About 1600 years ago, Germanic tribes migrated to the British Isles. Today these tribes are known as the Anglo-Saxons. In the terminology of Russian propaganda, this word is used in relation to the British, residents of Great Britain, Americans, Australians, Canadians and representatives of other nations who speak English. Moreover, the term “Anglo-Saxons” designates English-speaking Westerners specifically as “evil”, “warlike”, and “morally corrupt”. “Arrogant Saxons” is a word with the same meaning as “Anglo-Saxons”, but with an additional emphasis on the supposed arrogance, rudeness and insolence of citizens of Western countries.

In November 2021, the press secretary of the Russian President Pieskov, commenting on publications in the American press that Russia was preparing an invasion of Ukraine, said that “the Anglo-Saxon media are whipping up hysteria”. In January 2022, Pieskov again resorted to similar rhetoric: “The Anglo-Saxons, of course, are significantly increasing tension on the European continent. Here we Europeans have something to think about”. In these two cases, one can trace the tactics of reflection typical of Russian propaganda, used, in particular, to divert attention from the real state of affairs.

In 2022, while presenting the World Cup match between England and the USA, a “journalist” from a Russian TV channel called British football players “arrogant Saxons”,  thus demonstrating his disrespect for them. And he did it twice in half a minute. It is not surprising in fact, because a few months earlier in the mentioned incident, the same “journalist-TV presenter” called the Polish football players who refused to play with Russia in the selection for the 2022 World Cup “vile creatures”. It is significant that he said this with a “Z” symbol on the T-shirt - a symbol of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The use of the words “Anglo-Saxons” or “arrogant-Saxons” serves to reinforce narratives of supposedly Western imperialism and interventionism, portraying these countries as orchestrators of events or policies that harm Russia and perhaps even its allies. That is, the “Anglo-Saxon world” in the minds of Russian propaganda is trying to conquer and dominate.

Contrasting the Western community and Russians, propaganda also resorts to the term “Westerns”. As a negative universal term, the word “Anglo-Saxons” is also widely used by propagandists in the context of conspiracy theories. The Detector Media has a section with the appropriate name, the materials of which can be viewed here.

Information is being spread online that the leadership of the Kharkiv regional military administration, led by Ihor Terekhov, is preparing to flee the city. “Proof” of this statement is the allocation of funds for road repairs in the area of Liubotyn and Korotych (Kharkiv region).

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council reports that reports about the alleged “flight” of the city administration from Kharkiv are untrue and are an information and psychological operation of the Russians.

According to the deputy chairman of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Vadym Skibitskyi, today the invaders do not have enough forces and means to launch a powerful offensive operation in the western strategic direction (Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kyiv region). In addition, at the beginning of 2024, the press officer of the command of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Volodymyr Fitio, said that the northern border is constantly being strengthened, and the number of Russian troops stationed on this section of the border is constantly being monitored.

By spreading this disinformation, propagandists aim to sow panic among the people of Ukraine, in particular among the residents of Kharkiv and the region. Russian propaganda has previously spread disinformation about the “surrender of Kharkiv”. In the Detector Media podcast called “Russian fake, fuc* you!” in the issue dated May 23, 2022, we refuted “the preparation of Kharkiv for surrender to the Russians”.

This information is disseminated by pro-Kremlin resources. According to propagandists, the incident occurred near the border village of Slatyne.

The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council says that this is another fake by Russian propagandists. In fact, the victims were blown up by an explosive device installed by the Russians in the forest belt between Velyki Prohody and Slatyne (Kharkiv region). This was reported by the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office. The men were aged 32 and 19 years old, both residents of the village of Slatyne. The prosecutor's office established that they went to the forest to cut firewood for household needs.

Russian propagandists spread such fake news in order to demonize the Ukrainian military. However, it is the Russian army that is to blame for the death of these men, because Slatyne is an occupied territory. In all likelihood, during the flight from the Kharkiv region, the Russians left traps, in particular in the form of anti-personnel mines.

Read also: As a result of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ shelling of a “bakery” in Lysychansk, 28 “civilians” were allegedly killed

Lists of Ukrainian prisoners, whom Ukraine does not seem to want to return, are being circulated on social networks. These are the names and surnames of real people in Russian captivity. However, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reports that the Russian side did not offer these lists for exchange.

They also noted that Ukraine has a significant exchange fund and is ready to exchange “all for all”. However, Russia is not interested in bringing its military personnel home. The Coordination Headquarters continues negotiations for the speedy release of all Ukrainians caught in Russian captivity and living there in the most difficult conditions.

Russian propaganda continues to speculate on the feelings of Ukrainians whose relatives were captured or are considered missing, because they regard this as a lever of influence on Ukrainian society. The Coordination Headquarters writes that new exchanges are being prepared and calls on Ukrainian society to remain united and not trust the enemy and his provocations.

Pro-Russian resources disseminate information that the decision to overpower the residents of the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, who supported Ukraine, was made due to fears of lynching against them. The corresponding statement was made by the “governor” of the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, Balytskyi.

In fact, this information is not true. This is written about in the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. The eviction of Ukrainians from their homes is not a forced measure, but forced deportation. This is part of the Russian campaign aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity. The mayor of Melitopol Fedorov said that the Russians are preparing a mass settlement of the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region with residents from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. That is, the occupiers want to evict “undesirable” Ukrainians and move doctors, teachers, engineers, fighters, etc. into the housing taken away by force from distant regions of Russia.

All the statements of propagandists about “caring for Ukrainians” have nothing to do with reality - in fact, the invaders cruelly abuse the residents of TOT and deprive them of any rights and freedoms, forcing them to receive Russian passports and vote for Putin. We previously wrote that the Russians sent SMS messages to residents of Zaporizhzhia about supposedly evacuating the city, but in fact it was a fake story.