A fake is being spread online claiming the alleged capture of 277 soldiers “in the very center of Pokrovsk”. The post is presented as a sensational story, but the information has no confirmation. The post itself does not specify which military personnel are supposedly involved. Official sources and international media have not reported any mass capture on such a scale, VoxCheck reports.

The fake, which appeared in early November, is based on a manipulative publication by the website “Life in Details”, which, without any evidence, refers to a journalist from The Economist. The actual article in The Economist contains no such data. Moreover, the photos used to illustrate the “news” were taken from unrelated events: one image has been circulating since 2022, while another is a frame from a video by the 79th Brigade published as far back as January 4, 2025.

Similar anonymous pages quite often spread distorted or false information in order to boost their reach. Disinformation mechanisms are also used in other information attacks – as previously discussed in the case of Russian information-psychological operations (IPSO) farms and a series of TikTok videos in which AI-generated “soldiers” allegedly report the complete encirclement of Kupiansk and a catastrophic situation at the front.

Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and media outlets are actively spreading eye-catching infographics that allegedly rely on data from the German platform Statista. They claim that Putin’s speeches enjoy high audience engagement in European countries – especially in Poland, Germany, and France. The creators of the fake explain this by people’s “desire to bypass censorship” and their “support for the Russian position”.

This was highlighted by analysts from the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

This is an outright manipulation, experts note. Statista, a reputable statistics platform, has not conducted any research on views of Putin’s political speeches. There is no mention of such data on the platform’s official website.

On the contrary, according to Statista (September 2025):

These figures directly contradict the Kremlin’s claims of “popularity”. The source cited for the infographic is Social Blade. Indeed, this platform is mentioned in the graphic. However, Social Blade does not analyze views of political broadcasts by country. It only tracks statistics of individual YouTube, Twitch, or X accounts – such as subscribers, views, and estimated revenue. It is technically incapable of showing how many people in Poland or France watched a speech by Putin.

This is a deliberately fabricated infographic, created to imitate “scientific analysis”. Its purpose is to create the illusion of support for Putin abroad, despite Russia’s real international isolation.

By claiming that “everyone is watching Putin despite censorship”, propaganda seeks to prove that restrictions do not work and that the West is “hurting itself”. For a Russian audience, this serves as “proof” that “we are not alone”, that “the world is with us”, reinforcing the narrative of a “war against the West rather than against Ukraine”.

Russia has launched a large-scale propaganda campaign in the occupied territories ahead of the so-called “National Unity Day of the Russian Federation.” In the temporarily occupied areas, monuments, memorials, and exhibitions are being opened en masse, glorifying participants in the war against Ukraine. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

In Donetsk, a memorial titled “In Memory of the Defenders of Donbas” was unveiled, with the ceremony attended by the First Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration and the Kremlin’s information policy curator for the occupied territories, Sergey Kiriyenko. In Volnovakha, a monument was erected to Vladimir Zhoza, a militant of the so-called “DPR”, while in Moscow an exhibition was opened that places Russian soldiers fighting against Ukraine on the same level as participants in World War II. In addition, events are being held to “honor” propagandists who were killed in the combat zone.

Spanish Falangist and trade union activist Juan Antonio Aguilar has maintained close ties with Russia for more than a decade, often acting as a supporter of the Kremlin in Spain. He is an employee of the company Indra, a member of the UGT trade union, and at the same time an “expert” of the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), a network created under the auspices of the Russian government that is designed to imitate independent fact-checking but in reality promotes Russian narratives.

As journalists from Newtral and El Periódico found, from 2010 to 2019 Aguilar regularly visited Moscow wearing a Spanish army uniform. These trips were organized by the IAC association, a structure founded by Russian army colonel Aleksandr Kanshin, whom Vladimir Putin awarded a state honor last year. The IAC brought together retired officers from countries friendly to Russia and later expanded its activities to Spain. Despite the fact that Aguilar was never an officer, but only a reserve sergeant, the Russian side made an exception for him.

During these contacts, Aguilar established relationships with representatives of Russian state media – the RT television channel and Iran’s HispanTV. He also founded the Spanish Institute of Geopolitics, which publishes analytical materials by retired military personnel. At the same time, the Ukrainian analytical center Center for Defense Reforms links this structure to operations by Russian intelligence services.

