Spilnota Detector Media

Fake The Armed Forces of Ukraine are "holding hostage" children in the basement of a school in Borova, Kharkiv Region

The Borova community in the Kharkiv region has denied a fake spread by Russian propagandists about the placement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a local school - the Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center reported.

Russian propagandists, citing the head of Russia's National Defense Management Center, Mikhail Mizintsev, said Azov National Battalion fighters were holding hostages children and civilians in the basement of a school in the village Borova in the Kharkiv region. The fake report said that in the kindergarten "Berizka," Ukrainian defenders equipped barracks and deployed military equipment in the area. Propagandists are spreading lies that the Ukrainian military keeps civilians not only in the basements of the garden but also in the school. According to the Russian side, the hostages include women and children.

Fake The Ukrainian military is incompetent, so they presented lained tanks as destroyed Russian military equipment

Information about the fact that the Ukrainian military allegedly showed their lined tanks as Russian military equipment is spread by Russian media and telegram channels. Reports claim that Ukrainian soldiers were allegedly caught falsifying the news about tanks. According to StopFake, the federal channel "Russia 24" dedicated a story to one of such fakes in the news program. "Russian media claim that the Ukrainian military is incompetent and is photographed against the background of their own lined Bulat tanks, pretending to be Russian equipment," the fact-checkers wrote. But the photo does not show Ukrainian Bulat tanks, as explained in an interview with StopFake expert on tank technology Alexander Kostur. He added that in the story of the channel "Russia 24," there are images of two different tanks, but neither is a tank "Bulat" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the expert, there were no such tanks in the Ukrainian army at all. Read more.

Fake The Russian Defense Ministry showed a video of a kamikaze drone destroying American howitzers

Such a thesis along with the video was spread by Russian propaganda media referring to the Russian Defense Ministry. The video, which the publications add, allegedly captures the moment "when American M777 howitzers and a Ukrainian artillery crew are hit by the Kub drones-kamikaze." The reports also stated that "after the strike, the Ukrainian military tried to hide in the woods. As soon as they hid their howitzers and tractors there, artillery struck the forest. All equipment and American howitzers were destroyed," propagandists wrote. However, this video is fake. According to StopFake, Russian media edited two videos into one in order to falsify the "destruction of American howitzers. A number of reasons point to this fake: the inconsistency of the footage with the May seasonal weather, geo-positioning, and the absence of footage of broken Ukrainian equipment in the video. More details.

Fake A train of military equipment and ammunition was organized in the Odessa film studio

This was stated by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. "The other day Ukrainian nationalists deployed air defense equipment in the Odessa film studio. The militants of the terror defense forces are going door-to-door to identify residents who adhere to the nationalist logic of rejection," Zakharova said. However, this is a fake. On the page of the Odessa film studio denied Zakharova's words. Also her statement called a fake the speaker of the Odessa regional military administration Serhii Bratchuk on the air of the national marathon. In addition, he stressed that such statements by the Russian Foreign Ministry are an informational alibi for the upcoming attack, which they want to create for themselves. However, he added that the Odessa Film Studio does have military equipment - a rare World War II vehicle that is used during filming.

Manipulation Bulgaria's parliamentary coalition will collapse if Sofia decides to help Kiev with weapons

 This is the thesis disseminated by Kremlin propaganda. According to the Center to Counter Disinformation, the Kremlin claims that the pro-Russian Bulgarian Socialist Party threatens to leave the parliamentary coalition if Sofia decides to help Kiev with weapons and that this will allegedly lead to the resignation of the government. Propagandists also claim that military aid to Ukraine is not supported by Bulgarian society. "In fact, the government of Bulgarian Prime Minister Kirill Petkov has set out to help Ukraine in countering Russian aggression. Bulgaria will provide military and technical assistance to Ukraine through the repair of damaged military armor and maintenance of military equipment. According to the decision of NATO leaders, deliveries of Bulgarian arms to Ukraine through intermediaries in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland cannot be ruled out. After Moscow stopped supplying gas, more than 67% of Bulgarians supported the EU and NATO sanctions against Russia and Bulgaria's military support of Ukraine," the Center said.  

Message Russia defeats Western sanctions.

According to the Center to Counter Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, Russian propaganda spreads this thesis, confirming it by saying that Hungary will veto the embargo on the import of Russian oil, which the European Union plans to include in the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. The veto of the embargo was announced by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on May 3. Since 65% of Hungary's oil consumption comes through the Druzhba pipeline, and there are no alternative lines to the country, the draft sixth sanctions package includes exceptions for Hungary and Slovakia, which are allowed to extend imports until the end of 2023. ""But due to the prohibition of transit through the Hungarian territory of military aid to Ukraine, the EU has launched a legal process, the result of which could be the termination of Euro-donations for Hungary. The reaction of EU countries prompts the Hungarian leadership to withdraw its veto of the EU oil embargo against Russia," the Center said in a statement.

Manipulation U.S. residents do not agree with Biden's policy towards Ukraine.

This is the thesis spread by the Russian propagandist media allegedly referring to The Washington Post. The reports claim that most Americans are "dissatisfied with Biden's policy toward Ukraine." As fact checkers at StopFake write, for example, propaganda resources presented the results of a poll conducted among Americans in late April 2022. The propagandists claim that Americans are dissatisfied with both the sanctions imposed against Russia and the amount of military aid to Ukraine. According to StopFake poll by The Washington Post-ABC News, the number of Americans who support Biden's activities related to the war in Ukraine has increased. The percentage of those who do not support the policy, however, has not changed. "This survey showed that a majority of Americans, despite concerns about the war, agree that Ukraine needs even more help. Other surveys conducted at different times and by other organizations also show broad support for Ukraine among Americans and assistance," - the fact checkers write.

Manipulation Many future generations of Ukrainians will pay for the weapons that the U.S. will supply to Ukraine on lend-lease terms.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, this is the thesis spread by Russian propaganda with reference to the speaker of the Russian State Duma, Volodin. The propaganda claims that today's Kyiv leadership is a country in a debt hole"" and ""many future generations of Ukrainian citizens will pay for all the ammunition, equipment and food the U.S. will supply.

"'This statement is a deliberate manipulation. Under the terms of the lend-lease program, Ukraine could receive potentially unlimited support from the U.S. and other countries, not only for weapons, ammunition and equipment, but also for medicine, food and other necessities, all while bypassing export controls. Under the terms of the program, used military equipment can be written off, and no payment can be made for destroyed equipment. The lend-lease agreement will supplement Congress' preliminary defense support for Ukraine, which has already received $1.7 billion in military aid authorized since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion," the center said in a statement. Russian propaganda benefits from spreading such messages, because it allegedly levels aid for Ukraine from allied countries and to some extent discredits them, saying that because of their aid Ukrainians will be left in debt.

Fake The Ukrainians are developing a modification of the Turkish Bayraktar UAVs with an aerosol virus sprayer.

This is the information disseminated by Russian propaganda media. The reports claim that the Ukrainian Motor Sich Concern is developing the new bayraktars. They add that such devices will spray viruses from the air. ""In fact, we are talking about the development by the Kiev regime of means of delivery of biological weapons with the possibility of use against Russia,"" the reports say.

However, this is not true. As Ukrainska Pravda writes, no documentary or visual evidence of such a request has been cited in Russian propaganda. However, the activity of the so-called biolaboratories Russian propaganda recently cited as another reason for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. You can read more about the so-called biolaboratories at the link."