This information was disseminated by pro-Russian resources, citing the “story” of the French France24. The TV channel host allegedly reported that French President Emmanuel Macron canceled his trip to Ukraine, planned for February 13-14, 2024, due to “preparation of an assassination attempt on him by the Ukrainian special services”. They say that the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, was preparing an assassination attempt on Macron, but the special operation was thwarted due to the transfer of information to the French side by the former commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

In fact, this information is not true. Yes, the French President really postponed his visit to Ukraine for security reasons. However, not because of the “attempt on his life”. Some Russian sites began to independently disseminate a refutation of this information with a link to the France 24 channel, since it did not publish such a story.

Propagandists referred to videos of very poor quality, making it difficult to verify whether it was a deepfake or not. However, due to the deepfake video detection tool DeepFake-O-Meter, it was possible to analyze it. The result is a credibility score indicating that the video is likely to be fake.

In addition, in a commentary to RBK-Ukraine, GUR representative Andrii Yusov stated that “this is another Russian special operation and information attack against Ukraine”.  “Thus, the enemy is trying to implement his so-called Maidan-3 plan to discredit Ukraine in the international arena and destabilize the situation within the country”, he added.

Propagandists spread this disinformation story online as France and Ukraine approach the finalization of a bilateral agreement on security guarantees for the latter. That is, by spreading such fakes, Russian propaganda is trying to prevent the signing of the agreement, since this is unprofitable for Russia.

Russian media continue to publish “analytical” materials on NATO exercise Steadfast Defender 2024. By spreading false narratives about “Alliance aggression against Russia”, pro-Kremlin media claims that the “real goal” of allied maneuvers is to “start” World War III and “capture” Ukraine. “In connection with the assessment of Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as the Arctic, as a potential site for the outbreak of conflict regarding the Union State, the United States and NATO countries are intensifying their military activities in this region”, Russian propagandists write.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to the message. They remind that Steadfast Defender is a regular deterrence exercise in which troops from across the Alliance train in defending European NATO allies rather than attacking third countries. The exercises do not pose a threat to Russia, and certainly are not aimed at reproducing maneuvers to “occupy” the Arctic, Ukraine or any other territory or state. The planning of the maneuvers took place long before they began, and information about their conduct was transmitted to other states. No NATO country has ever attacked another state under the guise of military exercises - this is unique to Russia, which launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in exactly this way.

The alliance, in light of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the possibility of its spreading to other European countries, has begun developing new defense plans in those areas that NATO believes Russia could use to launch an invasion. Therefore, the legend of the exercises involves the deployment of forces from North America and other parts of the Alliance to Eastern Europe in order to create the ability to counter a hypothetical large-scale threat to the allies.

The exercise involves approximately 90,000 troops from all NATO countries and involves more than 1,200 pieces of equipment, including ground combat equipment, naval weapons and aircraft. The maneuvers are multi-faceted, with allied forces demonstrating their individual and joint defenses on land, air, sea, cyber and space. Capabilities in various sectors show NATO's commitment to collective defense, regardless of the method of hypothetical attack.

This is truly the biggest military exercise in Europe since the Cold War, just as Russia's war in Ukraine is the biggest aggression on the continent since 1939. It was the Russian attack that became the impetus for the Alliance to mobilize all efforts to revise the defense plans of NATO countries. In February 2022, NATO member countries revised their Strategic Concept. The North Atlantic Alliance recognized Russia as “the most significant and direct threat” to security in Europe. However, separately for those who declare “NATO aggression”, the allied countries wrote out paragraph 9, which notes that “NATO does not seek confrontation and does not pose a threat to the Russian Federation”.

At the Vilnius NATO Summit in the summer of 2023, Alliance countries continued to develop new defense concepts to counter possible Russian aggression. These plans were not hidden from the public and were widely covered by the press. The summit noted that Russia's attack on Ukraine has forced NATO to strengthen its deterrence and defense efforts, as well as develop new regional plans and new force models using large numbers of allied troops. Now, during the Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise, allies are practicing precisely to improve their defense capabilities.

