Pro-Kremlin resources are disseminating information that the Kharkiv authorities intend to begin construction of an underground school solely in their own interests - “for the sake of a beautiful picture and PR”. They say that initiatives of this kind are being made only in order to once again steal the budget, while schoolchildren in regular schools seem to be in no danger. However, this is a fake.

In the StopFake project, the fact-checkers drew attention to this information. They noted that propaganda resources “forgot” to say that Ukrainian schoolchildren are forced to study not in the classrooms of their schools, but in underground shelters due to constant Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, including educational institutions. According to the Ministry of Education of Ukraine and UNICEF, as of November 2023, more than 4,100 Ukrainian schools were destroyed or damaged by Russians throughout the country. Of these, in the Kharkiv region, 51 educational institutions were completely destroyed, and 579 schools, kindergartens, educational institutions were partially damaged. Experts from the UN Children's Fund note that due to Russian aggression, Ukrainian children are left without access to basic rights - education and healthcare, which puts their lives and well-being at risk.

When schools and kindergartens are closed due to Russian attacks, children lose the opportunity to communicate with their peers, which is important for their development. In this regard, in Kharkiv, as in a number of other Ukrainian settlements, blended learning is practiced - online and offline in safe places. In Kharkiv it is the metro. At five Kharkiv metro stations, 19 classrooms are equipped that meet wartime safety standards, as well as educational standards. The classrooms are equipped with sound insulation and climate control, the rooms are isolated from the platforms on which the trains move. In the metro, 105 classes and 2,087 children study in several shifts. These are mainly primary and secondary schoolchildren.

Given the demand among parents of Kharkiv schoolchildren for offline education of their children in safe places, city authorities in October 2023 announced their intention to begin construction of the first underground school. The cost of construction is 58 million hryvnia. The school will be able to accommodate 450 schoolchildren, that is, 900 children in two shifts. Preparatory work has already begun.

Propagandists claim that their “high-precision weapons” only hit strategically important military targets, and that Russians shelling schools, kindergartens, cultural institutions, etc. – these are all inventions of Ukrainians. That is, the Russian army in no case supposedly attacks the civilian population of Ukraine, and therefore there is no need to worry while Ukrainian children are alive. Ultimately, this case of disinformation aims to nourish the Russian propaganda narrative about a mediocre Ukrainian government that steals everything and engages in self-promotion, instead of raising the standard of living of ordinary Ukrainians.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks claim that the National Defense University of Ukraine is asking the Porsche Ukraine car dealership to transfer a 2022 AUDI A8 Long car to complete a military unit. Like, it needs a luxury car to interact with foreign delegations. As proof, they are distributing an image of a “letter” with a request. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the National Defense University of Ukraine denied the existence of such a “letter”. In addition, the “document” has errors; there is no seal, date or signature, which indicates that it is false. TSN journalists called the number indicated in the letter and confirmed that the person indicated in it did not make any relevant requests.

According to representatives of the National Defense University of Ukraine, propagandists created this fake news to discredit their activities. Since the educational institution is directly related to the training of personnel for the Ukrainian army, in this way propagandists are also trying to discredit the Ukrainian army as a whole. They say that it is corrupt, and therefore it is not worth risking one’s life in it.

This thesis was spread by pro-Kremlin media. The reports write that children in Ukraine “do not want” to learn the Ukrainian language through the so-called “total Ukrainization” of society. That is, the authors hint that teachers deliberately force schoolchildren to study Ukrainian, and they resist. In the publications, the authors provide figures (allegedly for how much the percentage of the study of the Ukrainian language has decreased). And they conclude: “Ukrainians are forced to immerse themselves in culture, but they don’t need it”. In support of this thesis, propagandists cite material from the French newspaper Le Monde.

The VoxCheck fact-checkers worked on the case and found out that in the Le Monde material, media professionals actually write about the deterioration of the general level of knowledge among Ukrainian children. They cited Russian aggression, a full-scale invasion and attacks on civilian infrastructure, including shelling of schools, as the reason for this. Using a reverse search on Google, experts found the material and analyzed it further. It states that 57% of teachers observe a deterioration in students’ knowledge of the Ukrainian language, up to 45% - a decrease in mathematical skills, and up to 52% - in foreign languages. Preschool education is also experiencing problems: about ⅔ of preschool children do not attend kindergartens. In frontline zones this figure is ¾. The material refers to a UNICEF press release in which these data are presented.