Particular attention is drawn to his cooperation with Enrique Arias Gil, known under the pseudonym “The Russian Disinformer”. Arias, who is currently hiding in Moscow, is wanted by Europol on suspicion of cyberattacks against strategic Spanish companies, including Indra – the very company where Aguilar works. Arias openly calls him a “friend and comrade” who inspired him to write a book dedicated to disinformation.

Aguilar’s past is closely connected to far-right movements. From the late 1970s to the early 2000s, he ran for office from the parties Falange Española de las JONS, Plataforma España 2000, and Movimiento Social Republicano, and also had links to the neo-Nazi group Blood & Honour. Despite this, in 2005 he became a reservist in the Spanish army, serving in the Guadarrama XII Brigade, which regularly activated him for work with information systems.

In 2021, Aguilar published the book Somos lo que defendemos under the pseudonym Iñaki Aguirre, in which he proposes updating Falangist ideology based on the views of Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin – the “ideologue of Putinism”, known for calls to destroy the Ukrainian people.

It was precisely thanks to his status as a reservist that Aguilar joined the Association of Spanish Reservists (ARES), through which he met representatives of Russian military structures. In photographs from international IAC meetings, he can be seen wearing a Spanish army uniform next to the Spanish flag decorated with the St. George ribbon – a symbol of Russian militarism.

The investigation also established that the IAC is closely linked to Russia’s GRU. Its founder Kanshin created a joint venture with former GRU officer Oleg Dukhovnitsky, who headed the Federal Communications Agency “Rossvyaz”. Both appear in Russian business registries as partners in the fields of communications and investment.

In addition to his military connections, Aguilar is active in the trade union movement. He is a member of the workers’ committee at Indra representing the UGT union, although he previously belonged to the CGT, from which he was expelled amid accusations of attempting “far-right infiltration”.

Videos are being circulated on social media claiming that ships, people, and even islands are mysteriously disappearing in the Sea of Azov. The authors of these videos allege that an empty yacht washed ashore with ten people missing, and that the sea has been overrun by whirlpools and jellyfish unusual for the area. VoxCheck explained how this conspiracy theory works.

The so-called “evidence” being shared is part of conspiratorial content created to manipulate viewers. The video of the yacht allegedly washed up on the shore of the Sea of Azov was not filmed in Ukraine, but in the United States, in Florida, in 2016. According to police, the 63-year-old owner of the vessel, Thomas Baker, was intoxicated, crashed into the shore, and then abandoned the boat. For the fake video, a clip from a news report by the TV channel WPBF was used and simply mirrored to make it harder to verify its origin.

The so-called “water whirlpools” are also unrelated to the Sea of Azov. The footage was filmed in a different location – as evidenced by the coastal relief, which is not characteristic of the Azov region. The same video had previously been circulated as supposedly showing the Sea of Japan.

Claims about “quicksands” on the seabed of the Sea of Azov are also false. The coastal zone is covered with sand and shells, while clayey silt predominates in the central part. A person may partially sink into the silt, but cannot fully submerge or “drown” – buoyant force prevents this.

Another element of the fake is the story about the “anomalous” appearance of jellyfish. In reality, this has a natural explanation. Since 2021, the number of jellyfish in the Sea of Azov has been increasing due to rising salinity caused by the shallowing of the Don and Kuban rivers, pollution, and climate change. Water salinity has increased from 10–12‰ to 14‰, leading to the disappearance of some freshwater species and the spread of organisms adapted to saltier conditions.

Disinformation is being actively spread online claiming that Ukraine allegedly plans to deploy units of its Armed Forces to other countries to “attack Transnistria and the Kaliningrad region”. StopFake experts have explained why these claims are unfounded and manipulative.

On 24 September 2025, propagandist Telegram channels circulated screenshots of a draft law titled “On the Deployment of Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to Other States”, registered on 22 September. Propagandists claimed that this document allegedly provides for sending troops to attack Transnistria via Moldova and the Kaliningrad Oblast via Poland.

Debunking

In reality, the draft law clearly defines the purpose of sending Ukrainian military personnel to Turkey and the United Kingdom: training personnel and receiving military equipment from partner countries. The document contains no mentions of Poland, Moldova, Transnistria, or the Kaliningrad Oblast.

