Such a message is spread by pro-Russian telegram channels. Like, Ukraine cannot shoot down Russian missiles, therefore, “in plain text” calls on the world to use nuclear weapons.

The propagandists used the words taken out of context of the speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yurii Ihnat to promote the message. Ihnat said that the Ukrainian air defense system is depleted. In particular, the means that are primarily supposed to protect against aviation have to shoot down not only missiles, but also kamikaze drones. According to the speaker, Ukraine should continue to ask for all possible funds from the international community. However, we are talking about replenishing the air defense system, and not about using nuclear weapons.

Anonymous telegram channels write about this. Like, planning the construction of new NPP units, taking into account military threats, is ridiculous. Allegedly, only Ukrainians around the world dared to deliberately shell nuclear power plants. Like, there are no other “suicidal people” anymore.

The propagandists are manipulating the words of Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. He spoke about the prospects for the development of nuclear energy in Ukraine and noted that the seizures and systematic shelling of ZNPP by the Russians drew attention to the need to improve the safety system at nuclear power plants. Russian propaganda uses ridicule tactics to discredit Ukrainian officials and cover up the crimes of the Russian army.

Such information is disseminated by Russian propaganda media. It is also being shared on social media, in particular, in anonymous telegram channels. Reports say that the Resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency is allegedly "unprofessional", "politicized" and "inappropriate". Also, the Russian media called the Resolution, which refers to the problems at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), which is still occupied by Russia, inadequate and allegedly “giving Kyiv the right to shell” the ZNPP. However, this is fake.

Russian media and pro-Russian telegram channels write about this. They say that the “real” goal of the Ukrainian authorities is not to obtain electricity, but to terrorise and create a “dirty bomb”. Also, allegedly Ukraine will be used for the disposal of nuclear waste. It is not like that.

Ukraine, the US, Japan and South Korea will cooperate to build a small nuclear reactor. This became known on November 12. This will help Ukraine improve the country's energy security. It will take two years to complete the project.

According to StopFake, small nuclear reactors are used to generate electricity. They have nothing to do with nuclear weapons. Most of these small reactors are installed underground, which is also an advantage in the face of possible rocket attacks.

 Such information appeared in the pro-Kremlin media. Messages began to spread after Volodymyr Putin in his "Valdai speech" said that Ukraine was creating a "dirty bomb" and Russia even knew "roughly where this is being done". Propagandists claim that Kyiv, on the basis of the projectile of the Tochka-U missile system, made a dummy of the Iskander missile for a provocation with a dirty bomb over the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Like, the layout was made by Pivdenmash specialists, and the main cassette part of the dummy is pushed with radioactive material, and then shot down in the Chernobyl area in order to shock the world and accuse Russia of using nuclear weapons. However, this is not true. According to The Insider's fact-checkers, the so-called mock-up shown by the Russian media is fake. “Despite the similar outlines, Tochka-U and Iskander missiles have different sizes. The diameter of the Iskander is 920 mm, and the Tochka-U is 650 mm, almost one and a half times smaller. It is impossible to create a model of the Iskander based on Tochka-U, except perhaps a smaller copy, which is unlikely to convince international experts. And the scenario in which a rocket allegedly launched by Russian troops with a radioactive filling explodes over the Chornobyl exclusion zone, that is, a practically deserted territory where the harm done to Ukraine will be minimal, does not look very plausible,” the fact checkers write. This is not the first time Russia has claimed that Ukraine is going to use a dirty nuclear bomb to blame Russia for it. Read more about this in the text of Hala Skliarevska.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia published photos on Twitter, which allegedly prove Ukraine's preparation of a "dirty bomb." They show transparent packages of radioactive material with the inscription "radioactive." It is a fake. The Slovenian government on Twitter denied the information from the Russian Foreign Ministry. These plastic bags' photos belong to the Slovenian Radioactive Waste Agency (ARAO). The warning label on the package is also in Slovenian. The photo was taken in 2010.

According to the Slovenian agency, this image was used as an illustration in specialist lectures and information materials that were available to the general public.

Slovenia has emphasized at the official level that the radioactive waste is stored safely, is under control, and hasn't been used to make "dirty bombs."

