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 25 December, on the 1035th day of the full-scale war, our editorial office recorded:

2605
Fake
776
Manipulation
755
Message
542
Disclosure
Русскій фейк, іді на***!

Fake In Ukraine, they are allegedly looking for a choir artist or vocalist to “propaganda LGBT ideology”

Propagandists are distributing on social networks a screenshot of a supposedly real vacancy from the Free Charitable Organization, where they are looking for a choir artist or vocalist who preaches the importance and tolerance of LGBT ideology to parishioners. However, this is a fake photo.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that, judging by the design of the vacancy, the advertisement was posted on the job search site Work.ua. However, they could not find this vacancy on this site. Moreover, the address indicated on the official website of the fund differs from the address in the screenshot. Additionally, the photo was checked using the FotoForensics tool, which showed signs of editing.

Also on the official Facebook page of the Svoboda Charitable Organization it is noted that this screenshot is fake, and the organization is not looking for vocalists. This is another attempt to discredit the organization’s activities by unscrupulous users, as well as to cause skepticism towards the LGBT movement in Ukraine.

Fake A Swedish company allegedly released the energy drink “Tears of Zelenskyi”

Propagandists are distributing messages on anonymous telegram channels about the release of an energy drink called “Tears of Zelenskyi” by a Swedish company, along with a corresponding photo. However, this is a fake photo.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that OVRHYPD does not produce such a drink with the appropriate name and design. The fake makers edited the photo, replacing the original name of the drink with “Tears of Zelenskyi”.

A search under the name “Tears of Zelenskyi” did not return any results, but under the name of another drink, “Snot juice”, the fact-checkers found the drink company OVRHYPD. However, on their website and social networks there is not a single drink with the name “Tears of Zelenskyi” or the face of the Ukrainian president on the packaging. Russian resources mainly wrote about this “new” drink.

Using a reverse photo search on Google Images, the original image was found posted on the US website Reddit on December 27, 2023. There was not a single energy drink with Zelenskyi's face on it, but instead of the name “Tears of Zelenskyi” - “F*ck You You F*ckin' F*ck”. In addition, the propagandists made other changes to the photo, removing the drawing of a condom from the red and blue cans and the drawing of a penis from the white can.

Propagandists spread such fakes to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

Fake American student was allegedly expelled for singing a song about Putin at campus

Propagandists on anonymous telegram channels that spread pro-Russian rhetoric are publishing a video that in the United States a student was allegedly expelled from the University of Florida because he publicly sang a song about Volodymyr Putin in Russian. A deduction letter is included with the video. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. Based on the phrase “Did a brave thing at Campus Square today”, which is shown in the video, they found the original video on Tiktok. In it, the man sings a different song, not in Russian, and the video does not contain any mention of expulsion from the university.

In the tags for the video, the singer indicated that there is a South African singer, University of Johannesburg and UJ student, which indicates that he is likely a student at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

In addition, in the video, the man noted that he performed the song near Campus Square. A Google Maps search revealed that there is a shopping center with the same name in the city of Johannesburg. The image of the location on Google Maps matches the location in the video - this is indicated by blue and black signs and inscriptions on them, a black iron fence and the presence of sand on the street.

Therefore, there is no talk at all about the University of Florida or expulsion from it because of the performance of the song. To forge the expulsion letter, Russian propagandists used a real university admission letter, which can be found in open sources. This is confirmed by identical signatures on both documents.

Propagandists spread such fake news to discredit Ukraine’s Western partners and create a false impression of a better situation in Russia. They say America is a hypocrite because it censors its students.

Fake Propagandists came up with a fake about a Ukrainian military man who sold amphetamine in the Rivne region

Propagandists on anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric are spreading information that the National Police of Rivne allegedly detained a military man from the 14th separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Roman the Great for selling amphetamine. The authors of this report claim that the soldier went on leave, and two days later he was detained while transferring a narcotic substance. The text notes that the man allegedly brought amphetamine from near Kupiansk, where the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to the authors, has established drug supplies. In addition, the military man allegedly intended to sell the remainder that had not yet been distributed on the front line. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that a report from the National Police in the Rivne region mentioned the arrest of a man involved in selling drugs already in early January 2024. There is no mention that the detainee was a military man of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the police, the attacker is in a pre-trial detention center and has been charged with committing a crime that could result in up to 10 years in prison.

It should also be noted that information about the detention of a military man has not been confirmed in the Ukrainian media or on the website of the National Police in the Rivne region. This news was disseminated by only a few Russian resources, which indicates attempts to discredit Ukrainian military personnel. Russian media have not provided any evidence to support their claim. Previously, Detector Media had already refuted such fakes aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Fake Arestovych allegedly accused Zaluzhnyi of shooting down the Il-76 aircraft

A video is being distributed online in which a former freelance adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, Oleksii Arestovych, allegedly accuses Valerii Zaluzhnyi of shooting down the Il-76 aircraft in order to frame the Office of the President. The video also states that there were supposedly Azov brigade prisoners of war on board of the plane. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that Arestovych never made such statements, and the video was a deepfake made with the help of artificial intelligence. No evidence or comments from Arestovych on social networks were found to support this story. In addition, incorrect facial expressions and the discrepancy between the term “Azov Regiment” and the actual name of the brigade indicate falsification. The results of testing the video using tools such as Deepware and AI Speech Classifier confirmed the possibility of creating it using AI. In addition, experts discovered that the footage used to create this fake was taken from a live broadcast on Arestovych’s YouTube channel, but the speaker did not mention the Il-76, and the reticence occurred the day before the event.

Propagandists create and spread such fake news to divert attention from the crimes of the Russians and incite controversy among the political elite of Ukraine.

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.