According to the text of the draft law, the following units will be sent to Turkey and the United Kingdom:

The explanatory note to the draft law states that its purpose is to facilitate the receipt of military equipment from partners, the manning of units, and training in its use. This is necessary to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities, not for offensive actions against other countries.

Claims that Ukraine is allegedly preparing to attack Transnistria or the Kaliningrad Oblast are part of a disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine.

Propagandists are spreading claims that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have allegedly mined the rear, installing two million explosive devices. However, this is false.

This is reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Its experts have determined that manipulations concerning the ‘mining of territories by the AFU’ are actively used in Russian propaganda. In July 2024, they falsely claimed that explosives were supposedly placed under dams and bridges in Odesa. In reality, it was Russian forces who, retreating from Kherson in 2022, left behind numerous mines. They mined roads, residential buildings, schools, hospitals, and other civilian objects, creating threats to civilians. Because of this, Ukraine has become one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the contaminated area covers approximately 139,000 square kilometers. Annual economic losses due to this amount to $11.2 billion. The occupiers' mining of territories has already caused over 760 civilian casualties, including 86 children. These tragedies are a direct consequence of Russia's war crimes and its tactics of terror against Ukraine.

Propagandists disseminate this disinformation for several purposes. Specifically, they aim to convince international audiences and Ukrainians of the alleged incompetence or bad faith of Ukraine's military command. Such propaganda is also designed to create panic and despair among the population, fostering the perception that Ukrainian authorities act against their own citizens. Moreover, by doing so, Russia seeks to shift responsibility for mining onto Ukraine to divert attention from Russia's war crimes, including the mining of civilian facilities.

Russian propaganda Telegram channels have circulated reports claiming that Russian forces broke through the state border near the settlements of Zhuravka and Prokhody in the Sumy region.  

However, the Sumy Regional Military Administration (RMA) refuted this information on its official Facebook page. While the situation at the border remains challenging, it is stable. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding the line and are fully prepared to repel any aggression.  

The Sumy RMA also noted that while Russian forces occasionally attempt to enter the region, these efforts are unsuccessful:  “Over the past month, we continue to observe attempts by enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups to infiltrate the Sumy region. However, all such groups are neutralized by our defenders”.

By spreading such disinformation, propagandists aim to instill fear among Ukrainians, undermine trust in the actions of authorities and the military, and sow panic. Previously, similar false claims about the so-called ‘occupation’ of parts of the Sumy region were also debunked.

Russian propagandists circulated a post on pro-Russian social media, purportedly from the charity foundation Lviv-Opir. The post claimed that soldiers from the 225th Separate Assault Battalion stole a washing machine from a house in the Kursk region. However, this is photo manipulation.

Experts from the StopFake project investigated the claim and found that the screenshot of the post was fabricated. They also located the original post on the Facebook page of the Lviv-Opir charity foundation. In the original, it is stated that Ukrainian soldiers received a washing machine from the Rak family. The foundation not only organizes collections but also facilitates the delivery of essential items to soldiers from concerned citizens.

In the fake publication, the Russians alleged that the washing machine was taken by fighters from the 225th battalion who were stationed in the Kursk region. However, the original post mentions servicemen from the Kharkiv region without specifying the unit. The legitimate post does not mention the theft of equipment; instead, it expresses gratitude for the assistance provided. Furthermore, the timestamps of the posts differ: the original was published on December 4, 2024, at 01:04 AM, while the fake appeared at 02:04 AM the same day. This time difference aligns with the time zones of Ukraine and Russia, suggesting that the fake was likely created by Russian users.

The spread of fake reports about thefts or misconduct by Ukrainian soldiers aims to discredit the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Such narratives create a negative image of the Ukrainian military both domestically and internationally, undermining support for their actions among citizens and allies. This disinformation may also seek to foster internal divisions in Ukraine, sowing doubt and mistrust among the population toward their military and volunteers. It can impact morale, trust in the government and the army, and reduce support from international partners.