However, neither UNICEF nor the journalists of the French newspaper were accused of the so-called “total, forced and violent Ukrainization”. This is simply an invention of Russian propaganda who decided to manipulate the data and supposedly explain that children resist learning the language, although this is absolutely not the case. Such figures are the result of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the daily shelling of peaceful Ukrainian cities, critical and civilian infrastructure. The point is that Ukrainian children do not deny studying subjects, do not express widespread dissatisfaction - in fact, Russia hinders quality education, and a study from UNICEF is proof of this.

Read the case, when propagandists lied that they fired at an alleged Ukrainian Armed Forces base in Romny. In fact, it turned out to be a secondary school. And as a result of the Shahed drone attack, four people were killed: the school principal, deputy director, secretary and librarian. At the time the drone hit, there were 19 teachers at the school.

How Russia justifies deportation and other war crimes in Ukraine against Ukrainian children - read in our investigation as well.

The Kremlin propaganda media and anonymous telegram channels spread information that in Ukraine they are allegedly distributing announcements with the inscription “Join the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, and below the abbreviation ZVO (institution of higher education) is crossed out. Also, in the announcement there is an inscription “To be a student in Russia or to be a defender in Ukraine”, a pink emblem of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a phone number. It’s fake.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case. The number indicated in the photo (0800507028) belongs to the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and not to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Also, the experts turned to the Forces Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for comment, and they said that “there are no such messages in any outdoor advertising in Ukraine ordered by the Troops”.

Also, this announcement was not found by searching Google Images. However, such a picture can be found on the site of stock photos, as well as through VPN on Yandex Images, which is banned in Ukraine. In Ukrainian online stores one can find paintings by numbers and posters with this pattern. As for the call to join the Ukrainian army, it was posted on the official Facebook page of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in video format.

Russian propagandists systematically spread fake news about mobilization in Ukraine. Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to demoralize the Ukrainians and convince them that there is no one to fight, the army is weak and Ukraine will not win. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that dogs are being mobilized in Ukraine, and mass mobilization of students is being carried out at Ukrainian universities.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that in Lviv, Ukrainian schoolchildren are forced to learn the national anthem and state symbols of Poland. Like, this is all happening within the framework of an open lesson on the history of Ukraine. As evidence, the authors attach a supposedly screenshot from the parent chat in Viber. They also say that Ukraine is preparing to transfer the western territories of Ukraine to Poland. It is not true.

The VoxCheck project specialists worked on the case and determined that Lviv schoolchildren were not ordered to study the Polish anthem and there was no open lesson with such a task. Fact-checkers contacted the school administration where they also denied this information. In addition, the fact-checkers analyzed the screenshot that the propagandists circulated and found that the so-called parent chat is called “school 6”, although it is now a lyceum. Moreover, the fake screenshot indicated that the open lesson would take place at 11:15. According to the current schedule, indicated on the official website of the Lyceum, the third lesson starts at 10:55 and ends at 11:40. That is, the time indicated in the chat does not match the current call schedule.

Propagandists systematically spread fakes and manipulations on the topic of the so-called annexation of the territories of Ukraine to Poland. Propagandists seek to prove that Poland is pursuing a colonial policy, while Ukraine is indulging it. Allegedly, Poland is also an aggressor. Let us remind you that we recently refuted the case where Zelenskyi promised Poland the western territories of Ukraine in exchange for help during the counteroffensive.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that allegedly on the site of preparation for EIT in Ukraine they published an advertisement for schoolchildren with the inscription: “Go to Bakhmut? No! Get maximum in EIT? Yes!” The authors of the messages add a supposedly screenshot from the site to the publication. It is not true.

The VoxCheck project specialists reviewed this case and found that there is no such advertisement on the EIT preparation site, and the photo was edited. In fact, the “screenshot” was compiled from several photos: propagandists used a visualized task (determine the type of matrix) from the learning.ua platform, and later the photo was overlaid with an inscription about Bakhmut. Actually, on the learning.ua website there is only a photo with a task, but without an inscription.