Users of social networks broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric are distributing a video allegedly produced by the American media company Bloomberg, with statements attributed to economist and author of the best-selling book “Rich Father, Poor Father” Robert Kiyosaki. Like, he called any financial investments in Ukraine “nonsense”. “He believes that helping Ukraine means passing money through a shredder, because Ukraine will disappear in the near future”, propagandists write. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They noticed that the video material distributed online imitates the design of videos from the Bloomberg news agency, including the company logo in the upper right corner of the frame. However, there is no corresponding material either on the official website or on the social networks of the American media company. Even if attackers use a media company’s logo, a mismatch in the video’s design (font and caption design) indicates that it is a fake. It should also be noted that most Bloomberg videos are published without a logo.

If a publication uses someone else's videos or photographs, the source must be indicated in the story. The video circulating online is a compilation of various video clips from old interviews with Robert Kiyosaki, but nowhere in the story is it mentioned where these clips were taken from. For example, a video clip in which Kiyosaki allegedly expresses his opinion about the absurdity of financial assistance to Ukraine appeared on the Internet four months ago. In it, an economist actually talks about investing.

StopFake was unable to find any evidence that Robert Kiosaki publicly opposed financial assistance for Ukraine. The last statements he made about Russian military aggression against Ukraine date back to February and March 2022. One can also find a video clip online where he expressed condolences to Ukrainians suffering from the war.

The purpose of this fake is to undermine partners’ trust in Ukraine and its financial support. They say that even economists do not consider such actions to be correct, therefore, this support must be stopped.

Russian media and telegram channels broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric are disseminating information, allegedly Dariia Kaleniuk from the Anti-Corruption Center expressed the claim that “Norway owes money to Ukraine because it makes money from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine”. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that it was created based on an interview with Dariia Kaleniuk on Radio NV. The conversation discussed which countries could help Ukraine if it does not receive support from the United States.

Dariia Kaleniuk noted that there are alternative sources of financing, including from Norway. She expressed the opinion that the Norwegians are ready to help Ukraine more and spoke about the Nansen program, which provides funding and support for humanitarian projects. Kaleniuk also emphasized that Norway has received significant revenues from gas sales as a result of the boycott of Russian gas, and expressed hope that Ukraine will be able to establish more active cooperation with Norway, including the appointment of an ambassador and military attaché in this country.

Russian propagandists spread such fake news to undermine confidence in Ukraine among its partners and create a negative image of Ukraine among its allies. Detector Media continued to refute Russian fakes regarding international partnership in the context of Ukraine.

This information is disseminated by pro-Russian resources. They say this happened after the Ukrainian Embassy in France allegedly wrote an official letter of appeal to French farmers calling on them to stop the protests. The letter allegedly said that “the people of Ukraine regret that French farmers, faced with the first economic difficulties, turned their backs on the French government and the Ukrainian people”. Ukrainian diplomats also called on the French to follow the example of the Ukrainians and unite for the sake of their own Motherland. This appeal allegedly angered French farmers, and they resorted to corresponding provocation. To confirm this information, propagandists refer to the “story” of the EuroNews TV channel on this topic.

In fact, this information is not true. The Ukrainian Embassy in France did not write a letter to French farmers, and EuroNews never published such a story. The latter is evidenced, in particular, by the fact that the corresponding video was not published on any of the channel’s official resources. In addition, the “news” about French farmers has already been refuted by BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh on his page on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

It should be noted that the Russian-language version of Euronews is known for its anti-Ukrainian editorial policy and the dissemination of Kremlin propaganda, but even there they did not publish the corresponding fake story.

On behalf of leading news resources, Russians are distributing fake videos online to discredit Ukraine. This video is the last of a series of similar ones. It is noteworthy that propagandists disseminated this disinformation story against the backdrop of France and Ukraine approaching the finalization of a bilateral agreement on security guarantees for the latter.

In the Russian segment of social networks, information is being circulated that the Olena Zelenska Foundation deceived the UAE government - after all, the country allocated 50 evacuation vehicles for humanitarian needs. At the same time, the foundation, together with the Ministry of Health, handed them over to military doctors, which anonymous people classify as an inappropriate use of assistance.

Analysts of the VoxCheck project explained that in this case there is not a single so-called deception. After all, the cars were transferred to hospitals in the front-line territories, and not directly to the military. The vehicles will be used by doctors in front-line areas to provide prompt assistance to the civilian population.

The recipient of the ambulances is the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, which carried out further distribution to those regions that most need special transport for medical evacuation and assistance. That is, on the Ukrainian side, it fulfilled the conditions for providing cars with a humanitarian function.

