Anonymous telegram channels and Bulgarian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread information that during a visit to Sofia, Volodymyr Zelenskyi “rose claims” against  Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. As a result, Radev allegedly refused to supply weapons to Ukraine. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the case. The meeting of the Presidents of Ukraine and Bulgaria was held on July 6. During the meeting, Radev expressed his opinion that “this conflict has no military solution” and Volodymyr Zelenskyi replied that Ukraine is defending itself.

According to the Bulgarian Constitution, the Bulgarian President does not determine foreign policy - this is the responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers. Bulgaria promised additional military supplies, assistance in strengthening Ukraine's energy system, and support for joining NATO.

Earlier in December 2022, the People's Assembly (Bulgarian Parliament) voted to provide military and military-technical support to Ukraine.

Thus, Russian propagandists promote the narrative that the West is tired of the war and does not believe in the victory of Ukraine, and also discredit the authorities in Bulgaria. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that in Finland they want to deprive Ukrainian refugees of social assistance.

Propagandists on social networks spread information that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and President of France Emmanuel Macron are allegedly depicted on the cover of the new edition of the French weekly Courrier international. In particular, it shows Macron pumping out a woman with the words: “Stop the riots! My wife has heart problems”.  Zelenskyi seems to be saying: “Stop the riots! All the money will go to repairs, but it has to help Ukraine”. It's fake.

Specialists in the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They could not find a similar cover either in the publication's social networks or on its website. Although the propagandist's publications list the issue number of 1705, in fact this number of the magazine had a cover titled “France: The Roots of Wrath”. Courrier international is a French weekly that translates and publishes fragments of articles from foreign publications, websites, blogs and newspapers. Its website, according to VoxCheck analysts, has a “War in Ukraine” section, where the publication condemns Russian aggression against Ukraine and ridicules the Russian leadership.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists regularly try to convince everyone that the foreign audience and the media community are no longer on the side of Ukraine and openly oppose it. Detector Media has repeatedly denied such “covers”, as recently in the case of the humor magazine Humor Times.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are distributing the cover of the allegedly Spanish satirical magazine El jueves, which depicts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and eco-activist Greta Thunberg. Thunberg scolds Zelenskyi because of the large number of losses during the counteroffensive. It's fake.

The case drew the attention of experts from the Center for Counteracting Disinformation. On the official pages of El jueves in social networks, it is impossible to find an issue with such a cover. The cover of the latest issue of the magazine, published on June 28 under No. 2.389 - 03, depicts Russian President Putin and the leader of the Wagner group  Pryhozhyn.

By ridiculing the President of Ukraine, Russian propaganda is trying to show that he is despised in the West. Also, Russian propagandists seek to sow panic among Ukrainians because of the counteroffensive, which is allegedly laughed at in Europe. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that El jueves magazine published a cover on which the Ukrainian military refused to counteroffensive.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric and on the Russian segment of Twitter spread information that Zelenskyi allegedly turned to the French amid protests in France. He allegedly said that for many years Ukraine tried to join NATO, and now he is looking at the burning Marseille and wants to ask: “How do you feel without Ukraine? Are you doing well? Forget about pride, accept our help and peace will return to the streets of your cities”. It's fake.

The fact-checker of the Stop Fake project drew attention to the case. This quote is fictional. There is no reference to the source in the text, and there is no such appeal on the official pages of the President of Ukraine. The last time Volodymyr Zelenskyi spoke with Emmanuel Macron was in early June, and the protests in France began on June 28.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi and worsen relations with Western partners. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that, according to a Polish article, 95% of Ukrainian refugees will not return home.

Propagandists in social networks are spreading information that they have placed an advertising banner in New York with the words: “No Zelenskyi - no war”. It's fake.

Specialists of the Beyond the News project and the Center for Countering Disinformation drew attention to it. They found out that the video, which allegedly depicts a banner, is the result of video editing. Based on footage from Fifth Avenue, however, it was filmed before the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Analysts have noticed that the banner is missing from recent street panoramas on Google Maps and video footage of the street. In addition, they note that in the video there are black traffic lights, while since 2021 there have been yellow traffic lights on this street. The absence of the banner was also confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Consulate General of Ukraine in New York.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists continue to try to personally discredit Zelenskyi and create the false impression that they no longer want to support Ukraine abroad precisely because of the behavior and rhetoric of its president. For a similar purpose, they create fake covers of foreign publications, as Detector Media wrote about more than once.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that an American magazine recently ran a cover featuring Zelenskyi and journalists called him an “evil boy”. And against the background of the President, TV screens are shown, where they broadcast news about the sunken bathyscaphe. The authors of the publications add that Zelenskyi is allegedly evil, because all attention is not focused on his figure. It is not true.

