Below is an extended refutation of the theses voiced by the Russian President. Volodymyr Putin took part in the so-called Dokuchaiev Conference in Rostov-on-Don and declared the importance of solving environmental problems “in Donbas and Novorosiia”. In his statement, he and other representatives of the Russian authorities accused Ukraine of the environmental decline of the region, trying to blame it for the situation. However, the statements of Putin and representatives of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources do not correspond to reality and serve as a tool for manipulation aimed at justifying Russian aggression.

One of the main theses of Russian propagandists is the accusation that Ukraine is worsening the environmental situation in the region, even to the point of so-called “ecocide”. However, in reality, the main destruction of the environment in the temporarily occupied territories began in 2014 after the Russian occupation of part of the territory. The region has been under Russian occupation for more than 8 years. The main environmental damage occurs due to uncontrolled activities and violation of the rules of warfare by Russia.

The destruction of industrial facilities, mines, water supply and drainage infrastructure caused by shelling and illegal exploitation of resources has significantly worsened the state of the environment. Flooding of mines and damage to water supply systems lead to the ingress of toxic substances into the soil and water. For example, the lack of control over mines forced to stop operations due to military actions contributed to the contamination of water bodies with toxic substances, including heavy metals, which creates a significant danger to public health and the environment.

Today, Russia is trying to use the “ecocide” thesis as a justification for its actions, viewing it as a pretext for intervention and subsequent occupation. These statements are aimed at an international audience to create an image of Russia as the “savior” of the region’s ecosystems, while in fact it is the main factor in the ecological decline. It is Russia’s military aggression, in particular the deployment of heavy weapons in the temporarily occupied territories and the conduct of intensive military operations, that has led to serious destruction of the ecosystem, including the pollution of soil and water.

Events such as the Dokuchaiev Conference are aimed at creating the illusion of Russia's active participation in the restoration and protection of the environment in the region. However, the real facts indicate the opposite. The purpose of these statements is to demonstrate Russia's peacekeeping position and its readiness to help the newly annexed territories at the international level. In fact, despite all the statements about the “environmental humanitarian mission”, Russia does not implement real measures to improve the environmental condition of these territories, in particular, it does not ensure effective waste management, does not restore forests and water resources, but focuses on the exploitation of natural resources.

The accusation that Ukraine has not carried out environmental activities for decades is manipulative and unfounded. Before the war in 2014, Ukraine carried out environmental projects in Donbas aimed at cleaning water, restoring forests and developing environmental infrastructure. Now, unfortunately, Ukraine cannot carry out environmental activities in the temporarily occupied territories due to security threats from Russian occupation forces.

By spreading such messages, Russia is trying to shift the world community’s attention away from the fact that it is the source of environmental problems in the region due to its military actions and exploitation of resources in the occupied territories. Propaganda statements are aimed at creating an image of Russia as a defender of the environment, supporting its actions in the eyes of the world community and justifying the occupation of new territories. The presentation of Ukraine as a state that has neglected environmental issues in the temporarily occupied territories is aimed at discrediting Ukraine in order to reduce the level of support from other states and international organizations. Russia is trying to use environmental problems as a pretext for establishing control over the occupied territories, justifying its military and political influence by the alleged need to restore the ecosystem.

Russian Telegram channels are spreading information that Ukrainians are allegedly risking their lives en masse and registering in the frontline Pokrovsk in Donetsk region. They are doing this in order to become Russian citizens after the city is occupied. In reporting this, the propagandists refer to the corresponding words of former Ukrainian MP Ihor Mosiichuk.

However, such statements are unfounded. This is written about in the VoxCheck project. Using keywords, the project's analysts found the original interview of former MP Mosiichuk, part of which was taken by the Russians. In the video, he really says that Ukrainians are allegedly registering in Pokrovsk because they want to become citizens of Russia. He calls them “waiters” waiting for Russia to come, so that they can then receive a Russian passport and payments. At the same time, Mosiichuk calls “friends who live in Kyiv but have connections in the occupied territories” the source of this information. That is, the former MP does not have any real statistical information, but only operates on guesses. In general, there is no official data regarding Ukrainians who are registering in Pokrovsk.

It is worth noting that in Ukraine there have been cases when the SBU exposed people who were expecting occupation by Russia and spreading Kremlin propaganda, but this is not a widespread phenomenon.

