Russian propagandists are spreading information that the son of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, supports Russia. The so-called “ataman of the Cossack society of Australia” Semen Boikov recorded a video from the Russian Consulate General in Sydney, in which Ivan Syrskyi, allegedly the son of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, “congratulated the Russian army on the defeat of the Ukrainian military in Avdiivka”.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Security analyzed this information. In fact, Ivan Syrskyi, who became the “hero” of the video, is not the son of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He is the son of Oleksandr Syrskyi's ex-wife from her other marriage. The commander-in-chief did not adopt Ivan, and broke up with his mother back in 2009.

The ex-wife of Oleksandr Syrskyi left with her children and new husband for Australia 14 years ago. Colonel General Syrskyi does not maintain any relations with her family. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council has already written about this.

In this case, propagandists seek to discredit Oleksandr Syrskyi. In addition, the purpose of such stuffing is to demotivate Ukrainians and make them despair of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Previously, in the Newspeak section, we wrote about how and why the word “virus”  was again remembered in Russia after the appointment of Oleksandr Syrskyi to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Such information is distributed by pro-Russian telegram channels. Like, the military wanted to take revenge on the “military commissar” (an employee of the Territorial center of procurement and social support), who forcibly mobilized him more than a year ago. The man allegedly remembered the identity of the one who sent him to his death, and all this time he lived with the goal of killing him. Returning home, the soldier allegedly tracked down an employee of the Territorial center of procurement and social support, but hesitated to blow him up with a grenade and was detained on the spot.

In fact, this information is not true. On February 20, 2024, a man in military uniform who threatened to detonate a grenade was actually detained at the Pryvoz market in Odesa. However, there is no confirmed information on the Internet that in this way he wanted to take revenge on the representative of the Territorial center of procurement and social support, who allegedly sent him to the front. This is nothing but an invention of Russian propaganda.

Thus, Russia once again discredits the mobilization process in Ukraine and uses this fake to nourish the message that “mobilized men will sooner or later start tracking down and killing Territorial centers of procurement and social support workers who sent them to the front”.

Let us remind you that there are no military commissariats in Ukraine anymore, so it is incorrect to use this phrase. They were renamed into Territorial centers of recruitment and social support.

• Read also: An employee of the Territorial center of procurement and social support allegedly called the wife of a soldier a “katsap woman”.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are distributing a video with a survey of Odesa residents answering the question: “In your opinion, how to stop the war in Ukraine?” The majority of those surveyed are in favor of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Propagandists present it this way, as if “the majority of Odesa residents are for peace”.

In fact, such a survey cannot be called representative, that is, generally corresponding to the real sentiments of all residents of Odesa regarding the end of the war in Ukraine. In the video one can hear the opinions of only 11 passers-by. Also, the author of the video could have edited it “in his own way”, and not in the way people actually responded. That is, 30 people, for example, could actually take part in the survey, but only 11 people could be selectively shown in the video. Specialists from the VoxCheck project write about this.

In the summer of 2023, the American research organization Gallup conducted a series of surveys in Ukrainian-controlled territories. In one of the articles in the form of a report, they noted that 60% of Ukrainians surveyed want Ukraine to continue to fight for victory. Only 31% of all respondents support ending the war through peaceful negotiations with Russia. However, in the south of Ukraine this mark is higher - 41% of respondents support the negotiations.

The Ukrainian survey was conducted for Independence Day 2023 in the territories that Ukraine controlled at that time. 2019 respondents over 18 years old took part in the survey. In particular, they were asked what the Ukrainian leadership should do if Russia intensifies rocket attacks, which will lead to an increase in the number of civilian casualties. Only 23% of respondents in this case are in favor of negotiations with Russia. At the same time, in the south, among those surveyed, 38.5% were in favor of negotiations if Russia intensifies shelling of Ukraine, and in the east - 31.9%.

By distributing manipulative information online, propagandists intend to assure everyone around them that Ukrainians have long been ready to enter into peace negotiations, but supposedly the “Kyiv regime” does not want this. In particular, in this way, the creators of the video are trying to split the people of Ukraine. Previously, we analyzed the manipulation that almost half of Ukrainians in the front-line territories are ready to agree to territorial concessions for the sake of peace.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are disseminating information that the bookmaker Betfair has begun accepting bets on which city the Ukrainian Armed Forces will leave next. As confirmation of their own statements, Russian propagandists distribute an image with corresponding content. According to them, “Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kherson, Kharkiv, Odesa and even Kyiv are at stake”.

In fact, this is another Russian fake. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. There is no section with bets on the war in Ukraine on the official Betfair website. Accordingly, the image distributed by propagandists is fake.

The purpose of such fakes is to create the illusion of the Kremlin’s control over the situation in Ukraine and to assure that Russia’s victory is inevitable. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not intend to give up their positions, and partner countries continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, thereby making their contribution to the speedy de-occupation of the territories occupied by Russia.

• Read also: Betting on political assassinations in Ukraine has allegedly gained popularity in the United States

On the Internet, pro-Kremlin resources promote the message that “the city of Avdiivka, liberated by Russian troops, has returned home”. The Russians have already managed to film a report with the same name.

In fact, Avdiivka, like a number of other cities, villages and towns in Ukraine, never belonged to Russia. It is meant total destruction, genocide and terrorism by “liberation” and “return home” - the whole essence of the “Russian world”.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Security reminds that Russia is not here forever. Avdiivka and all temporarily occupied cities and villages will definitely be deoccupied. This is only a matter of time, which depends on many factors, in particular, on the military support of Ukraine by its partners.

This message is aimed at the internal population of Russia, the vast majority of whom will not even be able to find Avdiivka on the map. Such “statements” pursue purely propaganda purposes. Previously, we analyzed the propaganda message that supposedly Kherson is waiting for Russia.