Toujouse’s words were manipulated, they write in the StopFake project. In fact, in the Politico text, the French general simply drew attention to what areas of defense Europe should improve to effectively defend against Russian aggression. In particular, we are talking about the mobility of military weapons. As Toujouse writes, the rapid transport of weapons is hampered by excessive bureaucratic procedures, inconvenient infrastructure (including tunnels and bridges) and a shortage of railway cars.

To strengthen this area of defense, EU member states introduced a new military mobility pledge in May 2024, which will help ensure the rapid and smooth movement of military personnel and materiel within and outside the EU. Commitments include investments in dual-use infrastructure and a simplified procedure for obtaining permits for the transport of military equipment across borders.

Bertrand Toujouse does not believe that Europe is powerless against a potential Russian attack. European countries are identifying weak areas in their defense systems and implementing changes accordingly.

Pro-Russian resources are disseminating information that an allegedly significant amount of NATO weapons exported from Ukraine ended up on the Italian black market and fell into the hands of mafia groups. The Consulate General of Ukraine in Naples acts as an intermediary, facilitating black market transactions. According to propagandists, the department is involved in the trafficking of children and human organs. In relevant publications, illustrations are added to the text.

However, this is fake. Using the reverse search function on Google, we were able to find out that the primary source of the widespread photos is The Intel Drop website. On July 21, 2024, it published an extensive article entitled: “The Zelenskyi regime resells Western weapons and human organs to mafia structures in Italy”. However, in fact, this site was artificially created by propagandists with the aim of spreading Russian disinformation in English. So the content of this article has nothing to do with reality.

The Intel Drop has published anti-Ukrainian materials more than once. Thus, the pseudo-publication spread fakes about Zelenskyi’s purchase of a mansion from the King of Great Britain for 20 million pounds, about the Russian attack on the Ukrainian command post with NATO military, as well as about the involvement of Olena Zelenska’s foundation in various child trafficking schemes.

Last week, propagandists spread information on anonymous telegram channels that F-16 fighter jets spotted in the skies over the Odesa region were flying from Romanian airfields. However, this is fake.

It was denied by the Romanian Ministry of Defense. The corresponding statement of the Ministry was published by the European Pravda publication with reference to News.ro. In fact, the F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force operate exclusively within national airspace and strictly adhere to international regulations.

The Romanian ministry said that “the alleged sources of Russian propaganda are conveying false information”. The spread of this disinformation coincided with the NATO summit in Washington, where important decisions were made to support Ukraine's defense efforts.

Propagandists spread this misinformation as they try to create an image of aggressive activity on the part of the West and its allies, in particular NATO, of which Romania is a member. It is part of a broader propaganda campaign aimed at bolstering support for Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Russian propagandists, citing statements by Kremlin Speaker Pieskov about the results of the NATO summit in Washington on July 9-11, 2024, are trying to shift responsibility for the war in Ukraine to the North Atlantic Alliance.

The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council writes that we are talking about the following disinformation messages:

– “NATO is de facto fully involved in the conflict in Ukraine”;

– “The results of the NATO summit confirmed the confrontational nature of the alliance and its reluctance to achieve peace”;

– “The movement of NATO military infrastructure towards Russia’s borders continues”;

- “NATO’s plans to accept Ukraine are connected with the desire to defeat Russia”.

By accusing NATO of aggressive intentions towards Russia, the Kremlin is trying to mislead the world community and convince it that it is waging a war against Ukraine in order to “defend itself”. Moscow also seeks to discredit Ukraine’s desire for Euro-Atlantic integration, building its propaganda image as a hostile state and an apostate of the West.

Based on the results of the summit, it can be argued that Russia is promoting the thesis that NATO has raised the stakes and escalated the situation, thereby leaving Russia no choice. Read more about the change in Russian rhetoric towards Ukraine after the Washington NATO summit in the corresponding article by the Detector Media Research Center.

On the eve of the NATO summit in Washington, pro-Kremlin media disseminated an alleged statement by Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said that “no one gave guarantees for Ukraine’s entry into NATO”. The Secretary General also allegedly called China the main organizer of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Propagandists claimed that Stoltenberg’s statements were allegedly made in an interview he recently gave to the American television channel CBS.

However, in fact, Stoltenberg’s words were manipulated, distorting the context of what was said,  the StopFake project wrote.