Anonymous telegram channels write that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal proposed to exclude Slovakia and Hungary from NATO — according to anonymous telegrams, the prime minister said that those countries “are not keeping up with the times”. This is a lie.

The VoxCheck analysts managed to analyze the case and establish that the “news” was originally published in a satirical Telegram channel. Subsequently, the information was circulated in the Russian segment of social networks as if it were true and reliable. At the same time, it is impossible to find information about the official's so-called “statement” in Shmyhal's social networks or by reverse Google search.

Russian media are actively distorting the decision of the International Court of Justice, adopted on January 31. Propagandists said that the Court rejected all of Kyiv's demands. Pro-Kremlin “experts” also claim that the Court’s decision supposedly confirms that “Russia honestly fulfilled its obligations to cooperate in the fight against the financing of terrorism”, and the Court itself “refused” to recognize Russia as an “aggressor state”. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that Ukraine, as a plaintiff, did not demand that the International Court of Justice recognize Russia as an aggressor, therefore all propaganda statements about this are disinformation. The court considered the case not on whether Russia is an aggressor state, but on whether it finances terrorism and promotes racial discrimination in the occupied Ukrainian territories. In particular, Ukraine accused Russia of violating the Conventions for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the Prohibition of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. We are talking about the beginning of Russia’s occupation of parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk regions and Crimea in 2014. The lawsuit did not directly address a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. On January 31, 2024, the International Court of Justice announced its decision on this claim. The court indeed rejected most of the Ukrainian arguments, among which was the payment of compensation to Ukraine. But he admitted that Russia violated the provisions of both Conventions. Thus, Russia is, at the highest possible level, officially recognized as a state violating international law. Although the Court rejected most of Ukraine's claims that Russia financed terrorism, this decision in no way confirms the “honesty of Russia”, as Russian propaganda claims. The court ruled that Russia refused to investigate allegations that funds were flowing from Russia to Ukraine for possible terrorist financing.

In terms of racial discrimination, Ukraine focused on accusations against Russia of committing illegal actions against the Crimean Tatars, the Mejlis, culture and religion. However, Ukraine’s arguments regarding the recognition of violations by Russia in Crimea of the right to assembly and freedom of speech, as well as Russia’s participation in the persecution, abductions and murders of Crimeans, did not satisfy the Court. However, it ruled that Russia had banned teaching in Ukrainian since its occupation of Crimea in 2014, limiting the rights of Ukrainians and thus violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The decision also states that Russia, with its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, violated the Court’s 2017 decision, which prohibited any action that could “worsen or prolong the dispute before the Court or complicate its resolution”. According to the Court, these actions “seriously undermined the basis of mutual trust and cooperation and thus made the resolution of the dispute more difficult”.

It should be noted that Russia manipulated the provisions of the Court’s decision in its favor, although previously Russian propaganda actively tried to discredit not only this international body, but also a number of other institutions. In particular, by spreading such manipulations, propagandists want to create the false impression that the international community has recognized Russia’s actions as lawful.

Russian propagandists are spreading the message proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. The bill on multiple citizenship is a preparation for the sale of Ukrainian territory. They say that the Ukrainian authorities will grant citizenship to Western businessmen so that they can buy Ukrainian land and enterprises and transport Ukrainian wealth to the EU or the USA.

This information is false. In fact, the Bill is intended to provide the opportunity to obtain Ukrainian passports, in particular, to representatives of the diaspora whose ancestors left Ukraine during various waves of emigration. Also, the proposed changes will allow a Ukrainian passport to foreigners who voluntarily defend Ukraine from Russian invasion. The bill does not provide for any preferences for the purchase of Ukrainian assets. This is stated by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

Thus, the Russians are trying to sow panic among Ukrainian society and split it. It should be noted that citizens of the aggressor country will not have the opportunity to obtain a Ukrainian passport. Previously, we analyzed the message that Ukraine would allegedly ask for new military loans and sell its lands at the economic forum in Davos.

On anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric, they write that Zelenskyi plans to purchase uranium from Niger for the manufacture of nuclear weapons. The authors of the fake explain that the purchase contract seemed to have been signed in November 2023 by the current Minister of Defense Rustem Umierov. At the same time, they cite the African publication Sene News, where journalists quoted one of their military personnel to support this thesis. It is not true.

