Russian media and pro-Russian telegram channels are circulating a photograph allegedly taken in Brussels. Like, a group of artists from Poland made a new drawing that continues the series of their work on the streets of cities. It's fake.

There is no such graffiti. Propagandists write that a “group of Polish artists” had previously created graffiti about Zelenskyi in Madrid and Warsaw. However, the photos of these graffiti were created with photo editors. Just like the fake graffiti in New York and Paris.

Thus, Russian propaganda uses ridicule tactics to discredit the President of Ukraine. Like, Zelenskyi is despised and ridiculed abroad, so Ukrainians should be ashamed of their leader. Propagandists also stir up internal disputes because of the likes and dislikes of Ukrainians towards Zelenskyi.

This message was circulated on social networks, in particular in the French segment of Twitter. The report says that Volodymyr Zelenskyi calls on NATO to launch a preventive nuclear strike on Russia. The authors of the messages cite an episode from Zelenskyi's online speech at the Australian Lowy Institute and add a short video. The tweets were shared by the propaganda media, who called Zelenskyi's words “a call to start a world war with unpredictable horrific consequences”. However, this is manipulation.

Analysts at the StopFake project investigated this case and found that the meaning of the quote was distorted, because in fact Zelenskyi did not call for a nuclear strike on Russia. In the short video, the president says that NATO needed to launch “preemptive strikes” on Russia to keep it from using nuclear weapons.

However, on the same day, press secretary Serhii Nykyforov explained his words, saying that Volodymyr Zelenskyi had in mind the period until February 24. Because then, according to the president, it would be worth taking preventive measures to prevent escalation. And there was no talk of a nuclear strike from Ukraine at all.

By spreading this manipulation, propagandists are trying to promote the narrative that Russia is allegedly fighting not only with Ukraine, but also with large organizations, such as NATO. Like, the Russians are protecting the world from the war that Ukraine allegedly unfolds.

This message was circulated on telegram channels and pro-Kremlin media. It says that American businessman Bill Gates allegedly said that the government of Ukraine is “one of the worst in the world, it’s really unfortunate for the nation”. As evidence, propagandists cite an interview with Bill Gates that he allegedly gave to the Australian Lowy Institute think tank, which discussed the war against Ukraine and how it affects the situation in the world. However, Bill Gates did not say this, it is a lie.

Analysts of the StopFake project investigated this case and carefully reviewed the interview and determined that the propagandists distorted Bill's quote-answer to the question of how Zelenskyi conveys the main messages to society.

To which Gates replied that, in his opinion, “the Ukrainian government was one of the worst in the world: it is corrupt and controlled only by a few wealthy people”. However, now he is amazed with how the Ukrainian leadership conveys important messages to the public.

Bill Gates did not mean the current government in Ukraine and spoke about the government “before the war”. Russia launched a war against Ukraine in February 2014, annexing Crimea and starting a war on the territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Gates was referring specifically to the years of Yanukovych's rule, which were precisely characterized by the dominance of total corruption in Ukraine and the concentration of power in the hands of a few oligarchs. It was these factors that led to the revolution of dignity and the change of government in the country.

Kremlin media are spreading a photo of a sign purporting to be in a Berlin zoo asking them not to feed the leopards with “Zelensky’s empty chatter because the animals might vomit”.  This information was also shared on social media. Some users are convinced that the zoo is protesting against the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. In the picture distributed by the propaganda media, there is a man with a signboard with the corresponding inscription behind him. However, this is fake.

StopFake analysts conducted an investigation and found that the photo was actually edited. Due to a search using the hashtag #berlinzoo, it was possible to find the original image. There really is a sign there, but it only has the name and logo of the zoo.

Recently, the West agreed on a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, so Russia reacted to it by new falsifications. Prior to this, the Kremlin media called arms supplies to Ukraine a “theatrical performance” and insisted that the West was actually sending scrap metal to the battlefield. By spreading such fakes, propagandists seek to create the appearance that the level of support for Ukraine in the world is declining. Allegedly, everyone is against new arms supplies to Ukraine.

Such a message is spread by pro-Russian telegram channels in the context of the fact that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognized that Russia's aggression against Ukraine began in 2014. Russia, thus, uses the tactics of substitution of concepts and shifts the responsibility for the events in Ukraine to the Ukrainian authorities.

Russia in 2014 sent troops to the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Russian President launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This has been recognized by the whole world. Russia is trying to divide Ukrainians with such messages, sow internal discord, playing with sympathies or antipathies for the current and former president.