As for the accusations of the alleged lack of promises to admit Ukraine to NATO, it is important to understand the context. Stoltenberg actually answered the journalist’s question: “Why such a long period for Ukraine’s accession, you talked about a 10-year period, why exactly 10 years, and not one, two or three years, because they were faced with war?” To which the Secretary General said: “Well, no one talked about 10 years, but it is obvious that this is a very serious issue for Ukraine. Because Ukraine is in a state of war. Ukraine was attacked by Russia. Therefore, the most important thing we must do is strengthen our support for Ukraine to ensure its victory. This is a precondition for any future membership of Ukraine”. That is, Stoltenberg did not say anything about the absence of guarantees for Ukraine to join NATO; the statement was invented by propagandists. He spoke about the absence of a clear time frame for Ukraine’s entry into the alliance, and that now the support of Ukraine in the war with Russia is more important.

As for China, Stoltenberg called the country “the main enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine”, rather than its organizer: “The war in Ukraine demonstrates how closely connected Russia and China, North Korea and Iran are. China is the main leader of Russian military aggression against Ukraine. President Xi and President Putin all want NATO and the United States to fail in Ukraine”.

Russia is trying to counteract Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration by spreading disinformation about Ukraine's accession to NATO. As for China, by manipulating information, Russian propaganda seeks to antagonize NATO and Beijing for its own benefit.

Users broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks are distributing a video of a high-ranking NATO officer allegedly walking around in a skirt and heels. However, this is fake.

Myth Detector specialists paid attention to it. They found that this message with homophobic and mocking comments was distributed in the Russian and Georgian segments of social networks.

In fact, the video shows model Mark Bryan, who has no professional relationship with the alliance structures. He is an American robotics engineer who currently resides in Germany. Brian has become an Instagram fashion sensation for breaking gender stereotypes in clothing. Mark, in his personal profile on this social network, writes that he is heterosexual and identifies himself as a husband, has a wife and three children, and also notes that he likes to wear skirts and heels, because after 20 years of working in an office, he was tired of the “monotonous clothing style”.

The original source of the fake, according to Myth Detector, is a user from Georgia who systematically publishes anti-Western and anti-Ukrainian conspiracy theories. The author often duplicates reports from Russian propaganda media and war correspondents about Ukraine's failures on the front line.

This fake is aimed at discrediting the NATO military and its leadership. Homophobic speculation on the topic of sexual orientation and “traditionality” is typical of Russian propaganda.

Pro-Kremlin resources, citing ex-US Army officer Douglas McGregor, are disseminating information that Western military assistance to Ukraine in no way affects the situation in the war, but only allegedly kills the civilian population.

In fact, Western weapons demonstrate high effectiveness in the hands of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in repelling Russian armed aggression. In particular, after resuming the supply of weapons and obtaining permission to use them on the territory of the Russian Federation in the Kharkiv region, it was possible to stop the offensive potential of the invaders. They write about this in the Center for Strategic Communications and Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. In addition, air defense systems provided by partners successfully repel terrorist missile and drone attacks of the Russian Federation.

Douglas McGregor himself, to whom propagandists refer, in 2014 justified the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of Donbas. And after the start of a full-scale invasion, he predicted the rapid defeat of Ukraine, which eloquently testifies not only to his views, but also to the quality of his “expertise”.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are disseminating information that on the night of May 28-29, 2024, the Russian army launched a Kinzhal missile at the Yavoriv test site in the Lviv region. As a result, many servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as foreign instructors, allegedly died.

However, this is a fake, they write at the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. At the time indicated by the propagandists, Russian missiles did not fly into the territory of the Lviv region. In addition, on the night from May 28 to May 29, an air raid alert was not announced in the Lviv region (with the exception of the period from 20:17 to 20:31 on May 28, but no launches were recorded). Also, the Lviv Air Force, which reports a hit during air raids, did not record any strikes on any infrastructure within the region. No hits were recorded in the International Peacekeeping Center or the military departments of partner countries.

As of May 30, 2024, the last time missiles flew into the airspace of the Lviv region was on the night of May 26, but they subsequently disappeared from radar. Subsequently, on the night from May 31 to June 1, six missiles hit three critical infrastructure facilities in the Lviv region. However, from May 27 to May 31, no missiles were recorded in the airspace of the Lviv region. Previously, we refuted information that 180 foreigners were allegedly killed near Lviv by Russian missiles.