This type of disinformation reinforces Russia's aggressive narrative and its denial of truth, attempting to portray Ukraine as a country where everything, from the government to the military, is uncontrolled or immoral. It serves to justify Russia’s aggressive policies and actions against Ukraine. Russian propagandists also use such disinformation to depict Ukraine as lacking unity, suggesting that Ukrainian soldiers engage in theft or behave uncontrollably. This could be an attempt to portray the situation in Ukraine as chaotic and undisciplined. Overall, such disinformation seeks to create misunderstandings, weaken trust in Ukraine and its military, and form a negative image of the country and its representatives.

Russian propaganda has revived the fake story claiming that “a certain percentage” of Ukrainian citizens are buying up real estate in Kharkiv in order to supposedly “legally end up on Russian territory” in the coming years.

This disinformation was initially spread in early November 2024, and we debunked it. In short, the primary source of the spread of disinformation is Maryna Onishchenko, a Ukrainian from Kharkiv who moved to Russia after the full-scale invasion. She provides no evidence for her statements and does not reference verified or objective sources to support this claim. The woman expresses her personal opinion, implying that Ukrainians are supposedly hoping for the occupation of this region by Russia.

Maryna Onishchenko is a collaborator and pro-Russian propagandist. She also maintains a blog on the Russian video portal Rutube, where she showcases life in Russia and claims that Ukrainians supposedly have a better life in Russia than in Europe. The woman also interviews foreigners who have moved to Russia and spreads various fakes about Ukraine on her social media pages.

Information about the alleged occupation of part of the Sumy region, in particular near the village of Oleksandriia, which is being spread by propagandists on anonymous Telegram channels, is false.

This is reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council. The Sumy Regional Military Administration confirms that the situation on the border remains fully controlled, with no recorded hostilities or enemy breakthroughs. The spokesman for the State Border Service, Andrii Demchenko, also noted that the border with Russia functions as a front line. The Ukrainian Defense Forces firmly hold their positions, providing protection and countering any attempts by the enemy to penetrate the territory of Ukraine.

Propagandists are spreading disinformation about the alleged occupation of part of the Sumy region for several reasons. Such messages are intended to cause panic among Ukrainians, causing distrust in the actions of the authorities and the military. Fake news about breakthroughs or occupation is designed to create an impression of the weakness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is important for Russian propaganda to maintain the narrative of its “successes”, even if they are not true. This may also be an attempt to divert attention from the real problems and defeats of the Russian army.

Russian sources are spreading information that only the western part of Ukraine might be admitted to NATO, allegedly citing the publication Politico.

“The West has an idea to include only specific regions of the former USSR in NATO. This list will reportedly include only the western regions, while the Kyiv region and Kyiv itself, apparently, will not be considered part of the alliance”, propagandists write.

However, the original Politico article does not state that western Ukraine will join NATO separately from other regions. Instead, the article presents several models for ending the armed conflict in Ukraine.

One such model, referred to as the “German model”, suggests the possibility of NATO providing security guarantees only to the western regions of Ukraine or to territories currently under the control of the legitimate Ukrainian government. Moreover, NATO membership can only be extended to Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. Security guarantees might be offered depending on the military and political situation in different regions.

In other words, the journalists cited models of conflict resolution, and did not come out with the news that this is exactly how it will happen. For example, the article also wrote about the “Israeli model”, under which the country “is not formally part of a defense alliance like NATO; rather, it is a close ally of the United States and many European countries, which supply a huge amount of weapons and also provide diplomatic support”. The advantage of such a model, according to the publication, is that it does not link Ukraine to an alliance that could drag other countries into a war with Russia, with its arsenal of nuclear weapons.

Another model discussed is the “Finnish model”, which would entail Ukraine abandoning its occupied territories and adopting neutrality. However, the article notes that this model would likely fail to protect Kyiv from future Russian aggression, as Ukraine had been neutral even before Russia invaded its territory.

Moreover, the journalists wrote that those were not necessarily peace plans but reflections on how relations between Ukraine and Russia might be structured to permanently end hostilities.

Russian media is circulating an infographic that allegedly shows how Ukraine's territory has been entirely divided among various foreign companies.

“Everything has a price. The war in the DPR and LPR was, from the start, a war for resources for the West”, the creators of this fake content assert.

However, foreigners do not have access to Ukraine's land market. In 2020-2021, Ukraine passed a package of land reform laws, which included a compromise on granting foreigners access to the land market. This decision, however, requires approval through a nationwide referendum. Conducting such a referendum is impossible during martial law.

