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.

Propagandists in the Russian media spread information that the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi is no longer alive and that he was replaced with a double. Like, in the latest videos, Zaluzhnyi has a different eye color. It's fake.

Analysts of the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They watched the relevant videos and saw that Zaluzhnyi's eye color was still the same. The propagandists simply chose a shot that was beneficial to them, where the light falls so that the eyes appear brown, not blue. In addition, in all media materials released later, the color of the eyes is gray.

 By writing such stories, propagandists want to demoralize the Ukrainian population and cause panic among them. Like, the commander-in-chief was killed, which means that now the Ukrainian army is doomed to failure. However, they have repeatedly tried to personally discredit Zaluzhnyi and arouse distrust in him. For example, inventing fakes that he and his family are laundering funds abroad.

Similar theses were heard on the air of Russian propaganda TV channels and media. They say that the German authorities are silent about the war crimes of the Ukrainians, and the Ukrainian military, who came to study in Germany, show videos of the torture and execution of Russian prisoners of war. Russian propaganda says that Ukrainians are more interested in ways to intimidate the enemy than in exercises, and refers to the words of General of the Bundeswehr Andreas Marlow, who allegedly spoke about this. “They praise the punitive operations that the SS troops carried out during World War II, they show the swastika”,  Marlow allegedly said. He seems to be trying to get through to the German courts, but he and other German officers are ordered to be silent, otherwise they will be fired. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of The Insider media drew attention to the case. Propaganda telegram channels refer to the telegram channel Übersicht Ukraine, which, in all likelihood, was the first to publish an article with a “statement” by Andreas Marlow with the headline German General Confirms Ukraine’s War Crimes. The channel itself does not name its sources, but the description states: this channel offers translated content from Russian sites for the German-speaking region. We do not advocate war or violence.

In February, General Marlow gave an interview to the German television channel ntv Nachrichten, where he spoke about the Ukrainian military: “What strikes me deeply is the seriousness and motivation of the people who come to us. They are inquisitive and would rather not stop learning and exercising as much as possible”. That is, in fact, Marlow expressed directly opposite opinions to those that were disseminated by the propagandists.

Russian propaganda systematically spreads the narrative that Ukrainians are Nazis and murderers. And as if the West supports them in this. Thus, Russia is trying to shift responsibility from the aggressor to the victim of aggression. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that Zelenskyi allegedly wore a sweater with Nazi symbols to a meeting with the Pope.

Screenshots of the alleged cover of the magazine with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi are distributed in the Russian segment of Facebook, telegram channels and Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. In the caricature, Zaluzhnyi and the Ukrainian soldiers are sitting in a boat and sailing along the Styx River - the river, according to mythology, is a transition to the other world. This cartoon is fake.

Myth Detector specialists drew attention to the case. There was no such cover in any May issue of Courrier International, including the special issue. On May 25, a cover was published with serial number 1699, which does not include Zaluzhnyi. This is the last issue of the magazine to date. However, Russian propaganda published a detailed cover on the edition numbered 1700. Also, Courrier International's website does not have this cartoon in the specials section.

Thus, propagandists are trying to show that the West is allegedly tired of the war and really supports Russia, while in Ukraine they do not value human lives. Earlier, Detector Media debunked such reports, in particular, the “cover” of The New European with a caricature of Zelenskyi.

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 telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say the West is preparing to lose the war because the Ukrainian counteroffensive will fail. The West does not expect anything from Ukraine, so it plans the future of Ukraine as if it had already failed the counteroffensive. In support of this thesis, the authors refer to the material of the publication Foreign Affairs.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the case and determined that the Foreign Affairs article did not say anything about the need to plan for the future of Ukraine “already after the failure of the counteroffensive”. The authors of the fake just came up with these theses from the material. At the same time, the authors of the article wrote that the West should plan to support Ukraine in the long term, since now there is no clear plan after the counteroffensive. The authors went on to highlight how Western officials have repeatedly said they will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