Fact-checkers checked the fake screenshot using the FotoForensics tool. So, they determined that the screenshot was edited. During the check, the fact-checkers found the added elements - and this is just the inscription about Bakhmut. In addition, on the zno.osvita.ua website, all ads are placed on the left, and not on top, as shown in the fake screenshot.

Telegram channels spreading pro-Russian rhetoric report that in Ukraine they want to ban men from entering universities. They say that martial law limits the constitutional rights of Ukrainians, including education, and to implement this idea, they are already preparing an appropriate legislative framework. This is manipulation.

Analysts of the NotaYenota project drew attention to it. They found that such decisions require changes to the Constitution, which is prohibited under martial law. Lawyers note that even if it is theoretically possible to make the necessary changes to the laws “On mobilization” and “On education”, this will cause outrage among society and Western partners. In addition, such decisions may be challenged by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.

Thus, propagandists want to discredit the Ukrainian authorities and create a sense of panic among the population, creating the illusion of losing. They say that Ukraine cannot cope with defense, therefore it is ready to mobilize everyone, neglecting constitutional rights. However, it is Russia that solves its own problems with mobilization, despite the rights of its citizens, as evidenced by the recent initiative with “electronic agendas”.

Anonymous telegram channels spreading pro-Russian rhetoric publish information that the future generation of Ukrainians has already been lost. They say that even on television, the youngest Ukrainians are now being taught that air raid alerts are the norm of life, which you need to get used to. Such a reaction of propagandists was caused by the recent appearance of the Tiktoker Ihor Korchahin (PE teacher) on the air of the “Breakfast with 1 + 1” program with a live performance of his children's movement “Victory is soon”.

In the official YouTube release of the track, it is stated that this is a children's song. The text of the track tells about the importance of rest during an air raid alert, the order of actions necessary during the signal, the list of objects that are important to take to a shelter. The song also mentions the Armed Forces of Ukraine: “I believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which means victory is coming soon”. On the air of the 1 + 1 TV channel, it was presented along with the exercises, which helps to remember the rules of civil safety.

Thus, Russian propagandists want to demoralize Ukrainian society. Like, Ukrainians need to immediately stop the war and surrender, because their children are turned into martyrs and their childhood is taken away from them. In addition, by mocking children's movements, they want to shift the responsibility for the actions of the aggressor onto the victim of aggression. However, the reason that Ukrainian children listen to songs about air raids is the war between Russia and Ukraine.

This message was circulated on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that Ukraine plans to include the Polish language in the list of subjects for which it is possible to take an EIT (external independent test). According to the authors of the message, the Ukrainian authorities want Ukrainians to assimilate under the Poles from their school years. Like, Poland will gradually enslave the Ukrainians, which will help it seize the territory of Ukraine.

The Ministry of reintegration explained the possible introduction of the Polish language into the list of exams by the fact that uniting with the Poles is the key to the sustainable development of states, and education and language are the main tools with which such an association begins.

Taking the EIT in foreign languages is not a mandatory component of passing the exam, except for taking the exam in English in the form of the DPA (state final examination). German, French, Spanish and subsequently Polish will remain subjects chosen by the applicants themselves.

Moreover, Poland is also introducing the Ukrainian language into its educational space: Poland recognizes Ukrainian documents on basic general secondary education (grade 9 of graduation certificates). Also, the results of the EIT are counted for admission to Polish higher education institutions. The Poles announced their readiness to introduce the Ukrainian language into the list of subjects. That is why communication is taking place on both sides, the main goal of which is to strengthen the educational sphere of the two sovereign fellow states.

Propagandists use this message to nourish the narrative that Poland is seeking to take over Ukraine, in particular, to cut off the territory of the western regions. However, Poland does not plan to annex the territories of Ukraine, but on the contrary, it remains a devoted strategic partner that helps Ukrainians fight the enemy.

In social networks and enemy telegram channels, reports are spreading that Cheburashka is banned in Kyiv schools. Like, because of the successful distribution of the new Russian film, Ukrainian teachers banned the hero and recognized him as an occupier. The probable announcement depicts the hero himself and the inscription: “If you like Cheburashka, go to your Russia”. However, this is fake.