As Ukraine strives for EU membership, aligning its land legislation with EU laws represents the third and final stage of the land reform process. This reform aims to allow individuals and legal entities from EU member states to participate in Ukraine's land market, which is expected to benefit landowners the most.

In contrast, the reduction in arable land has been directly caused by Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. For example, the Kherson region, which accounted for 40% of Ukraine's annual vegetable harvest, has been severely impacted. Due to combat operations and the occupation of parts of the region, previously cultivated fields can no longer be used for their intended purpose. As a result, many entrepreneurs have been forced to relocate their businesses.

Thus, the rise in vegetable prices has no connection to Ukraine's pro-European path. Instead, it is a direct consequence of Russia's aggression. Propaganda efforts, however, aim to manipulate Ukrainian aspirations and frame the country’s distancing from Russia as the root cause of all issues, including the ongoing armed aggression.

Propagandists are writing on social media that former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg allegedly stated that “if the ceasefire line provides for the preservation of Russian control over the territories, this means that Ukraine must permanently give up these territories”. However, this is not true.

The experts of the Center for Countering Disinformation were the ones to debunk this. They found out that in fact, in this interview for Table.Briefings, Stoltenberg emphasized that if the ceasefire line means that Russia continues to control all occupied territories, that does not mean that Ukraine has to give up the territory forever. Propagandists distorted his words, claiming that the West allegedly agreed to territorial concessions.

This manipulation is aimed at sowing despair among both Ukrainians and Ukraine’s Western allies, as well as at discrediting the position of NATO and the international community, which supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemns Russian aggression.

Russian news sites are spreading information that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has allegedly found a “use” for people with disabilities – it is going to send them, as well as women, to demine the territory of Ukraine.

“Due to the understaffing of units and the acute shortage of manpower in Ukraine, people with amputations are taken not only into the sappers, but also into the infantry”,  the propagandists add.

However, in Ukraine, the UN is implementing a program to employ people with disabilities. Within the framework of this program, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is expanding employment opportunities in the field of demining and cleaning territories - for women, veterans, victims of explosive objects and people with disabilities. However, this does not mean that these people will work directly with mines, as the propagandists said. The main goal of the program is to ensure equal access to work, creating comfortable and safe conditions.

The first participants in the project, namely four Ukrainian explosive ordnance victims, have already been hired by The HALO Trust, where they will analyse satellite and drone imagery to identify and map mine-contaminated areas. They have been trained in a programme that focuses on the technical and non-technical skills needed to work in mine action.

“Today, much attention is paid to the implementation of policies that ensure equal access to work in the field of mine action, the creation of specialized training programs that will include both technical and non-technical skills necessary for work in this field, and the creation of conditions that will ensure comfortable and safe employment”, said Colonel Oleh Shuvarskyi, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for Mine Action, Civil Defense and Environmental Safety.

A “Ukrainian” pro-Russian Telegram channel is spreading information that 77% of Ukrainian citizens are supposedly ready to give up the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. The propagandists claim that they are citing data from a real, not a “bought and fabricated” sociological survey.

At the same time, they do not indicate which sociological company or organization conducted this survey and in what period. Presumably, this data was simply fabricated, the VoxCheck project writes. In addition, the “insider” data of the pro-Russian Telegram channel cannot be considered a reliable source of information. Even before the full-scale invasion, the SBU proved that the “Legitimnyi” Telegram channel, which is the primary source of dissemination of this data, is engaged in destabilizing the socio-political situation and sowing panic in Ukraine.

The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) has been conducting regular surveys since May 2022 on the willingness of Ukrainians to make territorial concessions in order to achieve peace as soon as possible. According to the results of a recent poll conducted from September 20 to October 3, 2024, the majority of Ukrainians are against territorial concessions by Russia. 58% of respondents said that Ukraine should not give up any of its territories, even if this would prolong the war and threaten the preservation of its independence. The institute's sociologists note that the share of those ready to make territorial concessions has not changed since May 2024 — it is 32%. In turn, the share of those who are against concessions has increased from 55% to 58% from May to October of this year.

According to another KIIS poll conducted during the same period, 63% of Ukrainians are ready to endure the war as long as it takes.