The fact-checkers at the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council wrote that there were no official statements from Ukraine about the so-called “purchase of nuclear weapons”. And Rustem Umierov did not make any trips to Niger and did not sign such purchase contracts. That is, this is another stuffing of Russian propagandists who continue to replicate the Kremlin’s rhetoric about the use of “dirty weapons” against Russia including in order to justify unprovoked aggression and bloody war.

Read in our material why Moscow is implementing a disinformation campaign against Ukraine and why it lies about the use of nuclear weapons by Ukraine (and threatens nuclear bombing on its part).

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels write that Western F-16 fighters will be stationed at one of the airports in Moldova before being transferred to Ukraine. In asserting this, propagandists refer to the Minister of Defense of Moldova Anatolii Nosatyi, who allegedly made a corresponding statement.

In fact, this information is not true. This was reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Anatolii Nosatyi himself has already denied such news in a comment to Newsmaker: “They are aimed only at misinformation of citizens and discrediting the defense department. I would like to point out that all these messages are misinformation. I condemn and refute these fakes”.

The Minister of Moldova also said that in addition to Telegram channels, lies were spread by politicians who “want to destabilize the situation in the country”. Previously, we denied information that the Russian military had already destroyed several F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine.

Pro-Russian resources are spreading information that Romania is preparing to seize the Chernivtsi and Transcarpathian regions. In this regard, Bucharest is allegedly rapidly building a new highway, which was supposed to “transfer military armored vehicles”.

In fact, this information is false. This is written about in the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. The Romanian government fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and has no aggressive intentions or claims against the neighboring country. The construction of the expressway is purely for trade and infrastructure purposes.

The A7 motorway project, which politicians have named Autostrada Moldovei, is seen as a necessary element for the economic development of Romania's eastern regions; combination of the Black Sea with highways of Ukraine, Central and Eastern Europe. If this project is implemented, Ukraine will receive an additional route for export transportation by road, in particular to the port of Constanta.

Russian propaganda is trying to “create a quarrel” between Ukraine and its allies so that they weaken military assistance or stop providing it altogether. Previously, Detector Media already analyzed a similar fake, saying that Romania lays claim to part of Ukraine.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media claim that Western intelligence agencies have allegedly recognized the “effectiveness” of Russia’s massive air attacks on Ukraine. They refer to the “words” of the head of the intelligence center of the Estonian Armed Forces, Ants Kiviselg, who stated that “strikes by Russian long-range aviation and Kalibr missiles cause significant damage to military facilities in Ukraine, despite the fact that Kyiv denies this”. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that on January 12, during a press conference, Ants Kiviselg commented on the massive shelling of Russia, which increased during the New Year holidays. According to Kiviselg, the strikes on holidays are a deliberate act by the Russians, apparently to undermine the will of the Ukrainian people to defend themselves. Also, the head of the intelligence center of the Estonian Armed Forces indicated that Russia still has many different types of missiles and attack drones, which are simultaneously attacking the territory of Ukraine in different directions. According to Estonian intelligence services, the wave of attacks on December 29 and January 2 indicates Russia's fear of the entry of American F-16 fighters into Ukrainian arsenal. That is why, Kiviselg noted, the occupiers intensified shelling of Ukrainian infrastructure facilities.

It is important to note that the head of Estonian intelligence did not make statements about the “effectiveness” of such attacks or the “successful” defeat of Ukrainian targets - this is an invention of Russian propaganda. Propagandists not only took Kiviselg’s statements about Russia’s fear of Ukraine receiving F-16s out of context, but also removed any reference to the fact of the psychological impact on the civilian population of attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine. Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure facilities can be considered war crimes under international law that have no statute of limitations.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric through social networks claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi admitted that only 30% of American aid reaches Ukraine, with the rest remaining in the United States. They say that this indicates corruption schemes and kickbacks and therefore Zelenskyi will cease to be President. However, such statements are manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that the fact that a significant portion of US financial aid intended to support Ukraine goes to defense plants in the United States is not evidence of corruption or kickbacks. This is a legal procedure for providing military assistance to other countries, and information about it is publicly available.

During a press conference in Riga, Volodymyr Zelenskyi indeed noted that more than 70% of the allocated funds remain at American defense enterprises. The President explained that this is due to the fact that the cost of weapons provided to Ukraine does not include their free transfer, and American enterprises receive the funds for their services. However, this situation does not indicate any misunderstanding or misconduct, but is part of the normal procedure for providing military assistance.