Russian propaganda is systematically trying to shift the responsibility for the full-scale invasion and war crimes of the Russian army to Ukraine. They say that it is not Russian missiles that are guilty of civilian deaths, but the work of Ukrainian air defense; the Americans are guilty of provoking Russia to attack Ukraine; Ukrainian officials are to blame, because they are allegedly “asking” Russia to deliver a new strike to the Ukrainian energy system.

Russian propaganda media are spreading an excerpt from a video from an interview with a German Bundestag deputy, where a bus with the inscription “Zelensky is a black hole” is allegedly visible. According to the Kremlin media, such transport appeared on the streets of Berlin.

Also, messages on the network say that the driver has already been fined for the inscription on his transport. However, this whole situation is a fiction of Russian propaganda.

According to Vox Ukraine analysts, the video shows an interview with German MP Nina Scheer for Die Welt, which she shared on her Facebook page. The clothing and location are identical to those in the bus video. In the recording from the interview, at about the third minute, the bus already known to us appears, but it is clearly visible that the inscription there is completely different: Busmobil 24.

Also in the German media there is no mention of the existence of a bus with the inscription “Zelensky is a black hole”, as well as no reports of a driver's fine.

With such fakes, Russia is trying to discredit the Ukrainian authorities. With the beginning of a full-scale invasion, this happens all the time. Recently, the enemy media spread information that the Minister of Defense allegedly rejoiced that the Ukrainians had become a “shield” for NATO. The Russian propaganda does not ignore Volodymyr Zelenskyi either, reporting on cartoons on the covers of foreign magazines or that he and other officials increased their fortune in 2022.

Such a message is being shared by propagandists in their telegram channels and in the Kremlin media. The report says that during his speech in Davos, Zelenskyi allegedly “revealed Ukraine's weakest point” and assured that it was the air defense system. However, this is manipulation.

In fact, StopFake's fact-checkers examined the case and found that propaganda resources omitted the context in which it was said and reduced Zelenskyi's response to just this phrase.

The propagandists distorted the president's quote. In fact, it was an answer to the question of how Ukraine defends itself from the destruction of civilian infrastructure by Russia. This is what the actual quote looks like:

“Defend our weak points. Defend places with partners where the enemy hits. Air defense system. This is our weak point. Maybe this is not a weak point in Ukraine compared to other states,”. That is, we are talking about the fact that, in general, our air defense is quite powerful, however, unfortunately, there is a hit on civilian infrastructure. Therefore, it does not cope with all enemy missiles or drones.

In addition, earlier Volodymyr Zelenskyi repeatedly said that the air defense in Ukraine is strong enough, and in 2023 it will become even more powerful.

By spreading this manipulation, the enemy is trying to prove that the means of Ukrainian defense or, for example, weapons are meaningless and can be quickly destroyed. Allegedly, not a single Western technique can be compared with the domestic Russian one.

This is the message propagandists use on social networks and telegram channels that broadcast pro-Russian rhetoric to the Polish audience. It says that Zelenskyi signed the act of surrender during his visit to the United States. Like, one of the officials took an autograph from the president, but in fact it was not just a piece of paper with a signature, but a real act of surrender. Thus, Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed it without even knowing it, and at the same time admitted defeat in the war. It seems that the president will soon stand down. The authors of the messages add a probable act of surrender to the publication. However, this is not true.

In fact, not a single act of surrender was signed. Ever since the start of the full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Zelenskyi has been saying that Ukraine will not capitulate. At the same time, a series of talks held between the Ukrainian and Russian sides in February-March 2022 convinced the Ukrainian leadership that Russia wanted one thing, namely, a quick surrender of Ukraine and recognition of the Russian victory. However, Ukraine disagreed and called for an immediate Russian ceasefire. The so-called document, attached by the propagandists, contains spelling and lexical errors, indicating that it was compiled.

By spreading this fake, propagandists are trying to nourish the narrative that America wants to get rid of Zelenskyi and is ready even for such tricks. It seems that this is all a secret plan, a conspiracy against the president, and he does not even suspect how, as they say, his most devoted partners actually support him.

A photo of graffiti allegedly taken in New York is being circulated on social networks. It depicts locusts, which allegedly symbolizes the President of Ukraine, who “feeds” at the expense of the American budget. It's fake.

In fact, there is no such graffiti. According to MythDetector, the photo was created using special programs. Eyewitnesses confirmed the absence of such graffiti as well. According to experts in 3D-drawing, even after erasing such graffiti, traces remain on the surface that are not in the place where the graffiti should be. Thus, Russian media and propaganda telegram channels are trying to discredit the Ukrainian president. Like, in the world he is considered a clown and is not taken seriously.