By spreading this fake, propagandists are trying to show that the West is desperate in Ukraine. Allegedly, they no longer want to support Ukraine, because they know that it will lose. Thus, the authors undermine confidence in the West as a strategic partner of Ukraine.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that Ukraine is allegedly planning to pass a law (the draft law No. 8225) allowing the authorities to alienate real estate - houses and land plots. Allegedly, Ukraine will transfer the houses to the property of “Polish mercenaries” who fought in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the case, and found that the draft law No. 8225 nowhere states that land or real estate will be given away to “Polish mercenaries” free of charge. The draft law refers exclusively to the use of seized real estate for the construction, restoration or reconstruction of critical infrastructure facilities of categories I and II.

This draft law is an addition to the law “On the alienation of land plots, other real estate objects located on them, in private ownership, for public needs or for reasons of public need”. That is, it regulates the alienation of land plots for the construction or reconstruction of critical infrastructure facilities. Thus, according to the authors of the draft, they facilitate the transfer of a land plot of communal or private property to the state for the restoration of infrastructure.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that in Odesa they have already begun to recruit schoolchildren for the front under the guise of summer volunteer work. The authors attach a screenshot of a Google form (allegedly spread by the school administration), where, they say, children are asked if “they have a desire to work in the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the summer”. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the case, and they determined that the information about the trip of children to the front was false. In Ukraine, children are not recruited to serve in the army - those liable for military service from 18 to 60 years old are subject to mobilization. At the same time, the Google form contains many spelling errors indicating the use of third-party services, such as a translator. For example, in the column from the full name in the screenshot, the Name, Last name and letter O is shown (from “patronymic” - in Russian). The description of the survey itself is also misspelled: “we ask for your opinion on improving the work of the school”. It is most likely that this survey was compiled using Google Translate.

Propagandists systematically spread fakes and manipulations on the topic of “total mobilization” among young men and women, because they are allegedly mobilized because there is no one else. Thus, the authors of the messages seek to convince that the Ukrainian leadership violates its own laws and mobilizes children, women, and students.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that people living in Africa or the Middle East are calling to take part in the war against Russia on the side of Ukraine. Allegedly, people are “attracted” by EU citizenship. The authors of the messages add a screenshot of an ad on a job search website, which offers to join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and note that employers will be able to provide an accelerated acquisition of EU citizenship. It is not true.

The case was taken up by Reuters fact-checkers, who turned to officials for comment in order to find out “the EU citizenship program”. At the same time, the representative of the EU Commission said that the ad has nothing to do with EU initiatives, because they did not implement or finance something similar. The speaker also added that he is sure that the ad  is part of a disinformation campaign against Ukraine and the European Union. Since there is no document certifying exclusively EU citizenship. EU citizenship is determined by the presence of citizenship of one of the EU member states. In other words, any citizen of a country of the European Union is considered a citizen of the Union. And “EU citizenship” is just a term that allows a person to better understand his or her belonging to the Union. That is, it is impossible to obtain “EU citizenship” and not become a citizen of one of the states of the European Union.

By spreading this fake, the authors are trying to show that there is no one to fight in Ukraine. Allegedly, people are already being recruited to the front, using various baits such as “EU citizenship”.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyryl Budanov, announced his intention to exterminate three million residents of Crimea. Allegedly, he said that people in the Crimea will be "physically destroyed", as they are imbued with Russian propaganda. The authors refer to Kyryl Budanov's interview for the documentary film “Year” and add a video excerpt from the film. It's a lie.

The case was noticed by the VoxCheck project specialists, who found that the video had been edited. The phrase about the “physical destruction of people” was mounted on several different answers by Budanov. In fact, in an interview for the documentary film “Year”, Kyryl Budanov said that after the victory he plans to go to Sevastopol. However, he added that after the victory, the process of reintegration of Ukrainian territories would be lengthy. He did not mention the so-called destruction of civilians. However, he added that the physical destruction of enemies concerns Russian soldiers who committed war crimes in the temporarily occupied territories. These parts were compiled to make it look like Kyryl  Budanov is talking about killing civilians.