Specialists of the Center for Countering Disinformation investigated this case and found that such a cover does not exist. The fact checkers explained that this magazine is a two-week edition and the last available issue went on sale on June 26, 2023. The next issue will be released on the 3rd. Actually, on the fake cover, the date of the issue is June 26 - May 3, 2023. For this date there is a completely different, real cover.

Thus, propagandists seek to show that their rhetoric (for example, that Volodymyr Zelenskyi is worthless and incompetent) is also repeated in the West. So, readers may get the impression that the whole world is opposed to Ukraine.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric circulated a photo of Volodymyr Zelenskyi during negotiations in Moldova and stated that a personal bomb shelter had been built for him. Russian propaganda also claims that the meeting itself took place underground. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case. In fact, the negotiations took place not underground, but at wineries, in one of the rooms of the ancient Mimi castle. Propagandists use photos taken at the second meeting of the European Political Community, which was attended by 45 heads of states and governments.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi saying that he is afraid of Russian missiles even abroad. Previously, Detector Media talked about the tactics of reflection, which the Russians use to divert attention.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric distributed a screenshot of Zelenskyi’s video message, which allegedly shows the chevron of the Nazi 14th Waffen-SS division “Galicia” in the form of a lion with three crowns. Russian propaganda allegedly noticed it on a board with military chevrons behind the back of the President of Ukraine. This is manipulation.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case. A board with military chevrons really hangs behind Volodymyr Zelenskyi's back. However, the chevron that Russian propagandists passed off as the emblem of the SS division “Galicia” actually belongs to the 1st separate tank Siversk brigade, and it depicts a horse in armor. For the fake, Russian propaganda used a video message from the President dated June 20.

Russian propagandists are systematically spreading the narrative that Ukrainians, and President Zelenskyi in particular, are Nazis. Russian propaganda transfers responsibility for Russia's crimes from the aggressor to the victim of aggression. Earlier, Detector Media denied fakes that Zelenskyi wore a sweater with Nazi symbols to a meeting with the Pope, and Valerii Zaluzhnyi allegedly has a “bracelet with a swastika”.

Propagandists in the Russian media claim that President Volodymyr Zelenskyi refused to hold elections in Ukraine. Like, in this way he “usurped” power and “weaved” on democratic norms. In addition, they also note that Ukraine does not go to peace talks with Russia, allegedly in order to “preserve Zelenskyi's power”. It's fake.

Specialists in the StopFake project drew attention to it. They argue that the holding of any elections during martial law is prohibited by the Constitution of Ukraine (Article 83 Section IV) and the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law” (Article 19). Propagandists distorted Zelenskyi's comment in a recent BBC interview. Zelenskyi said in it that there can be no elections during the war according to the law, but he wants peace next year.

Project analysts also note that holding elections during the war is not possible for a number of other reasons, including, in particular, infrastructure destroyed by Russia, the difficulty of organizing voting for Ukrainian refugees abroad, as well as security risks in the event of a missile attack on voting day. With the lifting of martial law, the next parliamentary elections should be held in October 2023, and presidential elections in the spring of 2024.

By spreading messages about the “usurpation” of power, propagandists want to personally discredit Zelenskyi and cause distrust in him. In addition, in this way, they want to shift the responsibility for the actions of the Russians to the victim of Russian aggression. They say that only Zelenskyi and his political ambitions are to blame for the fact that the war continues. However, it is the Russian criminal regime that is a true example of the usurpation of power, because it neglects its own legislation for the sake of one person being the head of state.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say Volodymyr Zelenskyi has allegedly admitted to being disappointed with the events of the counteroffensive. Like, he admitted failure in the war. The authors refer to Zelenskyi's interview with the BBC British Service. This is manipulation.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project took up the case and found out that Volodymyr Zelenskyi did not make any statements about the “failure” of the counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces or about his “disappointment” with the military operations of the Ukrainian army. The propagandists simply distorted the context of the interview and came up with non-existent phrases. In an interview, Zelenskyi, on the contrary, expressed optimism about the effectiveness of the Ukrainian army against the invaders and stressed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would advance on the battlefield at their own pace. There is no information about “disappointment” or “admission of failure” in this interview.