Analysts at The Insider project say that in fact there is no such announcement. Moreover, no publications about Cheburashka were found in the Ukrainian segment of social networks. A photo of the announcement featured in all pro-Kremlin media publications is with metadata erased. The photo was published many times, but exclusively on pro-Kremlin resources.

Propagandists have repeatedly spread fakes about Ukrainian schools and their organization. Consequently, they are trying to distort the impression of Ukrainian education and represent the educational institutions of Ukraine as a center of hatred and propaganda.

This information was disseminated by Russian TV channels. Like, the students told reporters that it was hard for them to study when the teachers spoke to them in Ukrainian. Now teachers explain in class that Ukrainian language is inconvenient and how Ukrainians themselves get confused with it.

As an example, the TV report shows one of the schools in the temporarily occupied Melitopol, which has been under the control of Russian troops since February 25. Since then, the inhabitants of Melitopol, who stay in the city, have been persecuted by the Russians. For a blue and yellow ribbon or the Ukrainian language, Russian invaders can shoot them, and if, while checking the phone on the street, they find Ukrainian content in instant messengers or somewhere else, they punish people with a fine or imprisonment.

Schools in the Zaporizhzhia region continue to work online. In schools that began to work offline in the occupied territory of the region, children are taught according to Russian textbooks, where history is rewritten according to the KGB manuals, many teachers are brought from Russia, as the locals refused to cooperate with the occupiers. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that all schools in Zaporizhzhia have switched to Russian standards; rather, operating schools have been forced to switch to Russian standards.

On the other hand, to date, about 80% of the Zaporizhzhia region has been occupied by Russians. The city of Zaporizhzhia has never been under occupation, so no one has taught schoolchildren of Zaporizhzhia city and is not teaching now according to Russian standards.

The language issue is one of the key reasons for the manipulation of Russian propaganda. More often, messages in the Ukrainian language are promoted with a negative emotional connotation. Like, the Ukrainian language is “funny”, “village”, “artificially created”, etc.

The Center for Counteracting Disinformation has published a number of the most common fakes in the Ukrainian language. Particularly, Russian propaganda often writes that the language allegedly does not matter, that Russian and Ukrainian are the most related languages. Allegedly, speech does not affect national and cultural identity.

In fact, linguistic oppression has been one of the main instruments of Russia's struggle against Ukraine for centuries. The Ukrainian language is an original, natural Slavic language. It has never been artificial, moreover, when forming the literary Ukrainian language, they tried in every possible way to avoid artificial constructions. Dialects of the Ukrainian language have never been dialects of Russian.

According to a survey in February 2022, 56% of Ukrainians named the Ukrainian language of everyday communication, and almost 68% named Ukrainian as their mother tongue. Russian aggression against Ukraine has contributed to the fact that more and more Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine are abandoning Russian and switching to communication in Ukrainian.

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.

With such a message, pro-Russian Telegram channels are distributing videos of people, allegedly, trying to get into a shelter during an alarm, but they are not allowed to go. The video is accompanied by comments that "repositories for the chosen ones" have appeared, and Ukrainians, instead of helping in times of need, are "pushing each other under bullets." The posts also say that "there is a mess in the country," and officials only "record videos as if everything is fine."

In fact, the video shows how a group of people forcefully breaks into the premises shouting, "we are in the shelter." However, it becomes clear from the words of the institution's employees that it is a school shelter, and there are children. The girl who posted the video claims that she "knows the law"; therefore, she and other people are "obliged" to be allowed to shelter during the air raid alert.

Following regulatory requirements and recommendations, outsiders may not use the school shelter. The school shelter must be organized so that children can stay safely and comfortably during an air raid, even for a long time. The area of ​​the school shelter, water and food supplies, medicines, ventilation system, and other vital things are regulated by regulations. Therefore, there is no allowance for outsiders to go into the school shelter, so the institution's employees acted by the requirements and took care of the children's safety first of all.

They also allegedly have a big request for literature in Russian. This is reported by Russian media on anonymous telegram channels. This is not true.