A little earlier, we analyzed a similar propaganda message, claiming that the absolute majority of Ukrainians are supposedly ready to capitulate.

Pro-Russian anonymous Telegram channels claim that supposedly “the absolute majority of Ukrainians are ready to surrender”. As “proof” of this, they cite the results of an anonymous poll published by the treason suspect Oleksandr Dubinskyi. However, this is not so.

This is reported by StopFake. Its experts point out that on November 17, 2024, he published a poll on his Telegram channel with the question: “Are you ready for peace in exchange for territory?”. By the evening of November 18, more than 15 thousand people had voted, 62% of whom answered “yes”. However, the results of this poll are not representative, since it was conducted anonymously among Dubinskyi’s audience, who is known for his pro-Russian rhetoric. Without proper sampling, such data do not reflect the real opinion of Ukrainians. In particular, Dubinskyi is in pre-trial detention on suspicion of treason. The investigation established his participation in a pro-Russian organization that was engaged in discrediting Ukraine for the money of Russian intelligence.

At the same time, real sociological research conducted by the Democratic Initiatives Foundation in conjunction with the Razumkov Center and Kyiv International Institute of Sociology shows that the majority of Ukrainians are not ready for any territorial concessions, even for the sake of ending the war.

The purpose of spreading this disinformation is to create a false impression that Ukrainian society is ready for surrender and territorial concessions. This is aimed at undermining the morale of Ukrainians, discrediting the political leadership and creating the illusion of support for pro-Russian ideas in Ukraine. Such messages are also intended to weaken international support for Ukraine and promote the spread of narratives favorable to Russia among the public.

Russian telegram channels are spreading information that Russian military personnel crossed the border with the Chernihiv region and installed a Russian flag on the bridge over the Sudist River near the village of Hremiach.

However, this information is not true. This was reported to the Center for Counteracting Disinformation by the representative of the State Tax Service of Ukraine Andrii Demchenko:

“There was no breach of the border. The Russian tricolor was installed on the destroyed bridge near the border, but the saboteurs did not enter the territory of populated areas. The area is under the control of Ukrainian forces and additional units are providing anti-sabotage defense”.

Also, the head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, the officer of the Defense Forces Andrii Kovalenko wrote on his telegram channel that there is no threat of Russian invasion of Chernihiv region, there is only a limited threat of sabotage and reconnaissance groups. He also added that “the story about Hremiach is false and is exclusively an information operation of the enemy”.

Earlier, we refuted the information that Polish politicians “flaunted” the Russian flag in the Vatican.

Russian and Belarusian propaganda resources are disseminating information in a coordinated manner on social networks, trying to present the Ukrainian Armed Forces as using the “human shield” tactics in the Kursk region. These accusations are based on the statements of an unnamed Russian soldier without any confirmation. This means that it is not true. This is what the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes.

The “human shield” message is typical of the Russian army, which has repeatedly used civilians in the occupied territories as cover since 2014. For example, in December 2023, the Ukrainian prosecutor's office opened a criminal case on the use of Ukrainian prisoners as a “human shield” in the Zaporizhzhia region. This is another attempt by Russian propaganda to shift the blame for its crimes to the Ukrainian side.

The purpose of disseminating disinformation about the alleged use of civilians in the Kursk region by the Ukrainian military as a “human shield” is to discredit the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the international arena and to increase hostility towards Ukraine among the Russian population and its presence in Ukraine to shift attention to the numerous war crimes committed by Russian troops, accusing the Ukrainian side of such crimes.

Russian propaganda telegram channels are spreading information that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could allegedly launch a full-scale offensive deep into Russian territory — into the Saratov, Oriol, Leningrad and Moscow regions — using Western weapons. In reporting this, the propagandists cite Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Office.

However, Podoliak's words were manipulated. This was reported by the VoxCheck project. In an interview with the German media Die Welt, published on October 14, 2024, Mykhailo Podoliak did mention the listed Russian regions, but in a different context. The adviser to the head of the OP spoke specifically about air attacks on military targets deep in Russian territory, and not about a full-scale offensive. When asked by a Die Welt journalist about the depletion of Russian resources and when a turning point would be reached, Mykhailo Podoliak replied:

“This year, the Kremlin is spending $140 billion on the war and investing heavily in the military industry. But the deficit is growing, especially in ammunition, shells and missiles. That is why our air strikes on Russian territory are so important. First, it destroys production, warehouses and logistics, which affects resources and further exacerbates exhaustion. This is the military component, but there is also a social component. When attacks are carried out on a large scale, not only in Kursk and other border areas, but deep in Russia, in Saratov, Oriol, Leningrad and the Moscow region, then the social mood is completely different. People understand that there is a war going on in Russia too”.