By spreading this message, propagandists aim to demoralize both civilian Ukrainians and the military. Like, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine despaired of victory and expects nothing from the counteroffensive.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say an American humor magazine recently ran a cover featuring Zelenskyi lying on the hood of a car in motion. The cover itself has the caption: “before the future, one needs to get rid of something now”. Allegedly, they hint at the death of Volodymyr Zelenskyi. It is not true.

Specialists of the Center for Countering Disinformation investigated this case and found that such a cover does not exist. The fact-checkers explained that the last available issue of the magazine is 374 while the fake cover is already 375. There is no information on the official website about the 375 issue of the magazine, since it has not yet been released.

Thus, propagandists seek to show that their rhetoric (for example, that Zelenskyi should be eliminated) is also repeated in the West. So readers may get the impression that the whole world is opposed to Ukraine.

Kremlin propaganda media disseminate information that PACE allegedly insists on the need for Ukraine to hold parliamentary elections, despite the martial law. Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, said that this would “tear the state apart”, moreover, in the current conditions it is very difficult to organize elections. Russian propaganda also writes that experts believe that “Kyiv is not interested in organizing voting as soon as possible, since it can blow up the position of the current government”. It's fake.

Fact checkers from The Insider investigated the case. The PACE position was expressed on June 12 in an analytical article by Olena Davlikanova, a project coordinator of the Representation of the Foundation of Friedrich Ebert in Ukraine. She explains that parliamentary elections should be held in October 2023, and presidential elections in March 2024, but due to the Russian occupation of Ukraine and the flooding caused by the actions of the Russians, “the expediency of a popular vote is in question”.

From the legal perspective, according to the Constitution of Ukraine, elections in Ukraine cannot be held under martial law. From the point of view of security and practicality, there are also a number of reasons why elections cannot be held now - the occupiers can fire at polling stations along with voters, about 20% of Ukrainians have become refugees and it will be difficult to organize voting in other countries, part of the territory is under occupation, and part is destroyed.

As for the thesis that they allegedly do not want to hold elections in Kyiv, because this will undermine the position of the current government, the article, on the contrary, notes that holding elections could help both Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the ruling “Servant of the People” party. Zelenskyi exceeds the popularity of the party, and this could play into the hands.

Russian propagandists use the tactics of substitution of concepts and try to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Like, Zelenskyi is holding on to power, because elections in Ukraine will not be held. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that Ukraine is postponing parliamentary elections in 2023 due to Zelenskyi's political ambitions.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, including the Russian segment of Facebook. Reports say that allegedly during a working trip to the Kherson region on May 8, people met Volodymyr Zelenskyi badly: he was insulted and cursed. The authors add that Zelenskyi was indifferent to the reaction of the public and he continued his “tour of the regions”. They also add video to the post. It is not true. 

The case was noticed by the Georgian fact-checkers of the Myth Detector project, who explained that, first of all, Volodymyr Zelenskyi came to the Kherson region as part of his working trip to establish the consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. Fact-checkers checked the video and found out that it was compiled. A different sound was superimposed on the video, where people scold. Meanwhile, they also managed to find the real video with a reverse Google search. So, in the original video, Ukrainians are chanting the phrase “Glory to Ukraine!”, and Volodymyr Zelenskyi and his delegation answer “Glory to the heroes!”. Moreover, the video was published back in November 2022, when Zelenskyi visited the liberated Kherson. That is, the authors used the old video to spread false information. 

By spreading this fake, propagandists seek to show how the public is dissatisfied with Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Allegedly, in Ukraine, everyone does not respect him and is ready to scold him in the face. Thus, the authors undermine the authority of the President.