Russian propagandists claim that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz allegedly said that Ukraine may not become a NATO member in the next 30 years. “You know the solution, this will not happen in the near future. Perhaps not even in the next 30 years”, Scholz said during a meeting with Berlin residents. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that in fact Scholz noted at this meeting in Berlin that before the full-scale invasion, discussing Ukraine's entry into NATO, he assured Putin: “This is not being considered for the next 30 years”. Scholz also accused Putin of attacking Ukraine for “absolutely absurd” reasons, since “NATO has never posed a threat to Russia”.

After the old quote was again picked up by Russian propaganda, the German government commented on the information being disseminated. According to government spokesman Steffen Gebestreit, the situation “has completely changed, and therefore, no, 30 years are no longer relevant”.

During the decade of war in Ukraine, Russian propaganda regularly spread manipulations and fake news that Ukraine would not be accepted into NATO or the EU. Thus, they want to cause skepticism and panic among Ukrainians regarding the actions of their Western partners.

Propagandists are spreading information on social networks that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg allegedly called the Ukrainian Armed Forces military “cannon fodder”. However, this is not true.

VoxCheck project specialists found that Stoltenberg did not say this. They found the speech that the Russians are quoting. The Secretary General voiced these theses at a press conference with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on April 23, 2024. His words were taken out of context.

In his speech, Stoltenberg did not call the Ukrainian Armed Forces military “cannon fodder”. At the same time, he said that NATO countries must pay a certain price, that is, provide assistance to Ukraine in order to live in a safer world. Stoltenberg noted the need to support Ukraine. In his opinion, this is an investment in the security of other countries that are threatened by Russia.

NATO officials say the organization was created for defense, not to participate in wars. Although NATO does not intervene in the war with Russia, NATO member countries condemn the aggression and provide assistance to Ukraine.

Propagandists spread such fakes to discredit Ukraine’s Western partners and devalue the Ukrainian authorities. They say that NATO does not send its soldiers to war, but “uses” Ukrainians for its own whims. They say, therefore, Ukraine should follow the road with Russia.

Russian media are disseminating information that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed the introduction of NATO into Ukraine. The official allegedly announced this during a conversation with the press in the Sejm (Polish parliament).

StopFake analysts write that during a conversation with the press, Mr. Tusk was asked whether NATO could help Ukraine resist Russian aggression by sending troops into the country? In response, the Prime Minister explained that the Alliance already provides Ukraine with comprehensive military assistance, but does not want to intervene directly in the war and therefore does not send its troops to Ukraine.

At the same time, the Polish prime minister also noted that there is a small technical contingent in Ukraine - these are observers and engineering specialists who remain far from the front line and do not participate in battles. Most often, such specialists oversee the distribution of military aid to allies, guard the embassies of member states, or represent the apparatus of military attaches.

Propagandists quote Russian Defense Minister Serhii Shoihu, who at a meeting of the Russian Defense Collegium said that the Ukrainian military is fighting in the interests of the war between the United States and Russia. They say that during the full-scale invasion, almost half a million military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces died. He also noted that during the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military allegedly failed to achieve the goals that “NATO instructors” set for them, and thus were able to dispel the myth about the superiority of Western weapons. However, this is not true.

Now we do not have an accurately known number of dead, wounded and missing Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers for the entire time of the full-scale invasion. But on February 25 of this year, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, during a large press conference following the results of the forum “Ukraine. Year 2024” answered this question. According to him, “31 thousand Ukrainian soldiers died in this war”, not counting the fighters of volunteer battalions and the missing. But we see that this figure is significantly less than what the Russian Ministry of Defense states.

Russian propaganda has been promoting the narrative of Ukraine's war in the interests of the United States for long enough to neutralize the fact that Ukraine is defending its own territory, interests and cultural heritage. Claiming failures in the counteroffensive and dispelling the “myth” of the superiority of Western weapons does not reflect the full picture. Ukrainian forces carried out successful defensive actions, repelling attacks and inflicting significant losses on the enemy. For example, in the summer of 2022, an agreement was reached with Russia on a “safe corridor” in the Black Sea through the UN and Turkey. However, this agreement lasted only a year, after which Russia threatened to attack Ukrainian ports. Ukraine responded with naval drone and missile attacks on September 13, 2023, forcing Russia to reduce its ambitions in the Black Sea region.

