Spilnota Detector Media
Detector Media collects and documents real-time chronicles of the Kremlin disinformation about the Russian invasion. Ukraine for decades has been suffering from Kremlin disinformation. Here we document all narratives, messages, and tactics, which Russia is using from February 17th, 2022. Reminder: the increasing of shelling and fighting by militants happened on the 17th of February 2022 on the territory of Ukraine. Russian propaganda blames Ukraine for these actions.

On 24 December, on the 1034th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2605
Fake
776
Manipulation
753
Message
541
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Fake Disinformation: Ukrainian volunteers allegedly transferring Russian products from Kursk region to Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in Kharkiv region

Photos of products allegedly from the Kursk region, which were “looted” by the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade, have been distributed in Russian Telegram channels. Servicemen of this unit allegedly transfer products from Russian territory through volunteers to fighters of the same brigade located in the Kharkiv region.

However, this is not true, the VoxCheck project writes. On the contrary, in the corresponding message, the volunteers indicate that the products are sent to the military in the Kursk region, and not from it. In addition, the products have Ukrainian names, and some of them are fresh baked goods, which would hardly be made in a combat zone. Also visible in the photo are various canned goods - they were prepared by Ukrainian volunteers who are helping the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade.

With this fake, the Russians are trying to discredit Ukrainian volunteers once again. Earlier, we refuted the information that Ukrainian volunteers allegedly handed over an exploded trench candle to the military.

Disclosure Russians pass off last year's footage of Moscow strike as footage of attack on Israel

A video of a drone hitting one of the towers of the Moscow City business center on July 30, 2023 was distributed in the Russian segment of the Internet, and this attack was presented as a strike on the Israeli city of Eilat on October 1, 2024. To make the video more believable, Hebrew text was added to the video.

To verify that this is a still frame of the explosion in the Moscow City business center area, it is enough to use Google's reverse image search tool. Thus, it was possible to find out that the corresponding video appeared online in July 2023 after the attack on Moscow.

It should be noted that this is not the only ancient video that has been passed off as an Iranian attack on Israel on October 1, 2024. Logically Facts fact-checkers have recorded and debunked a number of other similar cases.

Thus, the propagandists are trying to exaggerate the consequences of the recent attack on Israeli cities. Israel, in turn, admits that some Iranian missiles did hit air bases, but assures that this did not cause significant damage to infrastructure or weapons.

We previously analyzed the Russian message that the wars in Ukraine and Israel are “not an accident”, since the United States is allegedly creating unstable zones with its own hands.

Fake Disinformation: during Zelenskyi's speech at the 79th UN General Assembly in the United States, the hall was practically empty

Pro-Russian telegram channels spread information that almost no one came to see President Zelenskyi speak from the UN rostrum at the 79th General Assembly of the organization. The hall was allegedly almost empty, only a few people came. The propagandists explained this by saying that everyone was simply tired of the “Ukrainian crisis”.

However, this information is fake. If one watches the broadcast of the speech of the President of Ukraine, one can see the opposite. Representatives of delegations of many countries were present in the hall. In particular, this is clearly noticeable at 2:21 and 14:23 minutes of the video.

This disinformation was spread as part of a campaign to discredit Zelenskyi, also feeding the narrative of his “illegitimacy” after May 21, 2024. The propagandists fear the all-round support of Ukraine by its partners, so they claim that in reality everyone is already fed up with the “Ukrainian crisis”.

Read also: Show-off against the backdrop of global problems: how Russian propaganda portrays Zelenskyi’s visit to the US – MediaSapiens.

Fake Russia lies that Ukrainian instructors train terrorists in Syria

Russian propaganda is once again spreading information that Ukrainian instructors, together with the US, are allegedly training international terrorists in Syria. Now Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has joined in spreading this message.

However, this is a fake, writes the Center for Countering Disinformation. This disinformation has already been spread more than once by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, without providing any evidence.

The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, an officer of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, Andrii Kovalenko, believes that the main focus of this campaign is directed at the Middle East, the countries of the Global South, and the American information field. He added that this is the key information threat at the international level.

Thus, the Russians are trying to claim that Ukraine is a “terrorist state”. However, in reality, it is Russia that supports militants in Syria, who have used, in particular, chemical weapons. Moscow also maintains relations with the Taliban, Hezbollah, Hamas, and ISIS.

We previously refuted information that Ukraine and NATO are preparing provocations in Syria.

Fake The FSB allegedly detained Ukrainian intelligence officers, disinformation

Russian propaganda resources are spreading reports that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) allegedly detained employees of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR MO) who were trying to enter Russia from Lithuania. The goal of the Ukrainian intelligence officers was to “gather information about border security and kidnap a child”.

In fact, this information is not true. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation after verifying this news. They also added that Ukrainian intelligence does not use such methods, and this statement is another provocation by Russian special services.

The purpose of the fake is to discredit Ukrainian intelligence officers and demonize them in the eyes of ordinary Russians, because in addition to “collecting information”,  they allegedly also wanted to “steal a child”. Earlier, we wrote about eight fake chats that copied the official “Main Intelligence Bot”.

Fake Disinformation spread online that the Mexican president refused to come to Ukraine calling Zelenskyi a “drug addict”

A number of pro-Russian internet users have spread the “news” that the newly elected Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum allegedly explained her refusal to visit Ukraine by saying that if she wanted to see a “drug addict” (allegedly referring to Zelenskyi), she would have taken a walk in the Mexican city of Tijuana.

However, this information is not true. This is reported by journalists from the StopFake project. The original source of the disinformation is social network user X Olha Bazova. She publishes and distributes pro-Russian messages, although the description of this profile in English states: “I specialize in humorous political analysis, exposing hypocrisy and satire”. In response to her post, the author of the account even noted that this was a joke and the President of Mexico did not make such statements. However, part of the audience perceived the statement as true (as was intended), and distributed the “news” without specifying that it was fake.

It should be noted that the newly elected Mexican president did indeed decline an invitation to visit Ukraine. However, she explained this by saying that she wanted to focus on the domestic political situation, and not “unwillingness to meet with drug addict Zelenskyi”. Claudia Sheinbaum does not plan to travel much in office, and therefore will only attend the most important international events. The president also added that she will continue her predecessor's policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries and will support the peaceful resolution of all conflicts.

Recently, the Mexican Foreign Ministry sent Putin an invitation to the inauguration of the new president, but another Russian representative will attend the ceremony instead. Ukraine has called on the state to arrest the Russian president if he arrives, since Mexico recognizes the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023, but the Mexican side has rejected this request as well.

With this fake news, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit Zelenskyi and claim that international leaders are neglecting the Ukrainian president. We previously wrote about the fake news that Zelenskyi was invited to speak at a drug rehabilitation center because he is a “good role model”.

Orest Slyvenko, Artur Koldomasov, Vitalii Mykhailiv, Oleksandra Kotenko, Oleksandr Siedin, Kostiantyn Zadyraka, and Oleksiy Pivtorak are collaborating on this chronicle. Lesia Bidochko serves as the project coordinator, while Ksenia Ilyuk is the author of the project.