Such information is disseminated by Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric, and in the Russian segment of Facebook. At the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Moldova, Zelenskyi allegedly said that hopes for Ukraine's accession to NATO “are becoming more and more distant”. This is manipulation. As the fact-checkers of the Stop Fake project note, the quote used by Russian propagandists is inaccurate, shortened and taken out of context. But Zelenskyi did not declare “fading hopes” for Ukraine's entry into NATO. However, the president did talk about the prospect of Ukraine and other countries joining NATO. According to him, every European country that borders on Russia and wants to be protected from it should join the European Union and NATO. Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the President of Ukraine, sow panic and despondency among the population. Russian propagandists systematically spread fakes that Western partners do not want to help Ukraine and do not want to see it in NATO. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that Ukraine is not expected to join NATO.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, including the Georgian segment of Facebook. Reports say Zelenskyi has renounced NATO membership, saying he no longer wants to pressure Western officials. The authors of the messages convince readers that Zelenskyi was making concessions to Russia. They also refer to France 24 material. This is manipulation.

The fact-checkers of the Myth Detector project drew attention to the case, who found that Zelenskyi did indeed say that he would not insist on joining NATO, although he did not indicate that this was because of Russia and pressure on him. The authors of the messages simply distorted the context of the material, which does not even indicate that Volodymyr Zelenskyi is making concessions.

In the material itself, journalists wrote that in the context of NATO membership, Zelenskyi said that he did not want to be the president of a “begging country on its knees”. That is, there are no concessions to Russia, Zelenskyi only said that he would not try to whine about membership and would not insist.

This message is circulating in the Russian segment of Facebook and Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. As proof, they cite Stephen Bryen’s article What happened to Ukraine’s General Valerii Zaluzhny? posted on the Asia Times website. Zelenskyi seems to have doubts, despite the Ukrainian Armed Forces being equipped with American and European weapons, including Leopard tanks, because “Ukraine will have to go mostly without air cover for any advance and will face a heavily electronically jammed battlefield where Western smart weapons may not work”, as the article notes. This is manipulation.

Stop Fake experts drew attention to the case, noting that this article in Asia Times is an outright manipulation. The author of the article, Stephen Bryen, is spreading fake Russian propaganda about the allegedly missing Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Earlier Detector Media denied this information.

Bryen also writes that the United States is allegedly pressuring Zelenskyi to launch a counteroffensive, and then adds that “There are other rumors pointing to an ongoing struggle in Ukraine between military and civilian leaders”. The opinions expressed in the article spread Russian narratives.

Detector Media found out that on May 13, 2023, in an interview with Italian media, Zelenskyi said that the issue of a counteroffensive is the most popular in Ukraine, but the president cannot disclose details so as not to do harm.

And on May 29, he wrote on his telegram: “I just finished the Headquarters. Important questions. Important decisions. The main thing is timing. And most importantly, there are answers regarding the timing”.

Russian propagandists continue to spread narratives about an upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive that is supposedly doomed to fail. Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to demoralize the Ukrainian military, discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi and sow discouragement among Ukrainians. Earlier, Detector Media refuted the fake that NATO military experts are confident in the failure of the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian military, and also that the West is allegedly preparing for the loss of Ukraine in the war.

Propagandists in anonymous telegram channels with Russian rhetoric are spreading information that Marilyn Manson has allegedly published a new version of the cover of his album Antichrist superstar on his Instagram stories. It has the word superstar crossed out, a blurry trident in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi with red eyes. Manson allegedly released the cover, along with lines from the song: “I don't like drugs. But drugs love me”. It's fake. 

Analysts of the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They looked through the official accounts of the performer and did not find such a publication, as well as other publications of an anti-Ukrainian nature. In addition, they did not find any material from Ukrainian or foreign media on this matter. The original version of the 1996 album Antichrist superstar features Marilyn Manson himself.

By writing such stories, propagandists want to personally discredit the President of Ukraine and make the population doubt his actions. Allegedly, he continues to wage war, because he is constantly under drugs, and therefore it is necessary to surrender to Russia. However, in this way, Russia also wants to divert attention from its crimes, playing with religious sentiment.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that Zelenskyi attended the Arab League Summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19. At the same time when Zelenskyi was delivering his speech, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad allegedly removed his simultaneous translation device “in protest”. Like, the Syrian president ignores Zelenskyi when he talks about Russian war crimes. It is not true.

Reuters fact-checkers took up the case, explaining that Bashar al-Assad was fluent in English and did not need a device to translate into Arabic. At the same time, within the framework of the summit, there was direct communication between officials, which means that no one “ignored” Zelenskyi. Moreover, information about the “protest” of the Syrian president is only published in the Russian segment of social networks.

