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

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

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

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

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

The propaganda telegram channels are spreading information that Russian soldiers are paid bonuses for the elimination of “foreign mercenaries” fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They say that for the elimination of a “foreign mercenary” who is a US citizen, they give 5 thousand dollars, and for a citizen of Poland - 1.5 thousand dollars, etc. In reporting this, the propagandists refer to the British tabloid Daily Express, which allegedly provided the relevant data.

However, in reality, this information is not true. The Daily Express did not publish the relevant data either on its website or in its social networks. Using Google's reverse image search function, it was possible to find out that the original source of the dissemination of the data on the “bonus for the elimination of “foreign mercenaries”” is a pro-Russian social network user X. Therefore, it is likely that the above infographics were created by the propagandists themselves, distributing it on behalf of an authoritative publication. And the fact that this information was disseminated exclusively in the Russian segment of the network is an additional argument in favor of its falsity.

By spreading such disinformation, the Russians are trying to feed the narrative about the alleged presence of “foreign mercenaries” in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Yes, Russia is allegedly fighting not only with Ukraine, but with the entire “collective West”.

Earlier, we analyzed the fake news that a “foreign mercenary” – a US Air Force serviceman – was killed as a result of a Russian missile strike on an airfield in the Khmelnytskyi region.

Russian sources are distributing a photo of a homemade wooden cross and a plaque attached to it. It says: “Here lie the unidentified remains of a defender of Ukraine, No. 214350”. “And how many of these are there throughout the country?”, this is how Russians are commenting on the image of the alleged burial of an unknown Ukrainian soldier who died during the fighting. In addition, they draw attention to the lack of flowers on the grave - this is supposed to indicate a lack of respect on the part of society for Ukrainian soldiers who give their lives in the war.

However, in reality, this photo is fake. This is reported in the StopFake project. Firstly, the parts of the sentence on the sign do not agree with each other - “here rest (instead of “rest”) the unidentified remains of a defender”. Secondly, despite the fact that the word “unidentified” is appropriate in this context, in real burials of unknown soldiers, it is customary to use the phrase “temporarily unidentified” to emphasize that the identification of the soldier and the search for his relatives are ongoing. In particular, this can be seen in the photo of the corresponding burials of 2015 in Dnipro.

Additionally, using the Forensically tool, StopFake journalists found that the propagandists had changed the inscription on the cross in a photo editor. The Error Level Analysis function showed that in the image of the area, the signs without text look significantly darker, while in the unedited photo, flat surfaces and uniform textures should have the same color.

Finally, in cases where it is not possible to immediately identify the deceased soldier, the body is kept in the morgue for a certain period of time, DNA material is collected from it (to continue identifying the soldier and searching for his relatives), and then buried with military honors. When the deceased is identified, his relatives have the right to rebury the body.

The Black Tulip humanitarian mission also takes care of the dignified burial of fallen Ukrainian soldiers. The search group returns home the bodies of soldiers that cannot be immediately removed from the battlefield due to intense fighting or mining. Accordingly, the propaganda message about the careless burial of Ukrainian soldiers does not correspond to reality.

Earlier, we analyzed a fake about the alleged theft of personal belongings of a Ukrainian fighter at his funeral.

The Center for Countering Disinformation reported that the Russians created a fake website that outwardly copies the official web portal of the State Border Service of Ukraine. The purpose of creating this website is to spread disinformation and steal personal data of Ukrainian citizens. Thanks to the measures taken, the resource imitating the official website of the State Border Service of Ukraine was blocked.

The official page of the State Border Service of Ukraine is located at this web address: https://dpsu.gov.ua/

The  Center for Countering Disinformation adds that it is possible to distinguish a real page from a fake one using its domain: only official websites of the government portal have the gov.ua domain.

Earlier we wrote about eight fake chats that copied the official “Main Intelligence Bot”.

Videos of military equipment located along the road are being distributed online. The descriptions of the corresponding videos say that this is allegedly Ukrainian equipment that was hit in the Kursk region, where it remains.

In fact, this information is fake, the VoxCheck project reports. The video shows Russian equipment that Ukrainian troops managed to capture as a result of military operations. At the beginning, a tank is visible, a photo of which was published back in 2022.

Further on, at the 16th second of the video, one can see an advertisement for Best Mix pet food in Ukrainian from the Ukrainian company Inbel. It could not be placed in the Kursk region.