October 23, the Russian media once again began spreading the message that the Ukrainian authorities are allegedly preparing to detonate a "dirty bomb" or a low-power nuclear weapon on the territory of Ukraine.

The "dirty bomb" is allegedly manufactured under the direction of Western curators, the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant, located in Zhovti Vody, Dnipropetrovsk Region, and the Kyiv Institute of Nuclear Research are involved.

If the provocation is successful, Ukraine allegedly plans to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction to launch a powerful anti-Russian campaign in the world, aimed at undermining the trust in Moscow of many of its key partners. At the same time, the West will again try to raise the issue of depriving Russia of its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Russia spread messages about producing a "dirty" bomb in Ukraine even before a full-scale war. Although each time, this thesis attracted new "goals." Initially, the Ukrainian "dirty" bomb was one of the reasons why the Russian army launched a full-scale invasion. Subsequently, propagandists assured that in this way, the West is resorting to "nuclear blackmail"; therefore, Russia is forced to defend itself. The "third party" provokes Russia into a nuclear conflict. This time, Russian propaganda reduced the level of intimidation, and now the "dirty bomb" is the reason for the rise of anti-Russian rhetoric worldwide. However, such rhetoric was successfully formed precisely when, on February 24, Russia launched a massive missile attack on the whole of Ukraine for the first time. Since then, the Russians have been committing atrocities on the territory of Ukraine every day to turn as many countries as possible away from them and intensify the anti-Russian campaign.

Pro-Russian bloggers and Telegram channels spread this thesis. Reports claim that Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on NATO countries to launch a pre-emptive strike against Russia before it uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine. However, Zelenskyy didn't actually call on NATO to use nuclear weapons.

According to the EU vs Disinfo project analysts, the claim that President Zelensky called for pre-emptive nuclear strikes on Russia is fake and arose from a misinterpretation of a translated interview. As analysts write, in fact, neither the US nor the EU is interested in a nuclear scenario in Ukraine. Any nuclear explosion can have unpredictable consequences for the whole world. Nuclear fallout from the explosion at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986 also reached the United States, although its concentration was lower than in Europe.

Instead, Russia constantly hints at the possibility of using nuclear weapons in a war against Ukraine. Ukraine's counterattack at returning its territories gave rise to a new wave of nuclear blackmail on the part of Russia. It is Russia that is trying to keep the international community in tension with contradictory statements about the use of nuclear weapons.

Pro-Russian Telegram channels spread information that Kyiv schools will allegedly receive the drug potassium iodide, which will be given to children if a radiation accident happens. They also distribute a sample application that parents are allegedly asked to fill out to give consent to taking medication in the event of an emergency. However, it isn't true. The Kyiv City State Administration reported that the message was fake. The Department of Education and Science of the KCSA didn't issue any orders regarding collecting consent from parents for schoolchildren to take potassium iodide.

According to the fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project, potassium iodide was received by all district state administrations of Kyiv, which are responsible for the immediate planning and preparation for evacuation in their areas and will issue the drug to the population if necessary. The Health Department of the KCSA also has potassium iodide reserves. Moreover, the Ministry of Health reported that the state has purchased the required amount of potassium iodide and will issue the drug organically if a radiation accident happens. We emphasize that the medicine should be taken only after an official warning about the threat of radiation release because potassium iodide is effective under the following conditions: 6 or less hours before the arrival of the radioactive cloud; simultaneously with the arrival of the cloud; 6 hours after emission.

Russian propaganda continues nuclear blackmail and intimidates Ukrainians with its consequences. Earlier, propagandists accused Ukraine of "nuclear terrorism" and wrote that Ukraine is being "prepared" for a nuclear accident, which will be arranged by "third parties," but they will blame Russia for this.

Pro-Kremlin bloggers write about this in Telegram channels concerning EU High Representative Josep Borrell. In his statements, he confirmed that the EU countries wouldn't allegedly strike back in the same way if there was a nuclear attack on Ukraine. Therefore, according to propagandists, such words are the so-called permission for Russia to use nuclear weapons. Propagandists take quotes out of context and don't emphasize that; in fact, Josep Borrell said that the response of Ukraine's partners would destroy the Russian army if there were a nuclear attack.