In fact, the occupiers are destroying Ukrainian textbooks and teaching methodology books, books on the history of Ukraine, books by Ukrainian writers, and the Ukrainian language is being made an optional subject in schools. Even fairy tales and illustrated children’s books with almost no text were destroyed. As the Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center writes, the Russians decided on their own about the language of instruction in schools.

Since May, the occupiers in the Kharkiv region have emphasized that education in schools will be according to Russian programs and Russian standards. For this, delegations of teachers from the occupied territories of the Kharkiv region traveled to Russia for the so-called retraining. At the end of August, propagandists reported that the United Russia party set the task of developing a plan for the phased Russification of schools and kindergartens in the temporarily occupied Vovchansk,Kharkiv region. In particular, the subject “History of Ukraine” will be replaced by “History of the Russian Federation”. Classes taught in Ukrainian will be replaced by “Russian-speaking” classes. Ukrainian literature will be taught exclusively in Russian and there will be a separate “Russian fiction (Russian literature)”. All entries in students’ registers and diaries will be made in Russian.

In August, Putin instructed the Russian government to pay 10,000 rubles at the same time to one of the parents of schoolchildren in the occupied parts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions, provided that the child starts studying according to Russian programs by September 15.

With such a hidden meaning, the first autumn lessons "Talks about important things" by Volodymyr Putin and "Historical memory as the road to the future" by Oleksandr Lukashenko were held. Allegedly, these measures should concern Russia and Belarus, respectively, but they also talked about Ukraine there.

Volodymyr Putin said that allegedly schoolchildren in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions consider the Crimean bridge a fabrication. Also, children do not know that "Ukraine and Russia were once one country - the Soviet Union." Like, they weren't taught this at school. Thus, Putin once again demonstrated Russian chauvinism based on manipulation and distortion of reality.

In fact, the automobile part of the bridge across the Kerch Strait was opened on May 15, 2018, its railway part - on December 25, 2019 for passenger transport and on June 30, 2020 for cargo. Russia occupied Crimea and part of the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk in 2014. Therefore, the question of the “quality” of education in the occupied territories should be asked precisely to the occupying “authorities”, and not to the Ukrainian one.

Putin also once spoke about Russia's modern mission - "to stop this war", "to protect both the people and Russia itself", because on the territory of today's Ukraine "they began to create an anti-Russian enclave." In fact, Putin may well end the war he himself started. To do this, he should give an order and withdraw troops from the territory of Ukraine. He transfers responsibility for the start of the war and the crimes committed to Ukraine and to the West.

Oleksandr Lukashenko told Belarusian schoolchildren that the alleged events in Bucha were an artificially created picture. They say that in Belarus they “calculated” the numbers of cars and established the identities of those who brought “corpses in plastic bags” for “provocations”. Lukashenka also recalled an old fake that supposedly now “grain and black soil” are being exported from Ukraine to “rich Europe”. As the fact-checkers of The Insider write, the last time this fake appeared in the information space was in April, on a site of parody news.

In the temporarily Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russian authorities are distributing Russian educational materials in schools. In particular, according to the Institute for the Study of War, pro-Russian authorities from Sevastopol arrived in Starobelsk, Luhansk region, to hand over backpacks and official state symbols of the Russian Federation to local schools. The Russian-appointed head of Crimea, Serhii Aksionov, also urged teachers in Crimea to strengthen the patriotic program in Crimean schools, in particular, to inform children about the decision of Russian President Volodymyr Putin to conduct a “special military operation” in Ukraine. In addition, the first lesson, which will be held in schools in the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions, is focused on the lesson outline, which is taken from Putin's article "The Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians", his speeches on the recognition of the independence of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as the start of a "special military operation". According to the Institute's analysts, in these speeches, Putin rejected the legitimacy of Ukrainian identity, saying that it "is a product of the Soviet era ... and historical Russia was developed on this land." Institute experts call such actions of the Russian authorities an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity in the territories occupied by Russia. Remember that in the temporarily occupied Melitopol, the occupation authorities are trying to resume the work of schools and, according to the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, they want to open 4 schools, for which teachers will be brought from distant regions of Russia. As for pupils, due to the frantic "deficit" of schoolchildren, the occupiers are frightening parents that they will deprive them of parental rights.