Also, the “largest tank battle”, according to The New York Times, which the Ukrainian side won, took place on March 2, 2023 and proves the opposite of Shoihu’s claims. The Russian army launched powerful offensive operations after defeats in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Despite successful actions at Bakhmut and Soledar, they were defeated at Vuhledar due to the effective resistance of Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters hit several tank columns heading towards Vuhledar and subsequently inflicted significant losses on Russian troops.

Shoihu’s statements regarding the counteroffensive and losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces look like an attempt to distort circumstances and convince the public of his superiority on the battlefield, despite such a powerful “enemy” as NATO.

Propaganda anonymous telegram channels are spreading information that NATO is allegedly actively expanding to the borders of Russia, establishing military bases around it. However, this information is not true.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that  propagandists say that NATO broke its promises, in particular, regarding the non-concession of the eastern countries, and supposedly this is what led to tension in relations with Russia. However, historical facts indicate that such promises do not exist in writing, and countries' accession to NATO was carried out on a voluntary basis in accordance with the interests and freedom of peoples.

In addition, NATO has no plans to locate its military bases in close proximity to Russia's borders. The Alliance acts in accordance with the principle of self-defense and ensuring the security of its members, but this does not mean provocative actions against Russia.

Propagandists spread such messages to create an image of victimhood in Russia and justify Russian aggression. Detector Media has already written about how propagandists previously reacted to NATO expansion.

Anonymous Telegram channels spread information that the Ukrainian military beat a NATO instructor for refusing to speak Ukrainian. The incident happened in Denmark during pilot training. This is a lie.

The VoxCheck analysts took up this case and found out that it was a fictional news story published on a satirical channel.

Neither Ukrainian nor foreign media wrote about such an event. The primary source of the fabricated news is the satirical telegram channel “Empire of the Very Evil”. The description of the channel states: “Caution, possible fake and harsh satire. All written is fiction, all coincidences are accidental”.

Information that French troops are being sent to Romania to confront the Russian army in Ukraine is actively spreading online. It is noted that they will be in Odesa. However, this information is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to this. They found out that such information first appeared on the FranceNews24 news portal on the X network, but was then deleted because it turned out to be false. It should be noted that this resource is not a reliable source of information as it does not have contact information or details of the owners or editorial team. He is also noted for publishing only pro-Russian materials.

Rumors about the deployment of French troops in Odesa circulated amid statements by President Macron about possible military assistance to Ukraine. However, even if this happens, military intervention requires permission from the relevant authorities, and in this case, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. It should also be noted that France has already stationed its troops in Romania as part of strengthening NATO's eastern flank.

Propagandists spread such fake news to intimidate the local population and discredit Western partners. Detector Media has already written about how Russian propaganda reacted to Macron’s recent statements.

Russian media said that Jens Stoltenberg allegedly admitted NATO's involvement in attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet. However, this is not true.

StopFake analysts investigated this case and found that the fake was based on the speech of the NATO Secretary General on March 14, 2024. Then Jens Stoltenberg presented his 2023 report, which covers all aspects of the Alliance's work over the past year.

Reflecting on NATO's support for Ukraine, Stoltenberg noted that in 2023, a number of member countries sent long-range systems to Ukraine for the first time - the British Storm Shadow missiles and the French SCALP. The allies also agreed to supply F-16 aircraft to Ukraine. Stoltenberg emphasized: “Ukraine needs even more support, and it needs it now. Ukrainians are not running out of courage. They're running out of ammunition”.

Stoltenberg emphasized that all this testifies to the high level of professionalism of the Ukrainian defense forces. And he noted that Ukraine’s successes in the Black Sea became possible, in particular, thanks to the support of NATO member countries, which provided the Ukrainian Armed Forces with modern weapons as important tools for countering Russian aggression in the Black Sea.

The Russians used these words to mean that NATO allegedly “confirmed involvement” in the Ukrainian attacks although it was exclusively about the supply of weapons.

Russian resources are disseminating information that the President of Ukraine promised the West that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will use long-range weapons provided by partner countries only against targets in territories that Ukraine considers its own. However, according to a recent presidential decree, the list of “ours” now allegedly also includes one area (krai) and five regions of Russia, propagandists say.

In fact, this information is distorted, as reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Zelenskyi’s decree on the territories of Russia historically inhabited by Ukrainians concerns exclusively the protection of the national rights of Russian citizens of Ukrainian ethnic origin, but propagandists pass it off as a demonstration of “territorial claims”.

