Users of social networks broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric began to spread fake information that one of the Ukrainian companies specializing in the production of video content is now showing a video where a neural network “revitalizes” dead soldiers so that they express the opinion: “It was not worth it” (reflection of Russian aggression, which led to the death of soldiers at the hands of the Russian occupiers. - ed.). As “proof”, users attach a short video, which, according to them, was recorded from the group’s official YouTube page.

The StopFake project verified whether this video is actually related to the mentioned company. It turned out that the disseminated information was not true. Firstly, the video shows that the broadcast, as noted, took place on the Film.ua Group YouTube channel. The Ukrainian group of companies actually has its own channel on this platform, but the original channel has an authenticity icon next to its name, while the fake one does not. Secondly, there are no videos on the channel distributed by Russian propaganda. StopFake specialists reviewed published videos and live broadcasts over the past few months and did not find anything similar. Thirdly, StopFake turned to Film.ua Group for a comment: did they really broadcast the video that was being distributed on social networks. The group's PR manager Kateryna Zymina said that they did not do this.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine and create a false impression that everything is tragic at the front. Like, it’s not worth fighting, so it is necessary to agree to Russia’s terms. Detector Media wrote about a number of other inventions by Russians against the Ukrainian military.

Users of social networks broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric are distributing a video allegedly from the American media company Bloomberg that the Ukrainian authorities tried to sell the Crimean collection of “Scythian gold”, recently received from the Netherlands, at an online auction at Sotheby’s. They say they tried to block the auction, but this does not mean that valuables worth $20 million will not be sold elsewhere. However, this information is not true.

The specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. There is no specified material on the official website and social networks of Bloomberg. Despite the use of the media company’s logo by propagandists, the discrepancy between the video’s design (font and caption design) and the official version indicates that it is a fake. It should also be noted that Bloomberg publishes most of its videos without a logo. Those videos that did have the logo were first broadcast on Bloomberg TV, after which some of them were published on the agency’s social networks. In addition, Bloomberg journalists, using publicly available media content in their videos, always indicate the original source, which is not the case in the video about the sale of Scythian gold distributed online. It is a compilation of publicly available photos and videos. In particular, to create this video, propagandists used several videos from auctions published by Sotheby's, as well as an excerpt from an interview with Ukrainian politician Hennadii Korban.

The assertion that Ukraine allegedly tried to sell the exhibits through Sotheby's auction is meaningless. The fact is that the gold artifacts from Crimea, known as Scythian gold, returned to Ukraine from the Netherlands, belong to the Museum Fund of Ukraine and are under state protection. Exhibition “Crimea. Golden Island in the Black Sea”, which was exhibited on the eve of the annexation of Crimea at the Allard Pearson Museum, included 584 exhibits from five Ukrainian museums (Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine, Central Museum of Taurida, Bakhchisarai Historical and Cultural Museum, Kernik Museum and “Chersonese Tauride”). After the Supreme Court of the Netherlands confirmed the decision to return the Crimean artifacts to Ukraine, the items were delivered to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, where they are still stored. It is also important to note that before lots are put up for sale, they are carefully checked by Sotheby's lawyers and art experts. All these measures virtually exclude the possibility of illegal sale of “Scythian gold” returned to Ukraine.

Propagandists spread such fakes to discredit the Ukrainian authorities. Like, everything is so bad that they have to sell historical artifacts. However, this is not so; in particular, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine took responsibility for storing the collection.

Russian telegram channels are distributing a video by a TikTok user under the nickname shket057, in which soldiers of the 167th brigade of the Ukrainian Defense Forces disorganizedly retreat from their positions near Bilohorivka. They say that such actions are related to the lack of supplies of resources necessary for fighting on the battlefield. However, this is fake.

Experts at the Center for Countering Disinformation analyzed this video. They found out that the profile from which the video was distributed duplicates the real page of the user shket057, but this video is not on it. In addition, in this case, the fact that there are no 167 brigades in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is also important.

To make things more credible, propagandists create fake accounts on TikTok, where they spread their lies on behalf of the Ukrainian military. The purpose of such actions is to demoralize the population of Ukraine, sow panic among them and assure everyone of the successes of the Russian army on the battlefield. The Russians also spread information that Ukraine allegedly went on the defensive along the entire front line, however, this turned out to be a manipulation of the words of Hanna Maliar, the former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine.

This information was recorded by specialists from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. They explained that pro-Kremlin telegram channels are disseminating information about the defeat of the Grim-2 OTRK launcher. Video evidence is added to the messages.

However, in fact, the primary source of such “news” was a satirical telegram channel, the description of which clearly states that all messages are only humorous in nature. But in fact, the video depicts the defeat of Russian equipment. On December 6, 2023, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko published a video of the defeat of the Russian operational-tactical missile system on his telegram channel. It is most likely that the authors of the satirical channel used this particular video to create the news. And then the Kremlin resources replicated this.

Still, it is impossible to say that the Russians did not destroy Ukrainian equipment on the battlefield, because this is more than possible during the war. But propagandists deliberately exaggerate the significance of “destroyed” equipment on the battlefield, hinting at the supposedly low combat capability of the Ukrainian army. And they use supposedly reliable information to support such a thesis.

The head of the Main Directorate of Missile Forces and Artillery and Unmanned Systems of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhii Baranov, in an interview with the military radio station Army FM, when asked whether the Grim-2 installation was at the development stage, replied that the installation was “being improved so let the Russians experience its effects on themselves”.

Read here on how Russian propaganda devalues the weapons that serve Ukraine.

Propaganda resources are disseminating information that supposedly Ukrainian refugees in Dresden (Germany) are being given canned cockroaches as humanitarian aid. As proof of their assertion, the Russians provide a video with such canned food in the hands of a “Ukrainian refugee”. However, this is a fake.