Previously, Russian propaganda spread fakes to associate Volodymyr Zelenskyi with Hitler. In addition, propagandists systematically spread messages about fake graffiti and covers of satarian magazines that make fun of Zelenskyi.

A photo of graffiti allegedly from Berlin is circulating on the network, in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi is depicted as a pimple that needs to be squeezed out. The reports say that the graffiti was allegedly painted by artists from the Polish group Typicaloptical. It's fake.

The MythDetector project fact-checkers checked the information about the graffiti and found that it doesn't actually exist. The place shown in the photo is indeed in Zurich, not in Berlin.

The fact-checkers then contacted the communication manager of the Department of Civil Engineering and Waste Management of the city of Zurich, who confirmed to the specialists that there were no drawings or traces of paint on the square.

By spreading this fake, propagandists are trying to discredit the Ukrainian president and create the appearance that the world community does not support Zelenskyi. Allegedly, if not only Russian propaganda talks about the absurdity of the Ukrainian leadership, but also others, including activists who make caricatured graffiti, then this is true.

In addition, Russian propaganda regularly spreads fake graffiti or, for example, covers with Zelenskyi to humiliate and distort reality as if he is not fully supported.

Such a thesis is distributed in pro-Russian and propaganda telegram channels, which claims that relations between the Ukrainian army and Zelenskyi have deteriorated significantly. Like, all this is due to the constant defeats of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and, as a result, Zelenskyi's discontent. Russian propaganda claims that Zelenskyi is losing his authority and his power.

With this message, the propagandists are trying to reach several goals. First, to discredit the President and expose him as an incompetent head of state. They build the image of an evil, greedy to victory leader. Allegedly, Zelenskyi demands constant victories and no defeats from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, at the same time, the army suffers from tyranny. Secondly, to undermine the confidence of the army in the President, who is allegedly under pressure from the leadership and is trying in every possible way to please the top.

Reports are circulating on social media that a sculpture in the shape of a nose has been installed in Milan, around which white powder is scattered. Like, the Italians called the sculpture “Zelenskyi's nose” because it reminds them of the Ukrainian president. This is not true.

In Milan, indeed, they placed a sculpture in the shape of a nose, but it has nothing to do with Volodymyr Zelenskyi. A sculpture with a nose and cocaine is located in the Corso Como shopping mall in Milan. It was created by the Italian activist and artist Christina Donati Meyer. The activist sought to use the sculpture to protest the increase in drug trafficking in Milan, especially cocaine. MythDetector fact checkers note that this sculpture is actually called Bianco Natale, Milano-Medellin (White Christmas, Milano-Medellin).

Russian propaganda systematically creates fakes to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi both in Ukraine and abroad. To do this, propagandists use cartoon graffiti and fake covers of satirical magazines.

Telegram channels from a network supervised by Russian intelligence spread the message that President Zelenskyi allegedly could have held talks with Putin during the Beijing Olympics as early as February, so the war would not have started. But Ukraine's Western partners seem to have banned Zelenskyi from going to Beijing, because they “had their own plans for Ukraine”. This is manipulation.

The information that Zelenskyi was supposedly banned from going to Beijing is spread with reference to an article in the Financial Times, which, citing sources, says: Putin did not warn Chinese President Xi Jinping about plans for a Russian invasion of Ukraine. And Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Yucheng was even demoted because he could not foresee the invasion. This Financial Times story denies the earlier notion that China has asked Putin not to go into war in Ukraine before the Olympics are over.

In this material, there is no mention of a possible visit or negotiations between Zelenskyi and Putin at all. And there are no facts or arguments in favor of the theory that Zelenskyi wanted to leave for Beijing or planned to do so, but someone or something prevented him.

At the same time, it is known that before Putin's trip to Beijing, his press secretary Pieskov reported that Putin did not plan to meet with anyone other than the head of China, including due to COVID restrictions. A few days before Putin's visit to China, Russian Foreign Minister Serhii Lavrov offered Zelenskyi to meet with Putin in Moscow, St. Petersburg or Sochi, but immediately warned that Donbas or Crimea's ownership could not be topics of discussion. Zelinskyi refused such an offer, and later said that he did not plan to visit Beijing - instead, he had meetings scheduled in Kyiv with representatives of Ukraine's allied countries.

The allegedly new cover of the comic magazine Humor Times is being circulated online. The cartoon depicts locusts, symbolizing the President, who is eating all the money. However, this is fake.