Before the full-scale invasion, Pokrovsk had a population of over 82,000. After Russia stepped up its offensive in Donetsk region and the threat of occupation of the city, people began to leave, and on August 19, 2024, local authorities announced the forced evacuation of families with children. As of September 6, 2024, there were fewer than 25,000 residents in Pokrovsk. On October 4, 2024, the city council reported that about 13,000 people remained in the city.

Ihor Mosiichuk is an unreliable source, he has repeatedly spread Russian propaganda. For example, he misinformed that the irretrievable losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly exceeded 500 thousand people.

The Russians are spreading information that the volume of steel production in the occupied territories allegedly increased by 25% in 2023 - it is about 2.33 million tons. In reporting this, the propagandists refer to the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov.

However, in reality, the figures cited by the Russian official are meager compared to the volume of work of the metallurgical industry in the region before the full-scale invasion and occupation. The Azovstal plant alone, which the Russians destroyed with massive shelling, produced twice as much steel in 2021 as the entire current metallurgical industry in the occupied territories. This is written by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

By talking about “successes”, the Russian minister is pushing a propaganda narrative that Russia is allegedly bringing stability, investment, and economic development to the occupied regions, something that did not exist under Ukrainian control. In this way, he is trying to justify the occupation of Ukrainian territories and create the illusion of greater prospects for the region.

Earlier we wrote that in the occupied territories the Kremlin has stepped up measures of so-called disruptions.

The Center for Countering Disinformation reports that a large number of propaganda events are taking place in the occupied territories of Ukraine, where Russia draws parallels between the present and the events of World War II. In particular, the DPR court recognized the crimes of the Nazis in the region during World War II as genocide. Russia is presented as the heir to the “great victory” over Nazism, and its aggression against Ukraine is portrayed as a continuation of this struggle.

Also, in the occupied territories, thematic events to attract the public are constantly organized, propaganda films are released and broadcast. The Center for Countering Disinformation writes that in this way, Kremlin propaganda seeks to change the historical memory and consciousness of the residents of the occupied territories, drawing them into a single Russian socio-cultural space.

The Kremlin uses manipulations on the topic of World War II to consolidate support among the population and create the image of an “external enemy”. By speculating on the topic of the “heroic past”, the occupation authorities seek to distract the attention of the local population from economic and social difficulties, as well as from the repressions that “unreliable” residents of the occupied territories systematically experience.

Kremlin propaganda has launched a large-scale information campaign for the anniversary of the pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories. This was reported by the Center for Counteracting Disinformation.

Pro-Russian resources on the Internet cite statements by Putin and Kremlin-controlled Gauleiters regarding the so-called “reunification holiday”. Propaganda mass actions are also being held to create a “festive atmosphere”.

The Kremlin promotes the “happy occupation” narrative, constantly emphasizing how the occupied territories are supposedly “flourishing” under the Russian flag. In this way, Russia justifies the war against Ukraine.

The CPD adds that in reality all the Kremlin's statements about “improving life” in the occupied territories are outright and cynical lies, the purpose of which is to distract the population from the war crimes of the Russian army in Ukraine. The occupied territories are in a humanitarian crisis due to Russian aggression, destruction of infrastructure and violation of human rights. Life in the occupied territories is accompanied by repression and violence against the local civilian population.

Russian invaders continue to carry out large-scale deportation of Ukrainian children to Russian territory under the pretext of so-called recreation in children's camps. As reported by the Center for National Resistance, this is also about propaganda “re-education” of the younger generation.

Thus, 430 children from occupied Donetsk are being sent by local collaborators to Taganrog (Russia) for preventive rest. There, Ukrainian students will undergo a two-week course of “re-education”. That is, we are talking primarily about the militarization and Russification of children.

The CNS adds that there are known cases where parents, having sent their children to such camps, are subsequently unable to return them due to bureaucratic or physical obstacles, which threatens family reunification.

Information about occupiers and collaborators can be sent to the anonymous telegram bot CNS. Also there, after reading the instructions, one can learn how to bring the time of deoccupation of Ukrainian lands closer.

Information is being spread online that Ukrainian children with disabilities are allegedly being illegally taken to EU countries, where they are illegally adopted, in particular by same-sex families and drug addicts, or sold for organs. In their publications, propagandists cite the head of the Anti-Repression Foundation, Mira Terada.

However, it turned out that Mira Terada is a Russian citizen spreading Russian propaganda, and not an independent international human rights activist. There is no evidence that Ukraine is trafficking children from the war zone.