The weapons transferred by partners are used exclusively to defeat Russian targets in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. The Defense Forces are destroying objects on Russian territory by Ukrainian-made weapons.

By manipulating information, in this case, Russian propaganda seeks to mobilize Russians for war against Ukraine and the “collective West”, resorting to demonization. Propagandists also want to intimidate Ukraine’s Western partners with “escalation” from Russia in order to disrupt further assistance. Previously, we denied information that NATO countries would try to capture “six Russian regions”.

Pro-Russian resources are disseminating information that NATO has decided to move on to terrorist attacks and sabotage in the Russian rear using long-range Taurus cruise missiles. In asserting this, the propaganda media refers to the Russian “expert” Ivannikov.

In fact, this information is distorted. This is written about in the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Germany is not transferring Taurus missiles to Ukraine due to fears that it will use them to attack Russia.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained that in order to prevent missiles from hitting the wrong targets, it was necessary to involve German specialists in programming the missiles. “A Taurus with a range of 500 kilometers, if used incorrectly, can reach a specific target somewhere in Moscow. I initially clearly said: there will be no German or NATO soldiers in Ukraine... And my position remains unchanged”, Scholz said.

With such rhetoric, Russia seeks to create an image of a victim, saying that “the provoking West is to blame for everything”, so it is forced to “defend itself”. Previously, we analyzed information that Germany allegedly transferred 1,000 laptops to Ukraine instead of long-range Taurus missiles.

Russian political scientist Serhii Karhanov, who previously proposed a “pre-emptive retaliation strike” against one of the NATO countries, published an article in which he demands a change in Russian nuclear doctrine. According to Karhanov, if the downing of Russian planes and subsequent bombing of Russian cities continue, then, according to the new doctrine, powerful nuclear attacks should be carried out on EU countries. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

Karhanov also proposes to abandon the nonproliferation doctrine and “help” “friendly countries” obtain nuclear weapons, in particular, the Arab world and Latin America. This should supposedly help Russia achieve victory in the war, which he considers the complete occupation of the eastern, southern and central regions of Ukraine.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to use the US election period to force the EU to reduce military aid to Ukraine and agree to peace negotiations on Putin’s terms.

Karhanov himself is considered an influential scientist and is a member of the scientific council of the Russian Security Council, but does not directly participate in decision-making. Moscow uses statements by Karhanov, as well as ex-President Dmytro Medvediev, solely to frighten the world with a “nuclear cataclysm”.

Read also: The EU flouts its principles because it supports providing Ukraine with depleted uranium weapons, but wants to impose sanctions on Belarus for nuclear weapons

Russian news resources and social media users spreading pro-Russian rhetoric are spreading an alleged quote from Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. They say that in Ukraine they were considering the idea of renaming the city of Avdiivka to Prague in order to activate Article 5 of the NATO Charter and provoke a war with Russia on the part of the alliance member states. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has never expressed such absurd proposals, and such a quote is not on his official pages on social networks or other communication channels of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. This fictitious quote was distributed only in Russian telegram channels and in user posts on social networks.

Regarding Ukraine's entry into NATO and the activation of Article 5, the Minister wrote in an article for Foreign Affairs why Ukraine should join NATO, noting that this would ensure its protection under this article.

Propagandists spread such fakes to misinform and discredit Ukraine before the world. They say that Ukrainian diplomats are going to the extent of desperate and absurd attempts for Ukraine to join NATO.

Russian media continue to publish “analytical” materials on NATO exercise Steadfast Defender 2024. By spreading false narratives about “Alliance aggression against Russia”, pro-Kremlin media claims that the “real goal” of allied maneuvers is to “start” World War III and “capture” Ukraine. “In connection with the assessment of Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as the Arctic, as a potential site for the outbreak of conflict regarding the Union State, the United States and NATO countries are intensifying their military activities in this region”, Russian propagandists write.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to the message. They remind that Steadfast Defender is a regular deterrence exercise in which troops from across the Alliance train in defending European NATO allies rather than attacking third countries. The exercises do not pose a threat to Russia, and certainly are not aimed at reproducing maneuvers to “occupy” the Arctic, Ukraine or any other territory or state. The planning of the maneuvers took place long before they began, and information about their conduct was transmitted to other states. No NATO country has ever attacked another state under the guise of military exercises - this is unique to Russia, which launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in exactly this way.