A photo is being circulated on Twitter and Facebook of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in a suit and tie greeting World Economic Forum (WEF) President Klaus Schwab. In the captions to the photo, users note that Zelenskyi came to a meeting with US President Joe Biden and a speech in the US Congress in a “T-shirt” (actually in a sweater).

One example of such messages is: “Zelenskyi was in a camouflage T-shirt in the Oval Office and during his address to Congress. But he wore a tie [to meet] Klaus Schwab. Does this need any comment at all?”

This was noted in Reuters Fact Check. They write that the photos of Zelenskyi and Schwab were taken in January 2020 at the annual WEF conference in Davos. The fact checker also added that Zelenskyi met with Biden in September 2021, before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and then the Ukrainian president was in a suit.

In addition, users are spreading manipulation around this photo, noting that Zelenskyi's clothes during meetings may indicate disrespect for the president and the US Congress, or that this photo is allegedly evidence of “who really controls everything”. Such manipulations are aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian president in the eyes of a foreign audience, primarily American users.

These are attempts to undermine the confidence in the Ukrainian authorities among citizens of other states, including the United States, in order to further influence the support of Ukraine from international partners.

Russian telegram channels are spreading reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi “has officially abandoned the Christmas truce”, which, propagandists say, demonstrates the “inhumanity” of the Ukrainian authorities. But this is manipulation.

In reality, no one offered Ukraine a Christmas truce. Only the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kyryl (Hundaiev), called for a ceasefire on Christmas Day, and he addressed “all parties involved in the conflict”, that is, the military-political leadership of both Russia and Ukraine. And Russia did not respond to these proposals at all. But the adviser to the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Polodoliak answered and called these calls of Hundaiev “a cynical trap and an element of propaganda”.

And he reminded: since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyrylo has supported this war, calls it “sacred” and “metaphysical”, promises forgiveness of sins for those who died in this war, and even blesses those who go to kill Ukrainians.

In addition to the fact that Kyrylo is one of the propagandists of this war (for which he was sanctioned by some countries), he also, together with state propaganda, divides Ukrainians into varieties on religious grounds since many people in Ukraine (Catholics, Greek Catholics, and part of the Orthodox) celebrate Christmas according to a different calendar, that is, on December 25. But two weeks ago, Kyrylo didn't care whether people would die under shelling on Christmas Day on December 25 or not. And the Russian army shelled the Ukrainians both on Christmas and New Year - massively launched rockets, drones, shelled infrastructure and destroyed houses, hospitals and kindergartens.

And, finally, it is known in advance that the Russian side that actually makes the decision (that is, the military-political leadership of Russia, and not the head of its church) is not interested in a truce for the holidays. This was announced on December 14 by Putin's press secretary Dmytro Pieskov. Then, answering the questions of propagandists, whether a truce is possible for the New Year or Christmas holidays, he replied: “No proposals have been received from anyone, and such a topic is not on the agenda”. That is, the very idea of a truce for the holidays was rejected by Russia back in December.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are spreading the news about the attack on the priest of the Moscow Patriarchate Church in the Vinnytsia region and accusing the “politics” of Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the “tacit consent” of Ukrainian society with it.

Russian propaganda is using reports of an attack on Archpriest Antonii Kovtoniuk to promote a disinformation message about the “persecution” of the Moscow Patriarchate church in Ukraine. There is no official information about the motives of the attacker yet - an investigation is underway. Propagandists are trying to give greater significance and “systematicity" to a single crime, so they write about “attacks in temples”.

This information was disseminated by Russian resources. Allegedly, Oleksii Arestovych, adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, called for the creation of a monarchy.

Russian propagandists took the words out of context and presented Orestovych's quote as the official position of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

In fact, on January 1, 2023, Arestovych was visiting Oleh Skrypka on the Apostroph tv channel as a mystic and esoteric, and not as an adviser to the head of the President's Office. The whole conversation was about mythology, magic and dreams in the history of Ukraine and the present. Skrypka asked Arestovych about the magical scenario of the present, to which he replied that he suggested the provocative thought: “There must be a return of the king, he is walking somewhere”. Further, Arestovych pondered, “Is Ukraine ready for a monarchy?” However, Russian propaganda used this interview as a politician about the plans of the Office of the President.

Kremlin resources are spreading the thesis that after the de-occupation Crimea and Donbas will be given “as a sacrifice to russophobic foreigners”. Volodymyr Zelenskyi allegedly said this while speaking in the Verkhovna Rada. This is a fabrication.