The Anti-Repression Foundation itself is an organization created by Yevhenii Pryhozhyn, the founder of the Wagner terrorist organization within the Russian army,  which is recognized by the Ukrainian parliament as an international criminal organization.

By spreading disinformation that speculates on the life of children in war conditions, in particular the so-called children of Donbas, Russian propaganda seeks to discredit Ukraine and the Ukrainian government in the eyes of both its own and Western society.

In the stories of Russian propaganda about the life of children in the occupied territories and in the combat zone, the Ukrainian authorities and military are portrayed as ruthless “punishers” whose goal is to exterminate the so-called people of Donbas, who “voluntarily chose to be with Russia”.

Russians in the temporarily occupied territories continue to train teachers in schools, which are today cells of Russian propaganda, for the school year 2024-2025. The Center for National Resistance reports this.

Future and current teachers are instructed by Russian “teachers” from the “Knowledge” group. One of the tasks of this propaganda structure, which has existed since the times of the USSR, is to promote propaganda among educators and students in the temporarily occupied territories. Accordingly, the lectures focus on the importance of changing children’s self-identification and cultivating “patriotism” in them for Russia.

The CNS adds that according to international law, a deliberate policy of changing the self-identification of an ethnic group is a sign of genocide.

We previously wrote that Ukrainian students in the occupied territories are taught a subject about “Russian values”.

Russian propaganda is distributing publications accusing the Ukrainian Armed Forces of war crimes. As “evidence”, the Russians use the stories of people who found themselves in the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops.

These people claim that the Ukrainian military allegedly shelled and looted civilian homes, burned homes, or opened fire on civilians. However, there is no evidence to support these words. This was reported by the National Security and Defense Council Center for Countering Disinformation.

By spreading false statements about “crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” on behalf of the population of the occupied territories, Russia seeks to:

- justify the war she started;

- set up residents of the occupied territories against the Ukrainian Armed Forces;

- shift responsibility for the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

The Center adds that in reality it is Russia that is destroying Ukrainian settlements. It is responsible for the humanitarian situation in the occupied territories.

Previously, we have already recorded fake evidence of “crimes of the Ukrainian Armed ForcesЄ. Thus, Russian propaganda accused the Ukrainian military of threatening residents of the occupied territories and extorting intimate services from them, of taking children away from their parents in the Donbas in order to hand them over to pedophiles or organs.

Russian resources are again trying to manipulate the topic of the evacuation of children by Ukrainian military personnel and volunteers from active combat zones in the Donbas. Thus, propagandists are distributing an interview in which a local resident allegedly recalls a family of three children whose mother died, and claims that they were forcibly evacuated and then “given to organs or pedophiles”.

However, this is a fake, journalists from the StopFake project write. Such interviews are not supported by any evidence, but only by the words of people who call themselves residents of front-line settlements. Moreover, one can find news materials about this family on the Internet. After looking at them, one can find out that in fact the volunteers took these children to their relatives.

In March 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a resolution on the forced evacuation of children from such zones. “This is not about taking children away from their parents. This is not about the use of physical coercion. The legal peculiarity of the forced evacuation of children is that at least one of the parents does not have the right to refuse evacuation and must accompany the child during the evacuation”, Iryna Vereshchuk, Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, commented on the decision.

However, even with the advent of a mechanism for evacuating children from dangerous areas, police and volunteers still have to spend a long time persuading families to agree to leave. Some remain, and no one takes these children out by force.

Russia is conducting a separate disinformation campaign targeting Ukrainians living in front-line cities and villages. Its goal is to disrupt the evacuation, sow distrust in the Ukrainian authorities and incline towards collaboration. Previously, we have already analyzed a similar Russian fake that in Ukraine children are allegedly sold for organs or into sexual slavery.

The Kremlin continues to pour a lot of resources into propaganda aimed at children in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Thus, one of the tools for promoting Russian propaganda is the so-called “youth forums”, in which Russians and collaborators try to attract as many young people as possible, promising children great career prospects and obtaining “competencies for self-realization in Russia”. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

These days, in the temporarily occupied Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia region, preparations are underway for the second “Young South” forum, where the organizers intend to bring children from all temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. According to the occupiers’ estimates, 800 participants should attend the “forum” in Berdiansk, writes the Center for National Resistance. Russian propagandists from actors, bloggers and other Kremlin figures should also come there.