By spreading such a fake, propagandists seek to once again nourish the narrative about the existence of Nazi Ukrainians who are ready to kill civilians. Therefore, the Russians whitewash themselves and justify a large-scale war and daily war crimes. Allegedly, the goal of Ukraine is to destroy the Russians, so they are defending themselves.

Kremlin propaganda telegram channels are spreading the word that the US is handing over Abrams tanks to Ukraine without depleted uranium to keep it out of the Russians. Russian propaganda refers to a USA Today article, according to which Western partners allegedly believe that the Ukrainian military is unprofessional, therefore they remove secret equipment because they fear that the tanks will fall into the hands of the Russians. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the Vox Check project drew attention to the case. The US is indeed removing secret equipment in case the Russians seize one of the vehicles and use it for reconnaissance. The transfer of equipment to Ukraine without unique armor made of uranium is no exception. Egypt, Thailand, Saudi Arabia or Iraq have already received such tanks. And with armor they were delivered to Poland and Australia. However, the USA Today article did not talk about the low assessment of the training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In this way, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Western partners who give weapons to Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian military who are allegedly poorly fighting. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that the Ukrainian military is massively complaining about equipment supplied by the United States.

This thesis was spread on telegram channels and Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Allegedly, Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi was seriously injured and had an operation. Telegram channels write that no one except the Office of the President sees him, and “one can be skeptical about this information, but publicly Zaluzhnyi has not appeared in public for a long time, which only reinforces the rumors that everything is not all right with him”. It's fake.

Information about the serious injury of Valerii Zaluzhnyi has no evidence, because this is a conspiracy theory of Russian propagandists. The “death” of the Commander-in-Chief has been repeatedly refuted by Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar. Also, on May 24, 2023, Volodymyr Zelenskyi held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, after which he noted in his telegram that “the Commander-in-Chief, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the commanders of the Khortytsia and Tavria United strategic grouping of troops reported on operational information”. The presence of Zaluzhnyi at Headquarters was also confirmed by NSDC Secretary Oleksii Danilov, he wrote about it on Twitter.

On May 25, Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, blogger and journalist Anatolii Shtefan “Stirlitz” published a video with Valerii Zaluzhnyi. In the video, Shtefan says: “Finally, on May 25, I want an open terrible secret, a very terrible secret about the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, and then the camera is moved to the side where Valerii Zaluzhnyi is sitting at the table. The Commander-in-Chief thanked all Ukrainians and said: “Together we will definitely win and not only today”.

By spreading the narrative about the elimination of Ukrainian commanders, Russian propagandists are trying to sow panic among the Ukrainian population. Allegedly, no one will protect the Ukrainians without the military leadership. Also, these narratives should demoralize the Ukrainian military and encourage the Russian occupiers. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii  Zaluzhnyi was allegedly killed, and the commander of the territorial defense units, Ihor Tantsiura, was allegedly killed in Bakhmut.

The Kremlin propaganda media spread an article with the headline “The West has lost. The US revealed the truth about the Ukrainian counteroffensive”. In the text, military experts Michael Kofman and Rob Lee commented on the war in Ukraine. They allegedly stated that “The event pins hopes on a Ukrainian counter-offensive, but its outcome is unlikely to live up to expectations, instead giving Russia an advantage” and noted that “Putin may assume that this offensive is the highest point of Western assistance to Ukraine and that subsequently Russia will be able to deplete the Armed Forces”. It's fake.

The Insider drew attention to the case. In fact, the article by Kofman and Lee states that the future offensive of Ukraine, no matter how successful, will not lead to an immediate end to the war and that one must prepare for a protracted conflict.

“Ukraine may well succeed on the battlefield, but it will take time to turn military victories into political results”, the article says. Experts also noted that even if Ukraine wins a military victory or a series of victories, this does not mean that the war will end there. However, there is no question of Russia's advantage on the battlefield or recognition of the defeat of the West.