So, in his answer, Mykhailo Podolyiak emphasizes the importance of Ukrainian air strikes on military targets deep inside Russian territory.

In the end, the adviser to the head of the Presidential Office repeated similar theses in a commentary for RBC-Ukraine, published on October 16, 2024. In it, he indicated that the classified appendices to the Victory Plan state, in particular, what kind of weapons should be used to destroy logistics, military facilities and concentrations of manpower on Russian territory.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the German newspaper Pioneer that Ukraine had allegedly been a disputed territory for centuries. During the conversation, the correspondent tried to draw parallels between the events in Budapest in 1956 and Russian aggression against Ukraine. Orban said that the situation in Ukraine is completely different and that Hungary was never part of the Soviet Union. “There has never been a Russian-speaking community in Hungary on our territory. Ukraine is a territory that has been a subject of dispute for centuries, which makes it significantly different from Hungary”. He also added that Europe, acting as if aggression against Ukraine is its problem, allegedly ends up in a losing situation. However, this is a manipulation of historical facts.

The history of Ukraine testifies to its long existence as a separate state and its struggle for independence. Although Ukraine has experienced interference from various empires - Russian, Austro-Hungarian and others - this does not cancel out its own historical burdens and aspiration for self-determination. The Ukrainian people have been fighting for their freedom and sovereignty for centuries, and modern Ukraine is a state recognized by the international community with clear borders, secured by international agreements.

Hungary, like Ukraine, was part of the Soviet bloc and was heavily influenced by the USSR. The events in Budapest in 1956 were a consequence of Soviet repressive policies, which were similarly manifested in Ukraine. Therefore, emphasizing the differences between Ukraine and Hungary is artificial, since both countries experienced Soviet pressure and fought for real independence.

Orban’s claim that the “conflict” in Ukraine is moot because of historical disputes distracts attention from the fact that Russia’s current aggression against Ukraine is a clear violation of international law and Ukraine’s territorial integrity. After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine’s borders were recognized internationally, including by Russia, as recorded in the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.

Orban claims that Europe is losing by supporting Ukraine. However, this claim ignores the fact that the EU, NATO and other international partners are helping Ukraine to defend its independence and the security of all of Europe. Support for Ukraine is critical to deterring aggression and preserving the international principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Propagandists are spreading information on social networks that 47% of Ukraine's territory belongs to BlackRock, and that company representatives came to Kyiv and asked not to bury the dead soldiers on their lands. However, this is a fake.

It was refuted by fact-checkers of the Lithuanian version of the Baltic media conglomerate Delfi. They found that the claim that BlackRock banned Ukraine from burying its military is wrong. According to the press service of the President of Ukraine, in late 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyi held a remote meeting with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, during which they discussed possible projects to help structure funds for the country's recovery. In 2023, the Ukrainian government signed an agreement with BlackRock and JPMorgan to create a fund designed to attract hundreds of billions of dollars in private investment to restore the Ukrainian economy, but this did not include restrictions on burying the military. In addition, about 70% of Ukraine's territory is agricultural land. As of 2020, about 31 million hectares, or 75%, were privately owned. The largest companies controlled only 16% of agricultural land, or about 6.45 million hectares. There are more than 10 foreign agricultural companies operating in the country, owning about 3-4 million hectares of land. The largest of these are the US-based Agroprosperis (300,000 hectares) and the Saudi Arabian Continental Farmers Group (195,000 hectares), but BlackRock has not invested in either company.

Georgian fact-checking portal Mythdetector found a recording from a Telegram channel that this claim is based on back in July. The author of the post claims that the CEO of BlackRock allegedly advised Ukraine not to pollute arable land with the bodies of dead soldiers and to use crematoriums. The description of the channel indicates that this information may be satirical or false.