"Any attack against Ukraine will find a response, not a nuclear response, but one so powerful that, from a military point of view, the Russian army will be annihilated, and Putin won't need to bluff," said Josep Borrell.

He emphasized that the European Union and its member states, the United States and NATO, don't bluff but are determined to "demonstrate full determination."

Since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russia has resorted to nuclear blackmail to stop international support for Ukraine and to induce Ukraine to negotiate on the Kremlin's terms. One of the functions of such messages is intimidation. If Russia's demands aren't met, Russia will allegedly strike. This time, the nuclear messages appeared against the background of defeats of the Russian army on the front lines. By spreading the message that Russia was allegedly allowed to carry out a nuclear attack on Ukraine, the propaganda seeks to discredit those countries and associations that support Ukraine in the fight against Russia. Propagandists create the appearance of so-called impunity for Russia, as if it can do whatever it wants with Ukraine without punishment.

Such a message intensified this week in Russian media and anonymous Telegram channels controlled by the Kremlin.

The process of negotiations with Great Britain allegedly regarding the transfer of nuclear weapons to Ukraine to deter Russia has failed. Because of this, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered to gather of all nuclear scientists in Ukraine as soon as possible to create a "dirty" nuclear bomb. Messages that Ukraine was "preparing" the so-called "dirty atomic bomb" were actively spreading on the eve of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

This was also indicated among the reasons for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Later, Russian propaganda spread the thesis that Kyiv was trying to turn the plant into a "dirty" nuclear bomb by shelling the Zaporizhzhia NPP, and that the US was allegedly interested in having a "dirty" bomb in Ukraine.

There was also an option that Ukrainian scientists were already working on the components of a "dirty" bomb directly near the Russian border. A "dirty bomb" is a type of "radiological dispersal device in which a conventional explosive, such as dynamite, is combined with radioactive material. Such bombs don`t release enough radiation to kill people or cause serious illness.

However, the explosion of such a bomb can cause fear and panic, pollute the space, and require expensive cleanup. Such bombs are considered to be weapons of terrorist groups rather than armies. "Ukraine doesn`t have nuclear weapons and doesn`t conduct any work on their creation/acquisition. We are a responsible member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on his Twitter account. The Center for Combating Disinformation drew attention to the fact that Ukraine has nowhere to get uranium, and plutonium was produced by the reactors of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and such work has not been carried out for a quarter of a century, therefore statements about the creation of a "dirty nuclear bomb" have no basis.

At the same time, members of the National Commission for Radiation Protection of the Population of Ukraine, Anatoliy Nosovskyy and Viktor Dolin, reported in an interview with Science magazine that during the occupation of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant by Russian troops, a barbaric raid was carried out on the Ekocentr radiation monitoring laboratory, and it was looted. According to scientists, in the laboratory, the Russians could extract radioactive isotopes that were used to calibrate devices and the remains of radioactive waste. "These materials can be mixed with conventional explosives to form a 'dirty bomb' that spreads pollution over a large area," Nosovskyy said.

This information was spread by Russian publications concerning the American magazine Newsweek. Allegedly, the military doesn`t agree with US President Joe Biden on deterring Russia exclusively by non-nuclear means. He said that the American military believed that it would be necessary to "hit the Russians with a hammer" and prepare "a blow to kill Putin in the heart of the Kremlin."

Russian propagandists took the quotes out of context. In fact, the Newsweek article said that “Biden believes non-nuclear threats will stop Putin. His military doesn't think so." It refers to a disagreement over the role of American nuclear weapons and the most effective way to deter Vladimir Putin. The article points out that Washington "told the Russians at a very high level that there would be catastrophic consequences for Russia if they used nuclear weapons in Ukraine."

Moreover, their unprecedented threats are just a reaction to Putin's equally unprecedented speech about a nuclear strike. Russian propagandists spread the thesis that the USA is preparing a nuclear attack on Russia and the assassination of Putin to justify any decisions of Putin and the crimes of the Russian army on the territory of Ukraine, allegedly for protection. More details.