Thus, Russian propagandists continue to promote the narrative that Ukraine is dependent on the West and its interests in the war and wants to demoralize Ukrainians. Like, take a look, even American military experts do not believe in the victory of Ukraine. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that Ukraine is a tool of the West to undermine Russian statehood.

Anonymous telegram channels spreading pro-Russian rhetoric citing the Russian Defense Ministry claim that “in the interests of the Pentagon in Ukraine, the conditions for the uncontrolled transmission of avian influenza were studied”. This happened in the Kherson region, where strains capable of causing epidemics were studied. Also, “the US Department of Energy recruited specialists with experience and knowledge in the field of weapons of mass destruction to Ukraine”. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the Vox Check project drew attention to the case. As part of the program to reduce the biological threat, Ukrainian scientists really cooperated with American ones. Such studies are carried out around the world to counteract the spread of the virus in a particular area. Moreover, studies of bird migration and the transfer of the pathogen by them are also being investigated in Russia.

The fake about the biological laboratory in Kherson has been spreading since 2015, when Tetiana Tomilina, who ran for the role of the Kherson mayor, spoke about it as part of her election campaign. She subsequently became a collaborator. 

Russian propaganda also talks about the alleged “recruitment of specialists in weapons of mass destruction”. Probably, the reason for the spread of this fake was the training of the National Police, the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Border Service, which was supported by the International Program to Counter the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). These courses taught to identify “potential dual-use items and block their movement”.

Russian propagandists systematically spread fakes and manipulations on the development of biological weapons in Ukraine. This is part of the narrative that “the West rules Ukraine”. “U.S. Pentagon biolabs” have never existed in Ukraine, a Russian fake that has been circulating since 2010 and is one of the longest-running propaganda narratives. Earlier, Detector Media refuted the fake that Russia received more than twenty thousand documents confirming the work of American biological laboratories in Ukraine.

The Kremlin propaganda media are spreading information that the “Kyiv regime” allegedly deliberately raises the water level at the Kakhovka reservoir in order to “flood” the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The authorities are allegedly taking measures to “create conditions for forcing the Dnipro, in particular for seizing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”. It's fake.

The case was noticed by specialists from the StopFake project. Ukraine does not flood its own territories, and the increase in the water level in the Dnipro is due to spring floods. As hydrologist and candidate of geographical sciences Konstiantyn Danko noted in a StopFake commentary, flooding the Zaporizhzhia NPP is impossible, because “its infrastructure is designed by default for maximum levels in the Kakhovka reservoir”. According to him, 5 out of 6 hydroelectric power plants operate on the Dnipro cascade, which control and regulate the water level. The sixth is not working due to the capture by Russian troops.

The hydrologist also refutes the narrative that due to the uncontrolled release of water by Kyiv and due to powerful water pressure, it will break the dam of the Kakhovka reservoir. He notes that the structure was built with the calculation of all risks, both natural and anthropological, and the dam is able to withstand water pressure at high speed. But a breakthrough may occur due to the constant shelling of the dam by the Russians.

Russian propaganda also spreads the narrative that Ukraine deliberately held back water in early 2023 in order to drain the Kakhovka reservoir and cause a flood in the spring. According to the hydrologist, during the retreat from the right bank of the Dnipro in the fall of 2022, the Russian military blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station and opened the lock chambers in the engine room. Therefore, the integrity of the dam was violated, since then there has been a constant uncontrolled discharge of water at the Kakhovka reservoir.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to shift the responsibility for Russia's crimes onto Ukrainians. Russian propaganda uses the tactics of reflection, attributing its actions to opponents.  Detector Media refuted the fake that Ukraine allegedly stores weapons on the territory of the ZNPP.

Propagandists in the Russian media spread information that the population of Ukraine has decreased to 20 million people. They refer to a statement by former adviser to the US Secretary of Defense Douglas McGregor on May 18. It's fake.

Analysts of the StopFake project drew attention to it. They watched the relevant McGregor interview in its entirety and noticed that he actually made such a statement: “Yesterday I received evidence that less than 20 million people remained in Ukraine”. However, it is not known on the basis of what data the man made the following conclusions.