The alliance, in light of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the possibility of its spreading to other European countries, has begun developing new defense plans in those areas that NATO believes Russia could use to launch an invasion. Therefore, the legend of the exercises involves the deployment of forces from North America and other parts of the Alliance to Eastern Europe in order to create the ability to counter a hypothetical large-scale threat to the allies.

The exercise involves approximately 90,000 troops from all NATO countries and involves more than 1,200 pieces of equipment, including ground combat equipment, naval weapons and aircraft. The maneuvers are multi-faceted, with allied forces demonstrating their individual and joint defenses on land, air, sea, cyber and space. Capabilities in various sectors show NATO's commitment to collective defense, regardless of the method of hypothetical attack.

This is truly the biggest military exercise in Europe since the Cold War, just as Russia's war in Ukraine is the biggest aggression on the continent since 1939. It was the Russian attack that became the impetus for the Alliance to mobilize all efforts to revise the defense plans of NATO countries. In February 2022, NATO member countries revised their Strategic Concept. The North Atlantic Alliance recognized Russia as “the most significant and direct threat” to security in Europe. However, separately for those who declare “NATO aggression”, the allied countries wrote out paragraph 9, which notes that “NATO does not seek confrontation and does not pose a threat to the Russian Federation”.

At the Vilnius NATO Summit in the summer of 2023, Alliance countries continued to develop new defense concepts to counter possible Russian aggression. These plans were not hidden from the public and were widely covered by the press. The summit noted that Russia's attack on Ukraine has forced NATO to strengthen its deterrence and defense efforts, as well as develop new regional plans and new force models using large numbers of allied troops. Now, during the Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise, allies are practicing precisely to improve their defense capabilities.

Anonymous telegram channels write that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal proposed to exclude Slovakia and Hungary from NATO — according to anonymous telegrams, the prime minister said that those countries “are not keeping up with the times”. This is a lie.

The VoxCheck analysts managed to analyze the case and establish that the “news” was originally published in a satirical Telegram channel. Subsequently, the information was circulated in the Russian segment of social networks as if it were true and reliable. At the same time, it is impossible to find information about the official's so-called “statement” in Shmyhal's social networks or by reverse Google search.

Pro-Russian resources are spreading information that London has developed a plan to secretly send NATO forces to Ukraine. Propagandists report that Great Britain has initiated a plan to introduce NATO troops to the right bank of the Dnipro and to the border with Belarus in order to “free up” the forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and send them to the “real war” zone.

In fact, this information is not true, writes the Center for Countering Disinformation. This is another disinformation spread by the Russians, based on manipulations around the British statement about the NATO training Steadfast Defender 2024. The training itself began near the borders of Russia at the end of January 2024.

Thus, propagandists seek to demonize NATO, in particular Great Britain, and assert that in the event of any “aggressive actions” by the North Atlantic Alliance, Russia will certainly “defend itself”. This fake feeds the Russian propaganda narrative that supposedly Russia is really fighting not against Ukraine, but against the “collective West”, which is interested in exhausting Russia. Ukraine seems to be nothing more than a tool in the hands of the West. Previously, we denied information that NATO countries would try to capture “six Russian regions”.

Pro-Russian media are disseminating information that the security guarantee agreement that Great Britain signed with Ukraine states that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are actually part of NATO, and the goal of the “proxy war” with Moscow through Kyiv is to capture “six subjects of Russia”. Thus, in Russian news they named LPR, DPR, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reports that in fact, propagandists presented this news in a distorted form, that is, they manipulated the essence of the agreement. It stipulates that the UK will provide Ukraine with all possible assistance in protecting and restoring territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, as well as helping to counter any military escalation or new aggression from Russia. The fact that the Armed Forces of Ukraine is developing and moving to NATO concepts and operational procedures does not make them military of the Alliance. The return of the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Kremlin to the control of Kyiv is not the “seizure of Russian subjects”, but the de-occupation of internationally recognized Ukrainian lands.

Let us recall that the UK became the first country to conclude a final bilateral security agreement with Ukraine as part of the agreements agreed upon during the Vilnius NATO summit. Security responsibilities are an intermediate step before Ukraine joins NATO. It should be noted that Ukraine and the UK will also cooperate in the field of information security and the fight against manipulation and propaganda within the framework of the agreement signed on January 12, 2024.