In fact, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, during his annual address to the Verkhovna Rada, spoke about the restoration, development of the country and the temporarily occupied territories after the war, and that Ukraine should provide priority conditions for those foreign companies that were in Ukraine or came to Ukraine during war, or left the Russian market during the war.

A new stamp, which was released in Poland, is being distributed on social networks. It depicts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi with a mustache similar to that of Adolf Hitler. Social media users ask in the comments if one can send letters with such stamps to Israel. However, this is fake.

In Poland they really issued a stamp with the image of Volodymyr Zelenskyi. However, this is not an official stamp issued by the Polish Post. According to VoxCheck, the issue of such a stamp is an initiative of the deputy of the Krakow City Council Lukasz Wantuch, and not the Polish Post. The funds received from the sale of the stamp are planned to be transferred to humanitarian aid to Ukraine. But a modified image of this stamp is distributed on the web.

Russian propaganda has repeatedly spread fakes associating Volodymyr Zelenskyi with Adolf Hitler. And in such a way the disinformation narrative “Ukrainians are Nazis” is being promoted.

A photo of graffiti allegedly from Madrid is circulating on the network, in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi is depicted as a locust devouring the European Union. The reports say that the graffiti was allegedly painted by artists from the Madrid group Typicaloptical. It's fake.

MythDetector project fact-checkers checked the information about the graffiti and found that this photo was modified using software. In fact, there is no such graffiti in the photo from Plaza de las Cortes in Madrid on December 27th. The source of the fake photos is an Instagram account that continued to distribute fabricated photos of Zelenskyi's caricatured graffiti.

Russian agitprop is conducting a systemic campaign to discredit President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi with the help of cartoon graffiti and fake covers of satirical magazines.

Messages are distributed through social networks and instant messengers. Like, every Ukrainian can receive a one-time cash payment as a New Year's aid. The messages have got a link where you need to register ostensibly to receive money. They note that this is assistance from the state, which “by order was appointed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi”.

Fact-checkers of the Brekhunets (Liar) project checked these reports. The link hides an anonymous telegram channel with the name “Payments from the state to every citizen of Ukraine”. The channel avatar has the logo of the Privat24 application. However, on the channel, the authors say that financial assistance can be obtained from three banks, the names of which are written with errors.

Under the name of each of the banks, there is a published link, allegedly to a “personal account”, in which you can apply for New Year's “help”. However, instead of a “personal account” there is a form in which they offer to enter a bank card number, password and pin code. That is, instead of “help”, scammers get access to bank accounts.

On the website of the President of Ukraine there is no information about financial assistance on the occasion of the New Year holidays. The press service of Privatbank confirmed to the fact-checkers that they do not pay any New Year's aid from the state. There is no information about these “New Year's payments from the state” on the websites of other banks as well.

Such messages are spread by pro-Russian telegram channels as a reaction to the first foreign visit of the President of Ukraine since the beginning of the big war. The message that “Ukraine is blackmailing the West to obtain weapons and other assistance” is part of Russian disinformation narratives.

In fact, the Kremlin media systematically tells Russians about possible strikes against Europe, in particular, against the capitals of France, Germany, Great Britain, and Poland. Recently, the propagandists in the video tried to intimidate the United States with the blows of the “Sarmatians”. So, the rhetoric about “attacks on allies” is typical of Russian propaganda.

Photos from the visit of Volodymyr Zelenskyi to the United States are massively distributed on social networks and telegrams. In the photo, the President of Ukraine is shot with the US presidential couple from the back. Each spouse hugs Zelenskyi, and Joe Biden's hand is allegedly placed indecently at the same time. This photo is fake.

MythDetector and Reuters fact-checkers checked the photo and found that it was altered using photo editors. In the authentic version of the photo, Biden's hand is placed on Zelenskyi's back, next to his wife's hand. The photo was published by the first lady of the United States on her official Twitter page.

This cover is distributed in social networks and instant messengers. Like, this is a special edition released on the eve of the festive period. The image shows the cover of December 22, 2022, the issue number 1588. The picture also has a text: “Stop whining, we need it more”. It's fake.

Reuters fact-checkers drew attention to the spread of the fake. At the time of checking, on December 23, the latest issue of the magazine was December 21, number 1587, with a cartoon of the World Cup in Qatar. There is no issue for December 22 on the pages of the publication on social networks. The fake cover was published against the background of the visit of Volodymyr Zelenskyi to the United States. Because of the text in the picture, they hint at a propaganda message that Ukraine is “begging” for help from Western partners.