The real purpose of such measures is:

– ideologically indoctrinate children in the TOT, promoting hatred of Ukraine among them;

– strengthen control over teenagers and young people through a network of youth organizations;

– promote loyalty due to promises of illusory “prospects”;

– strengthen the influence of the occupation administrations on all spheres of life in the TOT.

Russia continues to implement policies aimed at changing the national self-identification of Ukrainian youth. For example, in February 2024, the Russians took Ukrainian children from the TOT of Ukraine to the so-called World Youth Festival, where, in particular, they promoted the idea of joining Russian youth organizations “on a voluntary-compulsory basis”.

The Russian occupiers systematically erect memorials to their fallen soldiers in populated areas of the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine. Such memorials have already appeared in the villages of Rykove, Stavky, Mykhailivka and other places in the Kherson region. Specialists from the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council drew attention to this.

Usually these are plates with the names of the occupiers, stylized as Soviet monuments of the Second World War. Sometimes old Soviet monuments are repurposed as these war memorials. The opening of such facilities is accompanied by propaganda campaigns with the participation of officials of the occupation administrations and relatives of the victims.

The main goal of these actions is to reinforce the message “Russia is here forever” and try to legitimize the occupation. Propagandists strive to create the impression that “the land watered with Russian blood” supposedly belongs to Russia, thereby sacralizing the Russian presence. In addition, such actions are aimed at increasing the morale of Russian troops and the population, showing the “heroism” of the dead occupiers, as well as an attempt to impose on the local population the opinion of the inevitability and duration of the occupation.

The occupation administration of Luhansk, under the guise of “educating the younger generation”, is militarizing Ukrainian children and teenagers, preparing them to participate in the war on the side of Russia. Specialists from the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council drew attention to this.

They found out that for ideological influence, the occupiers are attracting Chechen fighters of the Akhmat battalion, who created a military camp in the Luhansk region called the Akhmat Academy of Friendship of Peoples. This camp is personally run by Ramzan Kadyrov and his close circle. The goal is not only education using “patriotic” values, but also training future fighters for the Russian army.

At the camp, children are indoctrinated and trained in military affairs, in particular, combat tactics, using weapons and assisting the wounded. The program includes intensive training, physical conditioning and special exercises aimed at developing other skills necessary to participate in military operations. In addition to physical and military training, much attention is paid to propaganda and ideological education in order to form a distorted perception of reality in children and subordinate their consciousness to the ideas of Russian aggression. This approach violates international standards for the protection of children's rights and makes them a tool for political and military purposes.

The purpose of such camps is to prepare Ukrainian teenagers for service in the Russian army and participation in hostilities against Ukraine. With the help of this camp, Russia seeks to create a new generation of “Kadyrov” — loyal adherents of the regime, ready to carry out orders unconditionally.

Russia continues to invest large resources in the ideological indoctrination of youth in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT), expanding the network of organizations specially created for this purpose. In particular, at the TOT, with the assistance of local gauleiters, recruitment is underway for the all-Russian community of children and youth “Movement of the First”, created on December 18, 2022 on the initiative of Russian President Putin. Outreach events are also held for local schoolchildren and students. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

As for the “First Movement” community, it is the reincarnation of Soviet practices of youth education - organizations of pioneers and Komsomol members. By resorting to old, proven methods, the Kremlin is trying to achieve several goals at once:

– ideologically educate youth at the TOT in the spirit of loyalty to Russia;

– prevent any resistance by controlling the mood of young people;

– integrate local youth into the Russian space;

– form personnel for administrative, political and military structures at the TOT.

This youth movement is part of a large-scale program to strengthen the influence and control of children and youth in the temporarily occupied territories.

The telegram channels of the occupation authorities are filled with messages about improvements in the TOT: repair of water pipelines and roads, drilling of new wells, infrastructure development. The Zaporizhzhia Investigation Center found out what really lies behind this news and how local residents react to it.

Manipulation No. 1. Restoration of roads in Zaporizhzhia region

The occupation authorities claim that since the beginning of the year, 106 kilometers of roads have allegedly been restored in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region. The so-called governor Balytskyi claims that special attention is paid to settlements where roads “have not been repaired for decades”. According to the plan for this year, asphalt should be replaced and laid on 265 km of roads.

However, comments from TOT residents on these channels indicate that the real situation is different. Verification of this information is complicated by the lack of access to official Russian data and possible falsification, so one has to rely on reports and comments from local residents. They note that the roads after the so-called repairs leave much to be desired.