By spreading this fake, propagandists are trying to show how Zelenskyi is allegedly not favored in diplomatic circles. Like, his speeches are ignored and protested against him. Thus, Russian propaganda distorts reality, portraying the image of Zelenskyi as a failed president.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular on Twitter. Reports say that during Zelenskyi's recent visit to Rome, he wore a jumper with an OUN emblem patch. The authors claim that Zelenskyi supports “Nazism”.

Fact-checkers of the Reuters news agency took up this case and found that the coat of arms of Ukraine was embroidered on Volodymyr Zelenskyi's sweater. That is, it is the Ukrainian national symbol. Fact-checkers also explain, it is quite understandably that the OUN may have used symbols historically associated with Ukraine. Since, first of all, this is the coat of arms of Ukraine, and not the symbols of some organizations / associations. Moreover, the trident was recognized as a Ukrainian symbol long before the existence of the OUN.

By spreading this fake, the propagandists once again speculate on the topic of Ukrainian nationalism and distort it into “Nazism”. It seems that being a Ukrainian is already a reason to receive accusations of Nazism from the Russians. Like, even Europe began to indulge the tricks of Zelenskyi who, without any fear put on “Nazi symbols”.

Pro-Russian users of social networks on Facebook and Twitter are spreading a screenshot allegedly from the official Twitter account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In a tweet published on December 22, 2018, before the presidential elections in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense allegedly calls Volodymyr Zelenskyi a “naked clown” and an “American puppet”  and urges not to vote for “this piece of shit” because he will “destroy our country with the help of NATO”. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the Reuters media drew attention to the case. This tweet was not found in a Twitter search on a verified account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and Google. Also, searching for news by keywords in English and Ukrainian in Google did not bring any results. Also, Reuters specialists did not find this tweet in the archived versions of the confirmed Ministry of Defense Twitter profile.

Fact-checkers found out that the screenshot was edited. After all, photos posted on Twitter have rounded edges. However, in the screenshot they are square.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, humiliate Volodymyr Zelenskyi and show that even representatives of the Ukrainian authorities allegedly do not respect him.

Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that Zelenskyi allegedly sold Ukraine to a Western fund.

Kremlin propaganda media and a network of Twitter bots are spreading the information that Zelenskyi came to a recent meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican wearing a sweater with supposedly Nazi OUN-UPA symbols. It's fake.

The case was noticed by specialists from the StopFake project. Volodymyr Zelenskyi did indeed wear a black sweatshirt to the meeting at the Vatican, but it features a stylized white coat of arms on a black chevron. This image is not the symbol of the OUN-UPA, which was drawn by the Ukrainian graphic artist Robert Lisovskyi and approved in 1932 (yellow coat of arms with a middle element in the shape of a sword on a blue background). The Ukrainian trident has been used in state heraldry for hundreds of years.

Stylization of the emblem of the OUN 1932 and the Ukrainian trident are not Nazi symbols and are not prohibited in the world. Moreover, during the Nuremberg Trials of 1945-1946, none of the national liberation movements, in particular the OUN and the UPA, were found guilty. Nazi and fascist symbols are prohibited in Ukraine by the law “On the condemnation of the communist and national socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes in Ukraine and the prohibition of propaganda of their symbols”.

Propagandists systematically spread the narrative that Ukrainians are Nazis and the real killers that Russia is fighting. Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to justify Russia's crimes by shifting responsibility from the aggressor to the victim of the aggression. Earlier, Detector Media refuted the fake that Zaluzhnyi had a “bracelet with a swastika”.

We, analysts of Detector Media, repeatedly noticed this thesis while monitoring social networks, in particular, on anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Again, the message appeared in the information space as a reaction to the interview of the President of Ukraine for the American edition of The Washington Post, in which he stated: “if there is martial law in effect, we will not be able to hold elections. The constitution forbids holding any elections during martial law”.

Russian propaganda is not in vain raising the topic of elections in Ukraine, because in Russia itself they are now feverishly trying to find a way to hold elections in the occupied Ukrainian territories - ORDLO, Kherson region, Zaporizhzhia, where, according to Russia, martial law has been in effect since October 2022.

Parliamentary elections in Ukraine are to be held on October 29, 2023. However, after the declaration of martial law and in accordance with Article 19 of the Law of Ukraine “On the legal regime of martial law", elections of the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada and local governments are prohibited. To hold elections, one must either declare the end of martial law, or make appropriate changes to Ukrainian legislation and obtain the consent of the Constitutional Court on the legality of holding elections under martial law.