Finally, OSINT analyst "EjShahid" established that the video was filmed in the village of Myrne in Donetsk region. It is located at a great distance from the Russian-Ukrainian border. The analyst additionally confirms that the video shows captured Russian tanks.

The purpose of the fake is to convince everyone around that the Kursk operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly makes no sense and entails huge losses for Ukraine, both in personnel and equipment. Earlier, we refuted the information that 74% of Ukrainians are against the Kursk operation.

Russian propaganda sources are distributing a video on behalf of the UNITED24 platform, which states that Ukraine is allegedly planning to recruit Polish military personnel to work in the Territorial center of procurement and social support in December 2024.

However, this information is not true. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation after verifying this “news” on the initiative of UNITED24 itself. They did not create such content and, accordingly, did not distribute it.

The purpose of this fake is to cause discord between the Ukrainian and Polish peoples, as well as to discredit the cooperation between Ukraine and its partners. We have previously refuted a number of similar fakes, where Russians spread disinformation on behalf of the UNITED24 platform. For example, in the Kursk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are “massively poisoned by food” from local stores.

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

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

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

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

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

On October 14-15, more than 1,500 fake bomb threats were sent out in Ukraine, targeting schools, universities, business centers, media, courts, and diplomatic missions, including the US Embassy. Among the institutions that received these letters were also more than 60 Ukrainian embassies abroad, the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reports.

The author of the letters accused Radio Svoboda (Liberty) journalists Iryna Sysak, Valeriia Yehoshyna and Yuliia Khymeryk. The reason was their investigation into the FSB recruiting children to commit arson. Investigators from Scheme established that the sender of the letters lives in occupied Crimea and has a Russian passport. The letters were signed on behalf of the Fire Cells Group, a group that calls for attacks on Ukrainian military personnel and the Territorial center of procurement and social support employees via Telegram, promising a reward of up to $1,000 for the execution of crimes.

The SBU considers these actions to be part of a Russian information and psychological operation aimed at increasing panic and destabilizing society, in particular by undermining trust in government institutions and the military.

Propagandists, including Russian government officials, are spreading information in the media that Russia does not threaten other countries, unlike NATO. This message has been refuted by experts from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

In recent years, Russia has not only waged military campaigns against its neighbors, but also resorted to direct and indirect aggression against Western states. Sabotage in Poland and the Baltics, poisoning in Salisbury, cyber attacks and election interference are evidence of Russia’s active aggressive policy. It also tries to divide Western society by promoting narratives about NATO’s alleged provocative role. In parallel, threats to use nuclear weapons are voiced, such as plans to strike Poland or London, in order to sow fear and reduce support for defense strategies.

Such statements are aimed at presenting Russia as a state provoked by Western countries, thus justifying its own aggressive actions in Ukraine and other regions. This is aimed at easing international sanctions and renewing business ties with Western companies. In this way, propagandists are also trying to convince European society that aid to Ukraine and support for NATO are economically disadvantageous and provoke conflicts. This message is aimed at reducing the level of support among citizens of European countries. And these information operations are aimed at weakening international support for Ukraine, isolating the country in the diplomatic arena and forming mistrust of Western defense initiatives.

Propagandists are spreading information in the media that French President Emmanuel Macron is funding Ukrainian military recruitment offices to mobilize Ukrainians for war. These statements are based on statements by Florian Philippot, a former MEP and populist politician known for his pro-Russian rhetoric. This is reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

They say Philippot was an ally of Marie Le Pen. He regularly voices theses that coincide with Russian propaganda, such as demands that Ukraine return military aid to the West. His statements are used to discredit Western support for Ukraine and to give the French a false impression of an allied relationship with Ukraine.

The idea of “using” Ukrainians for foreign interests undermines morale and destroys solidarity within Ukraine. Propagandists seek to create the false impression among the French that aid to Ukraine is a financial burden on their country. Statements such as “France is paying for mobilization” are intended to create the impression that the war in Ukraine is a burden for Europe, provoking anti-Ukrainian sentiment among European voters. The use of statements by politicians such as Philippot aims to reinforce disinformation with the authority of public figures, even if their positions are marginal and pro-Russian.

Such messages are part of a broader Kremlin information war aimed at undermining international support for Ukraine and creating conflicts between Ukraine and its Western partners.