The pro-Russian segment of the Internet has widely disseminated information that 395 members of the European Parliament voted against an amendment during a plenary session on Thursday, September 19, 2024, requiring Ukraine to apologize to Poland for the Volyn tragedy. The corresponding amendment to the European Parliament resolution on further financial and military support for Ukraine from EU countries was allegedly introduced by the “Europe of Sovereign Nations” group. In turn, Russian propagandists commented on the refusal to vote for this amendment as follows: “The Banderas were allowed not to apologize for the wild atrocities that the OUN-UPA committed in Volyn”.

The Europe of Sovereign Nations group, which is inclined towards pro-Russian initiatives and is controlled by the pro-Russian German far-right party Alternative for Germany, did indeed introduce this amendment to the resolution, as some Polish media wrote. However, as the propagandists themselves claim, even four Polish MEPs (three from The Left and one from The Third Way) voted against the amendment.

In addition, Ukraine has already officially asked Poland for forgiveness for the Volyn tragedy and forgave the crimes committed by the Poles against Ukrainians. In 2014, the then President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, during his speech before both houses of the Polish parliament and in the presence of the then Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, said in the context of the Volyn tragedy: “We forgive and ask for forgiveness”. Subsequently, in 2016, Kravchuk, Yushchenko, the heads of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church asked the Poles for forgiveness for the Volyn tragedy, signing an open appeal to Poland and Polish society. The text, in particular, said: “We ask for forgiveness for the crimes and insults committed - this is our main motive. We ask for forgiveness and also forgive the crimes and injustices committed against us”.

Russian propagandists regularly speculate on the Volyn tragedy, a sensitive topic for Ukrainian and Polish society. They manipulate information and spread corresponding fakes in order to cause discord between citizens of both countries and spoil diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Poland. Earlier, we refuted the information that the Babel publication allegedly published a quote from a Ukrainian director with the idea for the film “Volyn Chainsaw Massacre”.

The Center for Countering Disinformation reports that a large number of propaganda events are taking place in the occupied territories of Ukraine, where Russia draws parallels between the present and the events of World War II. In particular, the DPR court recognized the crimes of the Nazis in the region during World War II as genocide. Russia is presented as the heir to the “great victory” over Nazism, and its aggression against Ukraine is portrayed as a continuation of this struggle.

Also, in the occupied territories, thematic events to attract the public are constantly organized, propaganda films are released and broadcast. The Center for Countering Disinformation writes that in this way, Kremlin propaganda seeks to change the historical memory and consciousness of the residents of the occupied territories, drawing them into a single Russian socio-cultural space.

The Kremlin uses manipulations on the topic of World War II to consolidate support among the population and create the image of an “external enemy”. By speculating on the topic of the “heroic past”, the occupation authorities seek to distract the attention of the local population from economic and social difficulties, as well as from the repressions that “unreliable” residents of the occupied territories systematically experience.

Kremlin propaganda has launched a large-scale information campaign for the anniversary of the pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories. This was reported by the Center for Counteracting Disinformation.

Pro-Russian resources on the Internet cite statements by Putin and Kremlin-controlled Gauleiters regarding the so-called “reunification holiday”. Propaganda mass actions are also being held to create a “festive atmosphere”.

The Kremlin promotes the “happy occupation” narrative, constantly emphasizing how the occupied territories are supposedly “flourishing” under the Russian flag. In this way, Russia justifies the war against Ukraine.

The CPD adds that in reality all the Kremlin's statements about “improving life” in the occupied territories are outright and cynical lies, the purpose of which is to distract the population from the war crimes of the Russian army in Ukraine. The occupied territories are in a humanitarian crisis due to Russian aggression, destruction of infrastructure and violation of human rights. Life in the occupied territories is accompanied by repression and violence against the local civilian population.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service claims that the special services of NATO countries and Ukraine are allegedly preparing a provocation using chemical weapons in Syria together with local armed groups. They are allegedly going to blame Russia for this.

In fact, these accusations against the Ukrainian special services and NATO are groundless and unsubstantiated. Moreover, such theses are not the first time that Russian propagandists have made them. The Center for Countering Disinformation writes that this is one of the strategies of the information war waged by Russia.

In fact, Russia is one of the causes of instability in the Middle East and may commit a provocation in Syria, the Center for Countering Disinformation adds. Previously, Russian propaganda justified the use of chemical weapons in Syria by Bashar al-Assad's allied forces. That is, Moscow provides political support to authoritarian regimes that have killed thousands of civilians, which further undermines global security.

Against the backdrop of tensions in the Middle East, Kremlin propaganda is trying to use this situation to create a negative context around Ukraine. Thus, Russia continues to promote the narrative of “Ukrainian terrorism” to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community.

Russian propagandists are spreading information that there is an energy collapse in Kharkiv “due to the Kursk adventure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”. They add that all thermal power plants have been destroyed, “the city is completely left without electricity and heat”, and local residents “will not survive the winter and will freeze”. That is, propagandists assure that the destruction of power generation facilities in the Kharkiv region is allegedly a consequence of the Kursk breakthrough of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for which Russia is “taking revenge”.

In fact, this is disinformation, writes the StopFake project. Indeed, according to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, the Russians have actually completely destroyed all thermal power plants in the Kharkiv region. At the same time, Shmyhal assured that the government focused on the problems of the region and sent mobile units to the Kharkiv region. Also, as the Prime Minister reported, Ukraine has created a reserve of sustainability for the generation of electricity and heat. International partners, within the framework of the Energy Support Fund, financed the purchase of distribution generation equipment with a capacity of 170 MW. In addition, Ukraine is waiting for the delivery of another 291 units and 101 block-modular boiler houses.

To get through the autumn-winter period, the Kharkiv region received 35 cogeneration units. Of these, 21 have been put into operation, and another 13 will be put into operation by the end of this year. In the end, the region managed to decentralize heat and power generation, as well as reconstruct some of the facilities - that is why the city has almost uninterrupted electricity and water, despite constant Russian attacks.

Boiler houses, central heating points and heating networks of the Kharkiv region as of September 2024 are more than 90% ready for the heating season. Social facilities are more than 98% ready. Also, most institutions have generators and full autonomy in the field of water and heat supply.

StopFake journalists add that the 2023-2024 heating season in the Kharkiv region was as successful as it was possible under the conditions of constant Russian shelling. There were 518 boiler houses in the region and the city, heat was supplied to 7.6 thousand apartment buildings out of 8.2 thousand - that is, more than 90% of subscribers had heating in their apartments.

This fake news is part of the Russian disinformation campaign about a “hungry and cold” Ukraine, which Russia has once again started promoting ahead of the new heating season. Read more about what messages the Kremlin propaganda is spreading about the coming winter in the article by the Detector Media Research Center: Ukrainians are in for a terrible winter. What propagandists are writing on Telegram about the Ukrainian winter of 2024-2025