They also found out that the data is not true. According to the calculations of the UN Population Fund, 36.7 million people now live in Ukraine, taking into account the temporarily occupied territories. According to Ella Libanova, director of the MV Ptukh Institute of Demography and Social Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the population of Ukraine currently ranges from 28 to 34 million people, excluding the temporarily occupied territories. A more accurate number is currently impossible to establish due to inaccurate data regarding Ukrainians who crossed the border in western Ukraine.

Thus, propagandists want to artificially increase the scale of the problem and demoralize the Ukrainian population. Like, everything is so bad that it's time to end it all. However, the population of Ukraine is declining precisely because of the actions of the Russian army.

Propagandists on Russian telegram channels spread information that they allegedly organized the “export” of human organs in Ukraine with the help of transplant doctors from the United States. They also claim that the center where all the seized organs are taken is Lviv, and the Ukrainian military was wounded as the “source” of donor organs. It's fake.

Analysts of the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They analyzed the reports in the Russian media about the transplant doctor Robert Montgomery and found out that in fact the doctor comes to help the Ukrainians. For example, on April 18 of this year, the press service of the First Medical Association of Lviv reported that Montgomery had transplanted a kidney from his father to his son, who had been on dialysis for the last 13 years.

The propagandists made their material by distorting the Voice of America report on Montgomery. He is not involved in the export of donor organs abroad.

VoxCheck experts note that since 2019 in Ukraine there is an opportunity to be a posthumous donor, but only with the personal consent of an adult capable person. In addition, according to paragraph 4 of Article 17 of the Law of Ukraine “On the use of transplantation of anatomical materials in humans”, military personnel cannot be posthumous donors.

Analysts note that Lviv is not the only transplantation center in Ukraine where anatomical materials are transferred for donation. A large number of operations are also taking place in Kyiv, and 32 such centers operate throughout Ukraine.

Thus, propagandists want to shift the responsibility for the war against Ukraine to third parties. Like, the US is waging war for money, to sell organs for nothing. However, it is Russia that has attacked Ukraine and is conducting attacks against the civilian population, while the United States is helping to defend Ukraine.

Russian propagandists spread information online that during the attacks on Ternopil and Khmelnytskyi on May 13-14, warehouses with depleted uranium ammunition exploded. Like, that's why people are panicking: there is already an iodine deficiency in pharmacies, and residents are leaving the cities en masse. In addition, Russian experts say that materials for making a “dirty bomb” may also have exploded, since both beta and gamma radiation were allegedly recorded after the explosion. It's fake.

Analysts of the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that the local authorities denied the information about the explosions of ammunition. They also refuted the increased levels of radiation hazard. In addition, according to the Ternopil Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the level of background radiation in the Ternopil region on May 14 was within the normal range. Propagandists add screenshots from the SaveEcoBot portal, which allegedly shows a “sharp increase in radiation levels” just after the explosion, but in fact on the site you can see that after the explosions, the radiation level even decreased in the respective cities.

Moreover, there is no iodine deficiency in the pharmacies of Khmelnytskyi and Ternopil. According to information on Tabletki.ua, both an alcoholic solution of iodine and potassium iodide (in tablets) are available for sale in most pharmacies in these cities. Experts explain that potassium iodide is used when there is a threat of a radiation release in order to reduce the risk of thyroid diseases. However, these pills should be taken only after official notification and once, since it blocks the functioning of the thyroid gland. The use of an alcoholic solution of iodine or Lugol's solution is generally considered ineffective and may be harmful to health.

Thus, the propagandists want to cause panic among the local population and justify Russian attacks on the civilian population. Like, they only hit military warehouses, and now they have broken NATO ammunition. However, in reality, the Russians caused damage precisely to civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings and schools, which are a war crime.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. During rocket attacks on May 16 in Kyiv, the Russians managed to destroy five Patriot launchers, reports say. Like, with the help of one Kinzhal missile, the Russian army destroyed the entire Patriot complex. As evidence, the propagandists cite screenshots of the alleged sale of spare parts from the installation on one of the Ukrainian sites. It is not true.