Manipulation No. 2. Half a billion rubles for the Kuibyshev district

Each TOT district has “chiefs” - regions or territories of the Russian Federation who finance the restoration of occupied territories. The head of Mari El, the patronage region of the former Bilmatskyi district, said that by 2028 he will allocate half a billion rubles. This year, 138 million rubles have been allocated for the social sphere and utilities.

Checking the information shows that repairs are carried out quickly and without complying with standards. It is likely that we are also talking about money laundering.

Manipulation No. 3. Observation platform in Berdiansk

The reconstruction of the observation deck in Berdiansk is a long-standing promise of the occupiers. In April 2024, the occupation authorities announced the start of preparatory work. 105 million rubles were allocated. However, residents of Berdiansk did not understand who voted for the project. Even Ukraine’s opponents admit that its benefits are questionable.

The occupiers promise to complete the project by the end of 2024, but the site still looks like a wasteland.

The editor of the Locator.Media website, Oleksandr Pylypenko, explained that regional chefs send their contractors, through whom the money is immediately returned to the Russian Federation. Critical work is done superficially or not done at all.

Russian propaganda is trying to create the illusion of an improvement in life on the TOT, talking about new projects and renovations in order to justify its aggression against Ukraine. However, TOT residents are skeptical about such improvements. Work in sponsored territories is carried out by contractors from the Russian Federation, and the money is returned to Russia, which leads to insufficient or non-fulfillment of planned work.

Russian propaganda is actively spreading the statement of Yevhen Balytskyi about the creation of a new federal district of the Russian Federation in the occupied Ukrainian territories called “Novorossiia”.

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation. Similar ideas were heard before, but they were not implemented. Also, after the start of the occupation, a “federal district” was created for Crimea, which lasted only two years.

With these statements, Russian propaganda is trying to create the impression that the integration of the temporarily occupied territories is at the final stage and convey a message to the local population and the world, supposedly “Russia is here forever”. This once again proves that Moscow does not intend to negotiate to achieve peace.

If this plan is realized, it will allow Putin to consolidate his power in the captured territories and tighten his control over local officials. Also, by unifying the temporarily occupied territories with other regions of the Russian Federation, it will be easier for Moscow to filter them and repress the disloyal population.

Life in the so-called new regions of the Russian Federation, that is, in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) of Ukraine, will supposedly soon improve. These are the promises that residents of the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region constantly hear. However, occupiers often make promises but do not keep their promises. The Zaporizhzhia Investigation Center (ZCR) has collected false promises from the occupiers, which have not been fulfilled in recent months. Its experts emphasize that checking the real situation on TOT is complicated by the lack of free access to official Russian data and possible forgeries. They rely on messages and comments from local residents. In particular, experts warn that these comments may be biased, but they reflect the actual state of affairs.

“New elevators” for Berdiansk residents

In February 2024, the occupation authorities announced that the occupied territories would receive 300 new elevators, of which 22 would be in Berdiansk. In March they even reported on the launch of three and the installation of five more. Propagandists claimed that these elevators had greater capacity and speed, were quieter, and were more reliable and safe. However, these elevators quickly stopped working. Local residents were told that their work required documents from Moscow, which were not available. They say that until the documents are completed, the elevators will not work. Residents of TOT are again forced to walk, and the occupation authorities were satisfied with filming the story and photographing it.

Marketplaces in temporarily occupied territories

The occupation authorities promised that large Russian marketplaces - Ozon and Wildberries - would begin operating on the territory of the so-called Novorossiya. However, the marketplaces themselves denied this information, saying that the TOT does not have the necessary infrastructure to open their branches. The closest place with operating online stores is temporarily occupied Crimea. TOT residents order goods from Ozon and Wildberries and receive them through private carriers, since some goods, such as medicines, cannot be purchased on TOT.

Medicine stock for TOT

A month ago, the occupation authorities announced that in the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, the necessary supply of medicines had allegedly been created and now residents do not need to wait for supplies or order hard-to-find medications. According to them, over the past two years, 146 pharmacies and pharmacy points have been opened in TOT. However, TOT residents continue to search for medicines, especially those in short supply. Ordering through marketplaces remains a more reliable method than buying them at a pharmacy. Another way is to receive medicine through “transfers” from Ukraine and Europe. Thus, the promise of stock of medicines has also not been fulfilled. The occupiers manipulate statistics by announcing the opening of new pharmacies, although it is likely that they were simply re-registered according to the rules of the occupation authorities. For example, before the occupation, more than 50 pharmacies operated in Berdiansk alone, and “improvement” of the network was not required.