The StopFake analysts point to an article by The Washington Post writer Marc Thiessen for more context on this process. In particular, this approach helps support the American economy by creating jobs and helping local businesses that support weapons production. This is not a corruption scheme, but a legitimate mechanism to promote defense production.

Propagandists spread such manipulations to reinforce their narrative of “corrupt Ukraine”. Detector Media has already written about other methods that Russia uses for this.

Pro-Kremlin resources are disseminating information that the Czech Republic refused to take part in a meeting of the UN Security Council, which was initiated by Russia, because it is afraid of responsibility for involvement in the shelling of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian territory (Belgorod).

This information is erroneous, the fact-checkers from the StopFake project report. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipovsky called Russian statements propaganda and added that Prague would be happy to appear at a meeting of the UN Security Council if its topic was the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. In addition, the Kremlin, in the form of an ultimatum, demanded that the Czech Republic participate in the meeting, but as a result was refused.

During a meeting of the UN Security Council, other allied countries of Ukraine reminded Russian representatives that the blame for everything that happened lies solely with Russia and the unprovoked war against Ukraine. During the meeting initiated by Russia, none of the countries came out in support of the Kremlin, so the meeting on the triumph of Russian propaganda turned into yet another accusation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Russian propaganda is trying to shift responsibility for the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine onto someone else’s shoulders, and also to present itself as a victim of its own aggression. In addition, this fake is another attempt to divert attention from the crimes of the Russian army against the civilian population of Ukraine and massive attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets. Previously, we analyzed Putin’s message that Russia allegedly does not violate the UN Charter.

Russian propagandists are disseminating information that President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s visit to the Baltic countries is an attempt, through the “advocate countries” of Ukraine, to obtain a positive vote in the EU for the allocation of new military loans. They say that without this, Ukraine has almost no chance of receiving financial assistance from the EU.

This information is not true, as explained by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. The real purpose of the visit of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the Baltic countries is to deepen cooperation with these states in many areas. In particular, in the area of security, integration into the EU and NATO, and military cooperation.

It should be noted that Zelenskyi’s visit to Lithuania has already brought significant results:

- work began on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees, as provided for in the Joint Declaration of the Group of Seven and the Ukrainian Peace Formula;

- Lithuanian officials approved a new package of military assistance worth 200 million euros, which included ammunition, detonation systems, armored vehicles, and training for the Ukrainian military;

- new agreements in the field of military-industrial complex and military cooperation were signed, support for the renewal of Ukraine continues.

Russian propaganda seeks to convince everyone that Europe is already tired of the war in Ukraine, so they no longer want to provide financial assistance to it. In addition, in this way, propagandists are trying to discredit Ukraine in the international political arena, saying that the Ukrainian leadership is “grasping at the last straw” to receive money from the EU to continue the war.

Propaganda resources are disseminating information that the Ukrainian delegation is going to the World Economic Forum in Davos to “beg new military loans from world business”. For this, the Ukrainian authorities allegedly want to give away state “lands and assets” for them.

In fact, the key goal of the participation of the Ukrainian delegation in the Davos Forum is to use this platform to promote the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council writes about this. In Davos, in particular, a meeting of national security advisers and political advisers to the leaders of Ukraine and Great Britain is planned on the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula.

It is worth noting that Russian messages on the topic of “sale of Ukrainian land” appeared back in 2020. It can be argued that Russian propaganda continues to voice its old “talking points”. Previously, we analyzed the message of propagandists that Russia has always strived for peace, but Ukraine does not want to “agree”.

Russian resources are disseminating information that the countries of the European Union “intend to seize” the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine in order to “free” use the mineral resources of the Ukrainian region. This thesis is based on a part of an interview taken out of context by German parliament member Roderich Kiesewetter, which he gave to the German television channel ARD. That is, the politician’s words were manipulated.

The fact-checkers from the StopFake project analyzed the information and found out that in fact, in the interview, the deputy reflected on the need to increase the level of assistance to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. Roderich Kiesewetter argued that the Ukrainian economy is necessary to provide the world market with certain goods. He also gave an example of the current crisis in the global food market and the risk of famine in the poorest countries left without Ukrainian grain after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Roderich Kiesewetter also mentioned large lithium deposits in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, access to which Ukraine lost after the start of Russian aggression back in 2014. That is, the politician’s opinion was that by seizing Ukrainian fields, Russia placed the EU under an energy blockade.