Pro-Russian Telegram channels write about it. He said that the very fact of a nuclear attack on Ukraine would be important, and they would not be able to figure out who would carry it out. Because of this, allegedly, the Ukrainian authorities issued a manual on the rules of behavior during a nuclear threat. Some anonymous Telegram channels are spreading rumors that the Americans will strike at the spent nuclear fuel storage in the Chornobyl zone.

Since February 24, Russia has systematically threatened Ukraine and the world with the use of nuclear weapons. At the beginning of a full-scale invasion, the Russians put the nuclear forces on special combat duty. During a speech on September 21, Putin again threatened the possibility of using nuclear weapons in the event of a "direct threat to Russian territory," saying that this was "not a bluff."

Considering the seriousness of the danger, the Ukrainian authorities developed appropriate recommendations for citizens, which agitprop immediately called "preparation for a nuclear accident."

Russian propaganda conducts informational terrorism to induce Ukraine to negotiate on the Kremlin's terms.

he Italian newspaper "La Repubblica" wrote about it, referring to the NATO intelligence report. The information was picked up by other foreign and some Ukrainian media. The Center for Combating Disinformation stated that it is not true.

According to the monitoring of the CPD:

As of October 3, 2022, such information has not been published on the NATO website.

NATO has regularly recorded the activity of Russian submarines since the Cold War. The Alliance made statements about the modernization of navigation systems and armament of Russian submarines as early as 2016. The Center emphasizes that such unsubstantiated statements by the media only increase Russia's information terrorism. Even Russian propagandists, who willingly spread the news about the training of strategic nuclear forces, this time cautiously quoted the newspaper "La Repubblica" and believe that the probability of the actual use of such weapons is quite small.

Such information is being disseminated by Russian propaganda media. It also appears in anonymous pro-Russian telegram channels. The reports say that the West is allegedly using "nuclear blackmail" against Russia and "some representatives of the leading NATO states speak out about the use of weapons of mass destruction against Russia".

In such messages, propagandists refer to the words of Russian President Volodymyr Putin. Putin, of course, really said this, but his statements have nothing to do with reality.

The fact-checker StopFake drew attention to the spread of fakes on the network. According to sources, in fact, neither the US, nor the EU, nor NATO has ever threatened Russia with the launch of nuclear warheads. At the same time, the threats were just from the Kremlin officials.

Even now, in the conditions of the war unleashed by Russia, the Kremlin not only directly declares the possibility of using nuclear warheads, but also uses the seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as an additional “nuclear leverage”. Over the past weeks, there have been many hints from Russia about the possible use of nuclear weapons. By spreading information about the so-called threats from the West, the Kremlin seeks to shift responsibility from itself.

Like, everything happens only because there was a direct threat to Russia. Transferring responsibility is not a new tactic for Russian propagandists. In particular, Russia has repeatedly stated that it attacked Ukraine for reasons of its own security, otherwise Ukraine would have done it first.

Such information is disseminated in the Russian media with reference to representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Security Council. Like, it is Washington that deliberately lowers the nuclear threshold, creating a threat to Russia's national security. And politicians in the West are frankly talking about the admissibility of using weapons of mass destruction against Russia.

Russian propagandists stepped up the manipulative justification in the international arena after Putin once again threatened Western countries with the use of nuclear weapons on September 21. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, Russians have been regularly spreading the thesis of "nuclear retaliation for NATO states." Thus, Russia refuses a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine and resorts to outright nuclear blackmail and intimidation of other countries with the use of nuclear weapons.

This thesis is spread by Russian propagandists. In their messages, they refer to the head of Rosatom, Lykhachov, who said that IAEA specialists understand who is really shelling the Zaporizhzhia NPP. They say that the experts of the organization who visited the Zaporizhzhia NPP know who exactly is shelling the plant, but the statements do not mention attacks on the Zaporizhzhia NPP allegedly by Ukrainians because of the political component.