The case was processed by StopFake project specialists, who, first of all, turned to the Patriot “spare parts” seller. He stated that he only assumes that these parts belong to the Patriot. In addition, the seller finds these and other parts in the open field and usually keeps them for their own collection or sells them on Internet auctions. As for the destruction of five launchers, this is also not true. First, on May 18, the Pentagon confirmed that the Patriot system was damaged (not destroyed) as a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine, but it has already been repaired. Secondly, the speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat, said that it is impossible to destroy the Patriot “in one blow”, since this is a division consisting of a command post, a radar, and also the launchers themselves (up to eight units). That is, neither the Pentagon nor the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed the destruction of five Patriot launchers. However, damage was confirmed to one repaired installation.

Propagandists spread such fakes to convince everyone of the effectiveness of Russian technology. It seems that it has no equal, but all Western equipment can be easily destroyed. Thus, the Russians want to create the appearance that the Russian troops are constantly winning. For example, we recently refuted a fake that the Russians allegedly destroyed the first Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that a “radioactive cloud” is heading towards Western Europe, resulting from the destruction of depleted uranium munitions. They say that the West handed over these dangerous ammunition to Ukraine. The authors refer to the statement of the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, Mykola Patrushev, who added that in Poland “an increase in radiation has already been recorded”. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of The Insider project investigated this case and found that, in fact, the level of radiation in Ukraine does not exceed the norm. This is evidenced by the map data of the Ukrainian chatbot SaveEcoBot, which monitors information on pollution in real time. That is, there is no “radioactive cloud”. Also, the State Atomic Agency of Poland on May 17 denied a report about an increase in the level of radiation in Poland, in particular, in the Lublin voivodeship.

Uranium in its pure form is a radioactive element, but not depleted. To put it simply, the projectile “does not emit light”. That is, the influence of radioactive radiation from depleted uranium is insignificant.

By spreading this message, propagandists are once again trying to promote the message that Western weapons being handed over to Ukraine only exacerbate the situation, and Ukraine is just a testing ground for Western weapons.

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”.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular in the Polish segment of Facebook. Reports say that Poland is immediately closing its borders and not letting anyone into the country. The authors of the messages emphasize that this ban is introduced primarily because of the “dangerous” Ukrainian refugees. Like, they can carry deadly diseases, such as dysentery. As evidence, the authors attach a video of a Polish blogger. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the Polish project Demagog analyzed the case and found that such information is not true. The borders of Poland are not closed and people can get into the country. Also, fact-checkers did not find this information on the website of the border service. They are sure that this is just information stuffing.

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.

The Kremlin propaganda media are spreading information that the Ukrainian allies are allegedly confident that the counteroffensive will fail. Russian propaganda refers to the words of the former commander of NATO forces in Europe, Ben Hodges, who believes that “Western countries are actually aware of the catastrophic situation of Ukraine at the front. Therefore, they have no doubt that sooner or later the Armed Forces of Ukraine will lose”. It's fake.

The case was noticed by specialists from the StopFake project. In fact, Ben Hodges, in an interview with Business Insider cited by the propaganda, did not talk about the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but on the contrary, he expressed “restrained optimism” about the effectiveness of the Ukrainian army, “considering the weakened, disorganized forces of Russia and the superior willpower of Ukraine”.

He also noted that it is necessary to abandon the view that the upcoming counteroffensive is decisive for victory. And in his opinion, the only thing that can spoil everything is “if the West puts such strong pressure on Ukraine that it will force them to stop before a complete victory”.

Thus, propagandists are trying to sow discouragement among Ukrainians before a future counteroffensive. They say that it will not be possible to defeat Russia, and Western partners also believe in this. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that if the Ukrainian military fails the counteroffensive, the West will stop supporting Ukraine.

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”.