After the start of the spread of Russian disinformation online, Roderich Kiesewetter separately explained in an interview with the German newspaper Nordkurier that in an interview with ARD he spoke exclusively about the aggressive motives of Russia, which in 2014 began the occupation of Ukrainian regions rich in minerals.

“Raw materials in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are another interest and goal of Russia in this aggressive war, and this explains why [Russian — Ed.] slogans like “land in exchange for peace” are completely unrealistic. Ukraine must be able to survive economically as a country, including the Donetsk and Luhansk region, as well as the Black Sea ports that are needed for grain exports. That is why Crimea has not only symbolic significance, but also ensures the economic viability of Ukraine in the future”,  argued Roderich Kiesewetter. That is, the German deputy spoke about Ukrainian minerals purely in the context of the motives for Russian aggression and the need to support Ukraine in the war.

Propagandists manipulated the politician’s words as part of a broader Kremlin information campaign against Western countries that allegedly “started a war in Ukraine to divide it”. Let us recall that collectively, EU countries have allocated about $85.1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine as of October 6, 2023. Germany, Denmark and Poland turned out to be the largest sponsors of this issue. Claims that the EU wants to divide Ukraine and gain access to Ukrainian minerals through predatory means have no logical basis.

After each massive shelling of Ukraine, Russian propagandists claim that Ukrainian air defense is almost running out. They say this is due to the destruction of Western air defense systems by Russian “kinzhals” and the shortage of ammunition for them.

The Center for Strategic Communications at the National Security and Defense Council writes that in fact, air defense systems in Ukraine successfully destroy the majority of Russian missiles and UAVs, including hypersonic “daggers”. This is confirmed by the fact that ten out of ten “daggers” launched into Kyiv on the morning of January 2 were shot down. Ukrainian air defense is capable of repelling massive attacks using various types of weapons (ballistic and cruise missiles, kamikaze drones, etc.). Moreover, the protection of Ukrainian skies is constantly strengthened through cooperation with Ukraine’s international partners. In this regard, Russia is nervous and is trying to pass off wishful thinking.

The purpose of promoting such a message is to sow panic among the population of Ukraine in the face of new Russian shelling and despondency among Ukrainian defenders. Previously, we analyzed the message of Russian propaganda that all air defense systems seemed to be installed in Kyiv, so other cities of Ukraine are not protected.

Pro-Kremlin resources write that the transfer of Polish weapons to Ukraine falls under the definition of treason, since the supposed consequence of such a policy is that Poland remains disarmed. In asserting this, Russian media refer to a report by Przemysław Piasta in the newspaper Myśl Polska.

Journalists of the No Lies project examined this information. As it turns out, the online publication Myśl Polska often publishes Kremlin propaganda, so Przemysław Piasta’s text fits completely into the pro-Russian policy of this media. In reality, Poland is transferring to Ukraine the equipment it replaced with new ones, and is also fulfilling old contracts. That is, the country is actively strengthening its own army and helping Ukrainians.

Russian propaganda is once again trying to weaken military support for Ukraine by Western countries. In addition, by promoting such a message, propagandists seek to cultivate the negative attitude of Poles towards Ukraine and their leadership. Previously, we analyzed the propaganda message that Kyiv is allegedly “preparing a military provocation against Poland” in the event of a critical decline in support from Western countries.

Russian media responded to the launch of the new Black Sea coalition with disinformation messages that “Britain and Norway are escalating the situation in the Black Sea”. They argue that the international community's intention to protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea from attacks by the Russian army is a “new stage of aggression” against Russia.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to the message. They found that the work of the new coalition, which includes Great Britain and Norway, is aimed at long-term cooperation and aims to strengthen Ukraine's naval defense, as well as improve its ability to operate along its own coast. However, the main task of the allied countries is to provide assistance to Ukraine in opening trade routes and ensuring free passage of civilian ships in the Black Sea. From the new coalition, Ukraine will receive long-term support, including training, equipment and infrastructure to improve security in the Black Sea. In particular, on December 11, it became known that the British Royal Navy transferred two minesweepers to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to search for Russian mines, and Norway also announced the transfer of two more ships to Ukraine for demining the water area. StopFake analysts recall that the agreement on the transfer of two Royal Navy minesweepers to the Ukrainian Navy was signed back in 2021, before the full-scale Russian invasion, and in the summer of 2023 a ceremony for their commissioning took place.