This information was disseminated by Russian media and Telegram channels with reference to the German edition of Die Welt. Ukrainians who seek asylum in Germany are not only putting a catastrophic strain on the education system, but are also “behaving arrogantly” and “not following the rules.” This is evidenced by the comments under the publication on the Die Welt website. Allegedly, in the comments under the publication they write that Ukrainians who seek asylum in Germany not only create a catastrophic burden on the education system, but also “behave boldly” and “do not follow the rules.”

In fact, propagandists have significantly distorted the meaning of the article in Die Welt "Good chances for the integration of Ukrainian children - but the lack of teachers becomes dangerous," Stop Fake fact-checkers report. The author of the material, Kevin Chulina, writes that Ukrainian children have every chance of successfully integrating into German society, but the lack of teachers that existed even before the war could become an obstacle in learning the German language.

According to Deutsche Welle, Germany has been experiencing a crisis in the educational system for more than 10 years, including a shortage of teachers.

In addition, Russian propaganda regularly uses the opportunity to influence judgments by presenting individual comments as a general opinion on some issue. In this case, the propagandists applied the same method. Under the publication of Die Welt, you can find individual comments that speak negatively about Ukrainian schoolchildren. However, these individual comments cannot be considered to reflect the true situation.

Allegedly, such a request was made by the rector of this educational institution. It's fake.

In fact, the educational institutions of Melitopol and Berdiansk received re-registration in Zaporizhzhia and have already announced the conditions for the admission campaign in accordance with Ukrainian law. The propagandists' reports speak of a fake educational institution called "Melitopol University", which the occupiers created on the basis of the premises of the Tavriisk State Agrotechnological University and the Melitopol State Pedagogical University in temporarily occupied Melitopol, as well as universities in temporarily occupied Berdiansk. As StopFake writes, the occupiers appointed a collaborator, anti-Maidanist, police lieutenant colonel Andrii Chuikov, who until 2014 worked at the Kharkiv Academy of Internal Affairs, to lead the fake university. It is the “rector” Chuikov who believes that according to “performance indicators”, the fake university can be considered a full-fledged federal university in Russia.

Russian mass media and social networks spread information that Oxford University decided to cancel all diplomas issued to the children and close relatives of Russian officials since 2014. This fake was promoted as part of a message about Russophobia in Europe.

The Russian occupiers and collaborators spread such a fake in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region. Allegedly, to obtain a certificate of education, it will be necessary to go to the controlled territory to take exams. It is not true. "In Ukraine, all children are guaranteed free education. And future graduates will receive their documents already in free Melitopol by the Law of Ukraine "On Education," — reports the Department of Education of the Melitopol City Council.

US scientists support Putin's ideas. It is reported by the Russian media and anonymous Telegram channels regarding the words of the US Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul. It is not true.

In fact, propagandists have distorted McFaul's words. In an interview for the project "UKRAINE NOW. The vision of the future" McFaul talked about the fact that the clichés of Russian propaganda about the "historical unity of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples" are widespread among US citizens. According to McFaul, these theses are also supported by some scientists and professors. However, the opinion of individual scientists cannot be interpreted as universal beliefs. As StopFake writes, Michael McFaul talked about the fact that Russia uses significant resources to spread disinformation in the West. The civilized world often cannot find an adequate answer to this. However, the fight against Russian propaganda continues.

It is not the first time Russian mass media have spread McFaul's quotes out of context. In particular, his words regarding lobbying for the interests of Ukraine in the USA and the fact that Volodymyr Zelenskyi's entourage allegedly participates in "schemes" for purchasing weapons were distorted earlier.

с In the letter, the heads of educational institutions are allegedly instructed to compile lists of conscripts with the characteristics of the assessment of military-patriotic education. However, this letter is not valid. The information was refuted by the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science. "The Ministry's form, the original letter number, and the QR-code assigned by the electronic document management system was used to forge the letter. The distribution of the generated document is a confirmation of the information war aimed at creating public concern and discrediting the Ministry of Education and Science.

Please do not trust senseless messages from the enemy and false "documents," the ministry explained.