In fact, the experts of the IAEA mission in the report do not mention shelling by Ukrainian troops because they do not consider Ukrainians to be guilty of the situation there. The Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council notes that the IAEA resolution, following the results of the mission at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, calls for “immediately stopping all actions against and in relation to the Zaporizhzhia NPP and any other nuclear facilities in Ukraine”.

The Ukrainian side has repeatedly recorded shelling from the Russian side. There is a proof of this, but there is no confirmation that the shelling came from Ukraine.

This message is spread by Russian propagandists. They say that the withdrawal of the Russian military from the territory of the station will allow Ukraine to bring its troops there and, under their weapons, implement repressions against the local population as well as take out spent nuclear fuel and from which create a nuclear bomb.

However, the Zaporizhzhia NPP occupies a leading place in the energy system of Ukraine, so control over it is needed not to create a bomb but to prevent a catastrophe. After all, the Russian military repeatedly shelled the territory of the ZNPP causing emergency conditions and disconnecting it from the power grid. Also, according to Enerhoatom, the plant personnel work in improper conditions, which increases the likelihood of an accident. In addition, control over the station will provide electricity to the entire south of the country.

Ukraine in the early 1990s voluntarily renounced its nuclear status (https://ms.detector.media/trendi/post/27933/2021-08-05-ukraina-mogla-zalyshyty-sobi-yadernu-zbroyu-i-shantazhuvaty-svit-pravda-chy-ni/.) The creation of a nuclear bomb is a lengthy and expensive process, and its beginning will spoil relations with Ukraine's partners among nuclear states. Ukraine is not a terrorist state, therefore it is not working on the creation of a nuclear bomb. Ukrainian officials have also commented on this more than once.

Russian media reports that IAEA observers should see that there is no Russian military equipment at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. StopFake writes about it. They refer to the words of Volodymyr Putin who announced this in Vladyvostok. The Russian dictator noted that these divisions of the National Guard of Russia "guard" the perimeter and territory of the station. This is manipulation.

The IAEA report notes just the opposite: that military equipment is present there. In particular, paragraph 39 of the report states: “The team observed the presence of Russian military personnel, vehicles and equipment at various sites of the ZNPP, including several military trucks on the first floor of block 1 and block 2 of the turbine hall, as well as military vehicles under the crossing connecting reactor room.

And the National Guard, according to Russian law, is a military organization. And in Ukraine, this structure fulfills military purposes, in fact, being an occupation structure.

Russian propagandists spread several theses about the visit of a mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the alleged plan of the Ukrainian authorities to take control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

First, the pro-Kremlin media noted that on September 01, at dawn, “an unsuccessful assault began.” Allegedly, Ukrainian saboteurs on seven boats and two self-propelled barges tried to disrupt the IAEA mission in Enerhodar, temporarily occupied by Russia. The Russians blocked their landing, the British-trained elite fighters were massacred and the barges were sunk.

According to another version of the Russian Ministry of Defense, specially selected and trained "media representatives" from Ukraine, the United States and Great Britain, in the presence of the IAEA mission, were supposed to inform the world community about the transfer of the station to the control of Kyiv. Therefore, all unauthorized persons, when trying to cross the demarcation line, along with the IAEA motorcade, stopped and were not allowed through.

And it did not happen without accusations of Ukraine in the shelling. They say that the Russian side ensured the arrival of more than 60 journalists from France, the USA, China, Denmark, Japan, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Vietnam and other countries. In the morning of September 01, they witnessed an attempt to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by Ukrainian saboteurs, could see massive artillery shelling by the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and hid in a bomb shelter.

Remember that the IAEA mission headed by its head Rafael Grossi on September 01 visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant being seized by Russia since March 4. 14 experts stayed at ZNPP for two and a half hours. On that day, the Russian army conducted a powerful shelling of the corridor through which the IAEA mission was supposed to follow from Zaporizhzhia to the nuclear power plant, so the experts traveled quite a long time.

The Russians did not allow independent Ukrainian and Western journalists to enter the ZNPP. As President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi said, despite the agreements with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, the IAEA mission arrived at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant without journalists, there were only propagandists from Russia. Enerhoatom confirmed that “the overwhelming majority of “media from all over the world” who arrived at the plant on September 01 were Russian propagandists.”