Russia began growing the conflict zone in the Black and Azov Seas back in 2014, trying to limit Ukraine’s legal right to use its internal waters. Russian actions violate international law, and due to their systematic disregard for them, Russia was expelled from the Council of the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) in December 2023.

Russian media are deliberately misinterpreting these steps as an “escalation of the situation”, trying to separate them from their context and interpret them favorably in their favor. All this is done to present Russia as a victim.

According to information distributed by propagandists, Forbes allegedly published an article that Ukraine has created a tank brigade that has limited combat readiness and practically no tanks. However, this is manipulation.

The analysts from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that we are talking about the article Ukraine Has Formed a New Tank Brigade by David Ax, published on December 3 in Forbes. In it, the author writes about the 5th separate tank brigade (STBr).

He does not indicate the low combat readiness of the brigade or the absence of tanks in it. David Ax discusses the position of the 5th Tank Brigade, which was formed in 2016. He notes that the unit existed largely only on paper, but has recently begun to recruit and train, as evidenced by photographs published on December 2, 2023.

In his article, Ax also points out that Western partners provided Ukraine with different tanks, but in the photographs published on social networks they are not visible in brigades. However, he does not claim that the unit has no tanks at all, but only points out the lack of information about what tanks are used. The journalist also considers possible options for equipment that the brigade could be equipped with, such as the T-72, Leopard 1 or Abrams.

It is important to note that Ax does not use the term “incapacitated” to describe the brigade. On the contrary, in his material he draws attention to changes in the tactics of using tanks in general, pointing to their use as short-range artillery due to the presence of minefields and the use of drones. This modification of the use of tanks is associated with more complex combat conditions and the use of other technologies.

The 5th Brigade is part of the Reserve Corps. In 2018, the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Serhii Popko, announced that the 5th Separate Tank Brigade of the Reserve Corps was fully equipped with T-72 tanks. However, after a certain period, the brigade was demobilized, and only in February 2022 it was resumed. However, due to losses in other armored and mechanized brigades, tanks and personnel of the 5th Tank Brigade were used to replenish other units. Today it is known that in March 2023 the unit was restored again, it is equipped with equipment, and personnel are undergoing training.

By manipulating the texts of foreign media, propagandists want to strengthen the myth about the incapacity of the Ukrainian army, as well as the theft of Western weapons. This is not their first fiction concerning the Ukrainian Armed Forces — Detector Media has repeatedly refuted others.

A number of Russian media have disseminated information that the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) refused to broadcast an interview with the Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mytrofanova at the request of Ukraine. In their publications, the publications refer to a post by journalist Peter Volgin on Facebook. They say this is “an act of political censorship”. However, this is manipulation.

The analysts from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that on December 14, on the page of the Politically Incorrect program on the social network, an announcement was published that the Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mytrofanova, would be a guest in one of the episodes of the program, the topic of which would be the effect of the destruction of the Soviet Army monument on Bulgarian-Russian relations; what needs to happen to end the hostilities in Ukraine”,  etc. The reason for the interview was the beginning of dismantling the figures of the Soviet Army monument in Sofia.

In fact, the decision to demolish the monument, located in the center of the Bulgarian capital, was made 30 years ago, but work began only on December 12, 2023, and then taking into account safety - according to the governor of Sofia Viara Todeva, the monument has not been repaired for 70 years, and examination showed that it was dangerous and had large cracks. Once removed from the pedestal, the figures will be restored and exhibited in the Museum of Socialist Art or another suitable location.

The dismantling of the monument caused a sharp reaction from Russia, and the press secretary of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Mariia Zakharova, said: “We consider the destruction of the monument to our common past as another hostile step by official Sofia, complicating the already stalemate on the bilateral track”. She threatened Bulgaria that “she herself will have to pay for the consequences of this shame”, and Zakharova’s statement was distributed on the Facebook page of the Russian Embassy in Sofia.

Against this background, the announcement of an interview with the Russian ambassador in the BNR program Politically Incorrect caused a protest from the Bulgarian public. The Ukrainian Embassy in Bulgaria has published an official position, which notes that providing the opportunity for the Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria to speak “is a kind of complicity in the Kremlin’s armed aggression and hybrid war not only against Ukraine, but also the entire democratic world”. Subsequently, the press center of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms released a statement by the head of the parliamentary group, Delyan Peevski, in which he noted that he considers the participation of the Russian Ambassador on public radio as “a gross demonstration of disrespect for national sovereignty, the pan-European position and values, as well as disregard for national interests of Bulgaria”. Peevski also called on the Electronic Media Council (EMC) and other bodies to pay attention to “prevent such a provocation on the national airwaves”.

