To promote their narratives and undermine the situation in Ukraine, Russians are massively purchasing and creating channels on Telegram and other social networks. Representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate Andrii Yusov said this on Radio Svoboda (Liberty).

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine writes that in order to destabilize and influence the socio-political situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin is taking the following actions:

• to achieve the goals of promoting Russian narratives and destabilizing the situation in Ukraine, a massive purchase and creation of telegram channels is being carried out;

• bot farms are being created that amplify Russian rhetoric on social networks;

• The GUR has lists of people whom Moscow can attract to disseminate Russian narratives and influence the socio-political situation, but their data has not yet been disclosed;

• narratives are disseminated both in Ukraine and abroad.

We urge you to be careful and trust only verified sources of information.

Russian resources are disseminating information that the situation in Crimea has been taken under full control after Putin’s decision and the actions of the Russian army. They say that this “ensured the preservation of peace and stability”. The corresponding statement was made by the ex-chairman of the Crimean State Committee for Interethnic Relations and Deported Citizens Smyrnov.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine denied this information. In fact, the introduction of Russian troops to the peninsula provided not “peace and stability”, but occupation. In 2014, the Russian military forced residents of the peninsula to vote “correctly” for Russia. This is what is happening today in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular in Crimea. That is, we are not talking about “ensuring peace and order on the peninsula”, but about limiting rights and freedoms.

After 2014, Crimea turned into a huge military base, from where the Russians launch missiles at peaceful Ukrainian cities, where they store military equipment and conduct military exercises.

Read also: Turkey allegedly admitted that Crimea “is Russian territory and will always be so”.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels are disseminating information that the 119th separate territorial defense brigade in the Chernihiv region has allegedly begun recruiting into its ranks “girls aged 16 to 30 who will be deployed in frontline positions”. Claiming this, propagandists refer to a message from the official page of the 119th separate territorial defense brigade on the social network Facebook.

In fact, this information is not true. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council writes about this. The mentioned message talks about conducting classes with the civilian population, in particular, on the rules of handling weapons. It does not talk about recruiting girls to the 119th separate territorial defense brigade.

With this fake, Russian propaganda nourishes the message that “women, children and pensioners are about to be mobilized into the army”. However, according to the legislation of Ukraine, under martial law, men from 18 to 60 years old are considered liable for military service. In addition, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated on December 19, 2023 that he would not sign the law on conscription of women. Previously, we denied information that the Russian military allegedly captured a pregnant Ukrainian serviceman.

Russian telegram channels are distributing a video in which allegedly soldiers of the Third Separate Assault Brigade (3rd Separate Assault Brigade) shot Russians in a trench who were trying to surrender.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine stated that this video recording was obviously staged. Firstly, in the video one can trace the artificial Ukrainian actors - “fighters”. Secondly, the “killed man” suddenly began to move. In fact, Ukraine adheres to the Geneva Conventions and treats prisoners humanely. The Russian army has repeatedly shot Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered.

Thus, propagandists encourage the Russian military to kill every Ukrainian, even unarmed ones, without hesitation, they say, “look, they do this!” In addition, in this case, Russian propaganda uses tactics of reflection, that is, they bring forward the same accusations against Ukraine as it does against Russia. Only the Ukrainian side has real grounds for this, unlike Russia, because, for example, only on February 18-20, 2024, cases of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian occupiers near Avdiivka, Vesele and Robotyne were recorded.

Read also: While studying in Germany, Ukrainian soldiers allegedly boast about the atrocities they commit against Russians

Russian media are disseminating information that soldiers of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center allegedly died while trying to gain a foothold on the Tendra Spit in the northern part of the Black Sea, off the coast of the Kherson region.

This information is not true. The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine reports that in fact, the military of the 73rd Special Operations Center took their last battle after successfully completing a special mission, when they ensured the withdrawal of the main forces of the group.

“The heroic and extremely complex combat work of the Special Operations Forces units on land, at sea and deep behind enemy lines is the daily contribution of the Special Operations Forces soldiers to victory over the enemy. Always remember at what cost our freedom is fought”, the Special Operations Forces command notes.