Such a statement is spread by pro-Kremlin channels against the backdrop of ongoing events on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant seized by the Russian military. Propagandists claim that NATO intends to use the tense situation at the nuclear power plant in order to fully enter the war with Russia. They draw such conclusions on the basis of a statement by British MP Tobias Ellwood. However, this is manipulation.

According to EU vs Disinfo analysts, in August Tobias Ellwood, a member of the UK Parliament, did speak out about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. He stated that due to radiation leakage there is a real threat to life, therefore Article 5 of the Atlantic Treaty, which provides for joint defense in the event of a military threat, will automatically come into force. Russian propaganda uses this very warning as confirmation of the war with NATO.

However, in the context of the politician’s statement, it is clear that any deliberate actions by Russia that will lead to the spread of radiation in NATO countries should be considered an attack on them and encouraged to common defense, as, in fact, this is provided for in Article 5 of the Atlantic Treaty. That is why NATO is not going to enter the war, but will defend itself in case of a possible threat. That is, the words of the British official concerned the defense of NATO member countries.

Such messages are spread by pro-Russian propagandists, including Anatoliy Shariy. His reports say that the entire radiation cloud will go to the West: Poland will get the most of it and generally Western Europe will suffer, but not Moscow at all. However, this is only a concealment of the true facts.

According to Enehoatom, as of July 29, 2022, in the event of a severe accident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, a radiation cloud will cover part of the south of Ukraine and the southwestern regions of Russia in accordance with the wind rose. Everything will depend on the direction of the wind, however, Russia is close to the ZNPP, which means it is unlikely that it will not suffer at all. So there is such a possibility.

Propagandists are spreading this news to promote the message that the war in Ukraine will not affect Russia in any way. Allegedly, Ukraine itself and its partners will suffer.

This is not the first time that Russian propagandists have been spreading this thesis, trying to accuse Ukraine of destabilizing the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. In particular, the propagandists claim that the Ukrainian military themselves are shelling nuclear power plants; they argue that it is not beneficial for Russia to shell the station, which it itself controls; they assure that they do not harm the facility, but on the contrary, they save it from an abandoned condition, to which Ukraine allegedly brought the station.

In fact, the ongoing shelling at nuclear power plants really poses a nuclear threat. This has been repeatedly mentioned by IAEA experts. However, it is not Ukraine, but Russia that is responsible for the regular shelling of the ZNPP and all the threats arising from them. It was Russia that started the war in Ukraine and illegally seized a strategic facility.

According to the fact-checker VoxCheck, the ZNPP territory was shelled on August 5 and 6, and on other days, and it is Russia that is to blame for all the shelling. According to Enerhoatom, on August 5, the Russians fired at the ZNPP territory twice with the help of MLRS. As a result of attacks on one of the power units, emergency protection worked, so one of the three active power units was turned off. The invaders also damaged the nitrogen-oxygen station and the joint auxiliary building. On August 6, Russian troops were hit by a rocket at the ZNPP site right next to the station's dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. Due to shelling, three radiation monitoring sensors around this site were damaged. One station worker was injured. On August 11, Enerhoatom published an analysis of the video on propaganda telegram channels, which proves that on August 6, it was Russian troops who were shelling the ZNPP, approximately from the industrial zone located between the nuclear power plant and Enerhodar.

This message is spreading in pro-Russian anonymous telegram channels.

To promote the message, they use quotes from a Russian scientist who believes that in order for the West to stop providing weapons to Ukraine, Russia must demonstrate “nuclear power and nuclear deterrence.” The main attention supposedly should be given to intimidation of states that have common borders with Russia - Poland, the Baltic countries, Romania and Bulgaria. According to the Russians, "the fear of a devastating nuclear retaliation must be constantly present in the opinions of the leaders of NATO states." Propagandists justify the use of brute force as a determining factor in international relations.

Russian propaganda systematically accuses Ukraine of striking the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant. At the same time, the "commander" of the occupying garrison of the nuclear power plant, Russian General Vasiliev, threatened that "the station will be either Russian or nobody" and "there will be either Russian free land or scorched earth".