It is interesting that the publication by radio host Peter Volhin, which Russian media refers to, does not contain accusations against Ukraine or the Ukrainian embassy - the journalist’s post does not mention them at all: “Delyan Peevsky denied the participation of Ambassador Eleonora Mytrofanova on National Radio. The BNR Program Council banned broadcasting an interview with him. Management said there was no connection between the two events. What do you think? The Ukrainian Embassy is mentioned in another Volhin publication in the following context: “I learned that Mr. Delyan Peevsky, as well as the Ukrainian Embassy, were very outraged by the appearance of Ms. Eleonora Mytrofanova as a guest in our program Politically Incorrect”. In the same publication, the presenter reports that “neither a deputy, nor a minister, nor a prime minister can tell National Radio what to broadcast and what not to broadcast. What will be broadcast on the radio is decided by the people working on it”.

These words of Volhin coincide with the statement of the leadership of the BNR, published on the media website on December 16, which notes that “insinuations about censorship are unacceptable and speculative”. “BNR, as a public broadcaster, strictly adheres to the principles of freedom of speech, objectivity and independence of media content, pluralism of points of view, in compliance with high professional and ethical standards”.

Propagandists spread such manipulations to accuse Ukraine of failing to meet freedom of speech standards. Like, therefore Ukraine is not actually a European state. But in reality, it is Russia that actually does not have the institution of independent media and is trying to adjust the media in other countries to its own interests, ignoring the basics of journalistic ethics. Detector Media has already written about how Russian propaganda is spreading in the Bulgarian media.

This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say Ukraine is ready to give up Western weapons “due to supply difficulties”. The messages refer to material from The Wall Street Journal. This is manipulation.

Analysts from the StopFake project investigated this case and found that the WSJ material did not claim that Ukraine abandoned Western weapons precisely because of “supply difficulties”. This is an invention of Russian propaganda, because the leading theme of the material is how Ukraine, with the help of Western partners, intends to establish its own weapons production. Actually, the point is that Ukraine wants to start producing more of its own weapons. “Restoring Ukraine’s arms industry could help ensure the country’s long-term security and stimulate its economy, officials say”, the author adds.

That is, the material discussed the prospects for the development of our own weapons production and what caused this. At the same time, propagandists distorted the theses in their own way.

Using quotes from public figures, journalists, military officers, politicians and allegedly quoting Western publications, Russian propaganda is trying to convince consumers of disinformation of the authenticity of such an expression. Like, if a journalist from a foreign publication said this himself, he can be trusted, because he is an authoritative source although the authors do not explain how reliable the information presented in the manipulative publication is. This is how propagandists use the tactic of appealing to authority.

Accusations have appeared on the Internet regarding the FRIDA Ukraine medical mission project, which receives support from the UN Development Program and the Japanese government. The accusations are that the mission, instead of providing medical care to people in the front-line territories, is allegedly engaged in “organ transplants”. The underlying assumption behind these accusations is that Japan needs donors, while Israeli doctors are recognized as the best transplant surgeons in the world.

However, these accusations are unfounded. Analysts of the VoxCheck project drew attention to this. The Ukrainian-Israeli medical mission FRIDA Ukraine was founded by Israelis Roman Goldman and Mark Nevy; it unites 980 doctors from Ukraine and Israel. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, they have been providing medical care to children, people with disabilities and the elderly in the hottest spots of Ukraine. It is important to note that they do not perform organ transplants.

With the support of the Government of Japan and the UN Development Program, the organization is implementing only one of its projects - “Strengthening awareness of the acceptance and understanding of mine victims among volunteer doctors, members of territorial communities and the general public”. The project does not involve any operations or transplants, and its goal is to raise awareness among volunteer doctors and community members about the rules of working and interacting with victims of mine-explosive activities, purchasing equipment and attracting public attention to this problem. The implementation of the project includes training and an information campaign on the Internet.

Propagandists spread such fakes to discredit Ukrainian doctors and the government in general. This is not the first time they accuse the Ukrainian side of “black transplantology”, as Detector Media has already written about.