Active hostilities and constant attacks by Russians against peaceful cities and villages of Ukraine make it impossible for an act of will to be expressed - polling stations can become easy prey for Russian missiles or drones. In addition, part of the territorial communities are under occupation, so the potential elections would not take into account the votes of local residents. Millions of Ukrainians are out of the country, and if the problem of lack of polling stations near the foreign constituency arose before, now the voting process would be simply impossible. There is also a question about the current voter lists due to the increase in the number of IDPs. A separate issue is the Ukrainian voters who ended up on the territory of Russia. For security reasons, Ukraine liquidated all of its polling stations in Russia back in 2018. Whether this category of citizens will be able to get into the embassies in Georgia, Kazakhstan or Finland to vote is an open question. In addition, it is unlikely that a sufficient number of international observers will be able to come to a warring country. Moreover, elections are billions spent from the state treasury, of which, in the current realities, almost half goes to war. Finally, during martial law, freedom of speech and information may be significantly more restricted than during times of peace. The Russians are well aware of these arguments, but still resort to the tactics of substitution of concepts. Like, elections are impossible not because of Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine, but because of Zelenskyi's personal whim. Allegedly, he deliberately slows down various processes, impedes the holding of elections in order to stay in power. However, it is Russia that really contributes to the postponement of elections in Ukraine, which continues to conduct active hostilities against Ukraine.

Anonymous telegram channels spreading pro-Russian rhetoric report that Volodymyr Zelenskyi sold Ukraine through an agreement with the American company BlackRock. Reports say that from now on, this company allegedly owns “the largest enterprises in Ukraine, which were nationalized from Ukrainian oligarchs”.

Specialists of the Center for Strategic Communications drew attention to the case. The message comes amid news that the Ukrainian government has begun cooperating with the world's largest investment company, BlackRock. However, in reality, this is not about selling Ukraine to a Western fund, but about valuable cooperation, thanks to which Ukraine will attract foreign investment in the future to restore the Ukrainian economy after the victory. But Ukraine will take the main financial expenses. The funds raised will be directed to the development of agriculture, energy, infrastructure, production, and information technology.

By spreading this message, propagandists are trying to discredit the Ukrainian authorities in the eyes of Ukrainians and emphasize once again that Ukraine depends on the West. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that Ukraine is allegedly a tool of the West to undermine Russian statehood.

The third episode of the Ukraine Inc. cartoon series about Volodymyr Zelenskyi was released by an allegedly French animation studio. The authors write that the cartoon shows the “strict everyday life” of Ukraine, and Zelenskyi sends the Ukrainians to the “meat grinder”. In the third episode, the president of Ukraine changes his face to ask for money from partners, and at the end of the series he tries to escape with this money. It's fake.

According to specialists from the Center for Countering Disinformation, it is impossible to find a mention of the French studio on the Internet, and news about the series is spread by the Kremlin propaganda media. Therefore, it follows from this that the Russians themselves created the animated series.

Russian propaganda uses ridicule tactics to create the illusion that the President of Ukraine is despised in Europe. Thus, propagandists are trying to manipulate the feelings of Ukrainians. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the first episode of the Ukraine Inc. cartoon, which says that Zelenskyi, at the request of the West, launches a “military meat grinder”, meaning that he is escorting Ukrainians to death.

Telegram channels spreading propaganda rhetoric reported that Zelenskyi allegedly said he was carrying a gun with him to shoot himself. “It’s even scary to imagine where he wears it”, propagandists write. This is manipulation.

The case drew the attention of specialists from the VoxCheck project. Volodymyr Zelenskyi did say in an interview with Dmytro Komarov that he carries a pistol with him and knows how to shoot, but he needs it for self-defense. In the film “Year. Behind the scenes”, when Komarov asks why he needs a gun, Zelenskyi replies: “No, what are you talking about, we are not killing ourselves. But shooting - yes”.

Russian propaganda is systematically trying to discredit Zelenskyi and sow discouragement among Ukrainian society. Like, Zelenskyi is ready to commit suicide at any moment, and left without a head of state, Ukraine will lose the war. Earlier, Detector Media denied fakes that Zelenskyi allegedly has a Russian passport and allegedly is supporting Russia, because he wears shoes with the letter “Z”.