American economist Jeffrey Sachs claimed that the US allegedly “organized a conspiracy” to overthrow the regime of Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine in February 2014. In addition, according to the economist, the US wanted to use the opportunity to “get to Russia” and support the “jihadist movement inside Russia” during the Chechen wars. Supposedly, this is why Russian aggression against Ukraine is actually American.

The claim that the United States orchestrated a “plot” to overthrow President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 is baseless and manipulative. The events of the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, which led to the resignation of Yanukovych, were caused by mass popular protests over his decision to abandon the course of European integration and sign an agreement with Russia. It was an internal protest of the Ukrainian people against corruption and an authoritarian regime, not external interference. Unlike Russia’s aggressive actions in annexing Crimea and carrying out military aggression in the Donbas, the United States did not interfere in the internal affairs of Ukraine with the aim of removing its president.

Jeffrey Sachs is trying to present the war in Ukraine not as a result of Russia’s aggressive policy, but as a consequence of American influence on post-Soviet countries. This is a distortion of the essence of the war. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, like the annexation of Crimea in 2014, was initiated by Russia without justification. Ukraine is defending its independence and territorial integrity, and the United States and other Western countries support it in this fight in accordance with international law.

This message is an attempt to shift responsibility for Russian aggression to the United States and distort the essence of the conflict in Ukraine. It is based on baseless accusations and conspiracy theories that have no confirmation from authoritative international sources. The war in Ukraine is the result of Russian aggression, and US support is aimed at protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within the framework of international law.

Former adviser to the US Secretary of Defense Douglas MacGregor made a statement that allegedly French journalists conducted an investigation and received testimony from eyewitnesses who claimed that there were no Russians in the Ukrainian cities where mass killings were recorded. According to him, Ukrainians killed their fellow citizens to create the impression that these were crimes of Russian troops. This is written by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

However, this statement is baseless and contradicts the findings of numerous international investigations that have confirmed Russian war crimes in cities such as Bucha, Izium, Mariupol and others. Russian troops are responsible for mass killings of civilians, which has been documented by various human rights organizations and journalists. Such fake news is spread in order to whitewash Russia's reputation and discredit Ukraine.

Russian propaganda seeks to shift the blame for war crimes onto Ukraine itself, diverting attention from the real facts and documented evidence of Russian military atrocities. The purpose of spreading such claims is to encourage foreign audiences to question the objectivity of international investigations and accusations against Russia in order to ease pressure on it from the international community. Through such fakes, pro-Russian narratives attempt to discredit the Ukrainian army and leadership, creating the false impression that Ukraine is allegedly committing crimes against its own people, which could reduce support from Western countries. This type of disinformation is part of a broader Russian hybrid warfare campaign, where propaganda messages are used to undermine trust in Ukrainian institutions and attempt to raise doubts about international support for Ukraine. Russia systematically attempts to create a parallel information space where the events of the war are distorted in order to legitimize its own actions and justify aggression.

In Lviv, a Telegram channel was distributing information about possible terrorist attacks in schools. The channel quickly gained popularity, reaching more than 2,500 participants before it was blocked, the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reported.

As the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs noted, the channel was administered from Russian territory. This is another case of disinformation aimed at spreading panic and destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. The threats of terrorist attacks in Lviv schools mentioned in the channel are not confirmed.

Intimidation of the population and the spread of rumors about possible terrorist attacks in educational institutions create fear and uncertainty about security. Such messages cause anxiety among parents and schoolchildren, which negatively affects the morale of the population. Due to the spread of rumors and panic, propaganda is trying to undermine trust in local authorities and law enforcement agencies, forcing citizens to believe that the authorities are not able to ensure security in their own country. Fake threats and manipulative statements contribute to disorientation in the information space, reducing trust in official sources of information and increasing faith in anonymous channels that spread false news. This disinformation distracts citizens from important events, focusing on fictitious threats, which at the same time gives Russia room to implement its aggressive plans. Spreading fear through social networks and instant messengers is a tool of hybrid warfare that Russia uses to increase pressure on Ukrainian society and demoralize citizens during the war.

Fraudsters have launched eight fake chatbots that copy the official “Main Intelligence Bot” in name, description and appearance. The main goal of these fake resources is to mislead Ukrainians, especially those living in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT), in order to obtain confidential information or distort communication. This is written by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

Attackers create these bots to collect sensitive data from the population and misinform citizens. This can be used to pass personal information to hostile forces or to undermine trust in government agencies, in particular the GUR.

The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) notes that the use of such bots is extremely dangerous and calls on citizens not to transmit any information through them.

Links to the real GUR bot can be found on the official GUR website or on their verified social media pages marked with a blue or green checkmark.

Proven methods of communication with the GUR: the official chatbot of the Main Intelligence Directorate – @gur_official_bot; email: gur_official@proton.me; via Signal and WhatsApp: +38 096 945 53 41.

The spread of fakes about cooperation with terrorist groups is aimed at destroying Ukraine’s reputation with its international partners. It is an attempt to create an image of Ukraine as a country that supports terrorism. Accusing Ukraine of recruiting militants is aimed at distracting attention from Russia’s own actions, which are actively recruiting Syrian mercenaries to fight against Ukraine. This is part of a broader Russian propaganda strategy. This fake is also aimed at a domestic audience, where such statements can undermine trust in the Ukrainian government and military. Russia is trying to create fear and mistrust in the Ukrainian defense forces, making people believe that they are using “dubious” mercenaries to defend the country.

Russian propagandists are claiming in the media that Ukraine allegedly handed over drones to a radical Islamist group in Syria in exchange for a detachment of militants who will join the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to them, this information is based on “sources in the Syrian opposition”. However, this is an unfounded accusation that has no evidence.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes about this. Its experts emphasized that it is Russia that is actively recruiting Syrian mercenaries for the war against Ukraine. As reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, Russia is recruiting the population of war-torn Syria, promising them Russian passports and paid work, from which few return alive. Russia has created a scheme by which Syrians are recruited through travel agencies to “work” in the protection of oil provinces, and then motivated to participate in military operations with promises of high salaries.