This fake is intended to portray Ukraine as a country that has lost its sovereignty and is completely dependent on Western corporations. Successful partnerships between Ukraine and international companies, such as BlackRock, could become a tool for post-war reconstruction. The propaganda attempts to sow distrust in such investors, portraying them as a threat to sovereignty and national interests. By spreading such fakes, propagandists try to demoralize the population of Ukraine, creating the impression that even burying fallen defenders could become a problem due to the loss of control over national lands. Propagandists also use this fake to distract attention from their own failures and problems, in particular, Russia's crimes in the temporarily occupied territories, economic instability, and poor human rights situation.

Propagandists are spreading information on anonymous Telegram channels that allegedly Ukrainian Armed Forces units, which include Polish, French and American “mercenaries”, are displaying “extreme cruelty” towards the civilian population in the Kursk region. The source of such statements is said to be unknown “security agencies” of Russia.

However, in reality, in the territory of the Kursk region, which is not controlled by Russia, there are no “security structures” to which one could refer. These accusations pursue only one goal - to dehumanize Ukrainians in the eyes of the Russian audience. This is reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

Many foreign journalists from independent and influential media have already visited the territories controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and in their reports they have not confirmed any atrocities against either captured Russians or the civilian population. In addition, as reported by the speaker of the Operational-tactical grouping Siversk Vadym Mysnyk, it was Russia that refused to provide a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians from the territories of the Kursk region controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which also refutes the statements of Russian propaganda.

Russian propaganda continues to produce new fakes about the events in the Kursk region. The Center for Countering Disinformation has discovered another wave of false publications aimed at discrediting Ukraine.

“Ukrainian Nazism”. One of the fakes concerns a supposedly British TV channel, which counted 1000 cases of the use of Nazi symbols by Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region. This is a completely fabricated story, since no British media resource has published such information. The purpose of this fake is to reinforce old Kremlin narratives about the “Nazi” character of the Ukrainian army and to create an image of an enemy that allegedly poses a threat to civilization.

“Torture of Russian prisoners”. This is a fake video in which Ukrainian soldiers are accused of abusing Russian prisoners. Such materials have repeatedly proven to be fakes, and they are aimed at demoralizing the Ukrainian military and justifying the cruelty of the Russian army. It is also supposed to intimidate Russian soldiers so that they do not surrender.

“Stolen Headphones”. Propagandists are spreading a story about looting by Ukrainian soldiers, claiming that a “resident of the Kursk region” allegedly tracked her stolen headphones to the Sumy region. This fake is aimed at creating a negative image of the Ukrainian military, but there is no evidence to support its veracity.

“Training of the military in school”. The enemy claims that Ukrainian military personnel were trained in a school in the Zhytomyr region for operations in the Kursk region. This information is part of a strategy aimed at destabilization and preparation of the information base for possible missile strikes on peaceful targets.

“Civilian atrocities”. Russian media are spreading “testimonies of refugees” from Kursk, where they accuse Ukrainians, without evidence, of mass murder and abuse of civilians. The propaganda fabrication even mentions the French flag raised by “foreign mercenaries”. This is another attempt to denigrate the Ukrainian Armed Forces and frighten both the Russian population and the international audience.

The video states that 74% of Ukrainians are against military action on Russian territory. The Ukrainian voiceover claims that a significant portion of Ukrainian citizens hoped for the end of the war and the signing of a peace agreement, but their hopes were dashed by the Kursk operation.

In fact, the analyzed video is fake. This is reported by journalists from the StopFake project. The video was spread by pro-Russian sources, the first to publish the news was a propaganda Telegram channel with an audience of over 200 thousand subscribers. In addition, the video has a logo that could not be identified. It was probably created by propagandists based on stock images.

Also, the Ukrainian Armed Forces operation in the Kursk region began quite recently and continues. Accordingly, there are no valid and reliable statistics yet. However, some street polls of Ukrainian citizens and interviews with the military show a completely opposite picture - Kyiv residents call the operation “fantastic”, and Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen say that the advance of troops into Russian territory has raised morale and brought relief in all directions of the front.

Earlier we analyzed Russian manipulation, saying that Foreign Affairs wrote that the Kursk operation changed the “balance of attrition” not in favor of Ukraine.