Promises to improve life at the TOT are part of the propaganda that creates the impression of a stable situation at the TOT, encourages those who left to return, and paints a picture of prosperity for Russians. According to ZCR, promises are made every day, and TOT residents are skeptical about them.

Deputies of the Servant of the People party allegedly adopted a law on the dismissal of workers with “connections” in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia. They say that this norm will now be used as a reason for dismissal if the employer simply “does not like” the employee.

However, this information is not true. Specialists from the VoxCheck project write about this. In April 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 7731, which amends the Labor Code of Ukraine, and sent it to the president for signing. The purpose of such changes is to prevent collaborators from working at enterprises, institutions and organizations of strategic importance for the economy and security of Ukraine, as well as at critical infrastructure facilities.

Therefore, according to this law, employees must inform the employer about connections with persons who are registered or reside in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and Russia. However, on May 16, 2024, Volodymyr Zelenskyi returned bill No. 7731 to the Verkhovna Rada.

Earlier, eight human rights organizations approached the president with a request to veto the law, calling such a rule “the basis for harassment and stigmatization of those who have relatives in the occupation, and people who are still registered but have traveled abroad”. That is, the relevant law has not yet been finalized and entered into force. In addition, according to the law, an employee who has not reported his connections to the TOT can be fired only if he or she  works in institutions of strategic importance for the economy and security of Ukraine.

The Center for National Resistance and the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reported that the Russians are trying to force Ukrainians to participate in voting for Putin.

The occupation pseudo-administration announced a flash mob called “The whole family goes to the polls”, in which participants must publish photographs of their families from “polling stations” on social networks. In this way, Russians hope to create the illusion of mass participation in the elections.

The Center for National Resistance adds that the occupiers informed all employees of fake government agencies in the occupied Luhansk region that participation in the flash mob was mandatory. You can also read about how Russian propaganda uses residents of (de)occupied territories and what to do about it in another material of the Detector Media.

In some schools in Mariupol, which is temporarily under occupation, brochures with anti-Ukrainian content are being distributed. This was reported by the Mariupol City Council and the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

The postcards feature Russian propaganda clichés, namely Ukraine's “gay troops” and false comparisons. They say that Russia and its supporters are good, but Ukraine is a “wrong choice” and fascism.

The main goal of these materials is to justify and glorify the Russian occupiers and discredit the Ukrainian military. The main target audience of such postcards are children, which means that with their help they want to shape their civic position.

You can also read about how Russian propaganda uses residents of (de)occupied territories and what to do about it in another material of the Detector Media.

Russian resources are disseminating information that the situation in Crimea has been taken under full control after Putin’s decision and the actions of the Russian army. They say that this “ensured the preservation of peace and stability”. The corresponding statement was made by the ex-chairman of the Crimean State Committee for Interethnic Relations and Deported Citizens Smyrnov.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine denied this information. In fact, the introduction of Russian troops to the peninsula provided not “peace and stability”, but occupation. In 2014, the Russian military forced residents of the peninsula to vote “correctly” for Russia. This is what is happening today in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular in Crimea. That is, we are not talking about “ensuring peace and order on the peninsula”, but about limiting rights and freedoms.

After 2014, Crimea turned into a huge military base, from where the Russians launch missiles at peaceful Ukrainian cities, where they store military equipment and conduct military exercises.

Read also: Turkey allegedly admitted that Crimea “is Russian territory and will always be so”.

Pro-Russian resources disseminate information that the decision to overpower the residents of the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, who supported Ukraine, was made due to fears of lynching against them. The corresponding statement was made by the “governor” of the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, Balytskyi.

In fact, this information is not true. This is written about in the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. The eviction of Ukrainians from their homes is not a forced measure, but forced deportation. This is part of the Russian campaign aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity. The mayor of Melitopol Fedorov said that the Russians are preparing a mass settlement of the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region with residents from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. That is, the occupiers want to evict “undesirable” Ukrainians and move doctors, teachers, engineers, fighters, etc. into the housing taken away by force from distant regions of Russia.

All the statements of propagandists about “caring for Ukrainians” have nothing to do with reality - in fact, the invaders cruelly abuse the residents of TOT and deprive them of any rights and freedoms, forcing them to receive Russian passports and vote for Putin. We previously wrote that the Russians sent SMS messages to residents of Zaporizhzhia about supposedly evacuating the city, but in fact it was a fake story.

On the Internet, pro-Kremlin resources promote the message that “the city of Avdiivka, liberated by Russian troops, has returned home”. The Russians have already managed to film a report with the same name.

In fact, Avdiivka, like a number of other cities, villages and towns in Ukraine, never belonged to Russia. It is meant total destruction, genocide and terrorism by “liberation” and “return home” - the whole essence of the “Russian world”.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Security reminds that Russia is not here forever. Avdiivka and all temporarily occupied cities and villages will definitely be deoccupied. This is only a matter of time, which depends on many factors, in particular, on the military support of Ukraine by its partners.

This message is aimed at the internal population of Russia, the vast majority of whom will not even be able to find Avdiivka on the map. Such “statements” pursue purely propaganda purposes. Previously, we analyzed the propaganda message that supposedly Kherson is waiting for Russia.

Propagandists do not stop trying to justify Russian aggression against Ukraine, the motives of which are hidden under the narrative of “the need to fire Russians in Ukraine”. To promote this message, Russian media again claim that the residents of Kherson are supposedly waiting for “Russian liberators” and “supporting” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to this.

Russian media used the statements of the governor of the occupation authorities, collaborator Volodymyr Saldo, who cannot be considered a reliable source of information. Although the Kremlin calls him “the governor of the Kherson region of Russia”, this position is fictitious. In Ukraine, Saldo is wanted for high treason and violating the territorial integrity of the country. In addition, Volodymyr Saldo is under numerous sanctions from Ukraine, the EU, Great Britain, the USA, Switzerland, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

After massive shelling of peaceful cities, destruction of civilian infrastructure and mass murder of civilians, the level of self-identification of Ukrainians reached its highest level in all the years of the country’s independence. According to an all-Ukrainian sociological survey by the Rating group, published on January 29, 2024, very high rates of a sense of Ukrainian identity were registered in the Kherson region - the majority of respondents called themselves convinced Ukrainians from a European nation. At the same time, respondents most often noted Ukrainian identity as a conscious choice, aggravated by the war.

Russia regularly shells every district of the city, killing civilians in Kherson and causing enormous damage to critical infrastructure. It was the actions of Russian troops that led to significant material and human losses in Kherson, which caused negative emotions among the vast majority of local residents. According to a survey by the Protection Kherson Society Foundation (2023), only 8% of Kherson residents noted that they were not injured as a result of enemy shelling. Every third Kherson family lost property due to Russian aggression. A third (35%) of Kherson residents had their apartment or private house damaged, 27% of respondents noted that their apartment building was damaged, and another 23% had their property damaged. Significant damage has also been caused to the health of Kherson residents: 35% testify that in their families there are people who have begun to suffer from mental disorders, 3% in the family are injured. However, the worst thing is that people are dying due to shelling of the city. During the survey, 2% of Kherson residents said that there were deaths in their families.

The majority of respondents believe that the restoration of Kherson should occur primarily at the expense of the aggressor state (79%), which should be punished for its criminal actions.

The Russian myth about the “originally Russian southeast” of Ukraine, which, according to the occupiers, should include the Kherson region, has never been confirmed by facts. It should be recalled that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, during the all-Ukrainian referendum on December 1, 1991, 93.13% of the residents of the Kherson region voted for the independence of Ukraine. Thus, they confirmed their desire to live in an independent and sovereign state - Ukraine. And during the 2001 All-Ukrainian Population Census, the majority of Kherson residents (82%) considered themselves Ukrainians.

Detector Media wrote that Russian propaganda is trying to create the impression that life is thriving and being restored in the temporarily occupied territories, while disorder reigns in those controlled by Ukraine.

On the eve of the presidential elections in Russia, the occupation “administrations” and propagandists are promoting the message that “85% of the population in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine supports Putin”. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council writes about this.

The Russians also sent special detachments to the occupied territories of Ukraine to create the appearance of supporting Putin. Their task is to oversee the falsification of ballots and monitor the work of the so-called “election commissions”.

One can take part in illegal “elections” in enslaved territories with either a Russian or Ukrainian passport, ID card or other identity document. And this indicates the failure of forced passportization in the occupied territories of Ukraine. This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. At the same time, this is another tool of the Russian special services to identify “unreliable” Ukrainians.