Journalists from the StopFake project drew attention to this case. They found that there was no information confirming the fact that Ukrainian refugees in Dresden or any other city received such canned food as humanitarian aid. Moreover, canned goods with the name like in the video are not available for sale in German or Austrian online stores at all. Such canned food can indeed be bought on large marketplaces, but not as a food product, but only as an “entertaining gift for Halloween”. Considering this, it can be argued that the video distributed by the network is fake.

Previously, some Kremlin-controlled media have already used the topic of eating insects as food in some Western countries for their own propaganda purposes, building a narrative about the decline of the West and the harm of anti-Russian sanctions. Detector Media denied the information that the alleged invasion of bedbugs in France is a consequence of anti-Russian sanctions.

This information is disseminated by pro-Russian resources. They say that a referendum on this matter will take place on January 15, 2024 in Lviv and the region. According to the video that propagandists add, the survey was conducted by CBOS, the Polish Center for Public Opinion Research. Considering the comments, some residents of the Lviv region are allegedly even happy about the opportunity to live in Poland. It's fake.

The experts from the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council examined this information. They found out that the CBOS website does not contain any materials about such a sociological survey. The latest study on Ukraine is dated November 27, 2023, and its topic is the war in Ukraine, and not the so-called referendum. In the end, no referendum on the annexation of the Lviv region to Poland can be held, since this is contrary to the legislation of Ukraine and poses a threat to the territorial integrity of the state and its security.

With the help of such disinformation materials, the Russians are trying to fuel their narrative that Poland is allegedly planning to occupy the Ukrainian event. One can also trace the attempts of propagandists to create an image of an enemy for Ukrainians from Poland. Previously, we refuted the information that during the 1.5 year war against Russia in Ukraine, more than 10,000 Poles allegedly died.

Social media users spreading pro-Russian rhetoric are circulating a video showing a huge line of cars to enter the Ukrainian ski resort of Bukovel. They add comments where they are surprised why the territorial recruitment centers - a military command body that ensures the organization of military service and mobilization - does not check car drivers. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that the video in question actually dates back to 2021, before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine had yet occurred. So, the video has nothing to do with the realities of martial law, which was declared in Ukraine on February 24, 2022: the territorial recruitment center representatives could not be among the queue of cars to enter Bukovel. The mentioned video first appeared on the TikTok social network. It was published by user Oksana Panchak (nickname – @zozuliaksenya). Her post indicates that the video was filmed in 2021. This video was used by the page “Website of Yaremche and Vorokhta - the main news and events of the Carpathian region” on Meta’s social networks to advertise the start of the winter season in Bukovel. The corresponding publication appeared on the page on December 2. However, the post states that the video was taken from the archive for illustration purposes. Further in the comments, the authors of the publication once again emphasize that the video recording was made in 2021.

Such a massive dissemination of a video from Bukovel with almost identical captions regarding the territorial recruitment centers and the conditional division of society into those at war and “for whom there is no war”, probably indicates a new disinformation campaign to split Ukrainian society. Recently, Russia has intensified information pressure and the dissemination of false information, which could undermine the trust of Ukrainians in the political and military leadership of the country, as well as divide society, including on the issue of mobilization. Detector Media  has repeatedly refuted other stories on this topic.

An eight-second video is being circulated on social networks in the Russian segment, allegedly showing a prayer for Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the EU being read in a Ukrainian church. “God, don’t send us to Heaven, but send us to NATO and the EU”, is allegedly written in the text of such a “prayer”. Anonymous telegram channels began to claim that the OCU was engaged in blasphemy and discrediting Orthodox believers. It is not true.

The StopFake analysts studied the case and found out that the video is not real, because there is no information that is located in Ukrainian churches about reading such a “prayer”. Moreover, information is disseminated only in pro-Kremlin media or anonymous telegram channels.

As experts explained, according to church rules, the texts of new prayers are approved by the Holy Synod of the OCU - this is the governing body of the OCU. All their decisions, including the texts of newly approved prayers, are published on the official website of the OCU. However, StopFake analysts did not find among the decisions of the Synod the statement of “prayer for Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the EU”.

They also contacted the press service of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The department told them that this was an obvious fake, and they did not approve such a prayer.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks claim that Ukrainian porn actress Maia Konovalenko (Nancy Ace) has allegedly announced her candidacy for the presidency of Ukraine, explaining that the Ukrainian economy “stands solely on porn stars”. The fake is accompanied by a video where Konovalenko allegedly makes retaliatory statements during an interview for the British tabloid The Sun. However, this is fake.

StopFake specialists drew attention to it. They found out that Konovalenko did not make any such statements, and the video was fake. It is indicated that it was created from a stream on the YouTube channel Rocco's World, where Konovalenko talked with porn actor Rocco Siffredi in April 2020. No statements by Konovalenko about his intentions to go into politics were found on the official resources of The Sun and other English-language publications. Also, the fakeness of the video is indicated by the fact that the actress’s lips move differently in the original and fake videos, which, according to StopFake, indicates the use of neural networks to create it.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists mock Ukrainian politics and reinforce the unfair treatment of Ukrainian women within the framework of the stereotype of “Ukrainian prostitutes”. Detector Media has already explained how Russian propaganda is trying to humiliate Ukrainian women.

Propagandists broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks are distributing a video allegedly filmed recently at protests against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Zhytomyr. Like, slogans such as “Get out!” were heard on them. But in fact this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the video being distributed was recorded during a protest on Independence Square in Kyiv on October 1, 2019. In particular, analysts point out that in the video one can recognize the architectural ensemble of Maidan Nezalezhnosti. In addition, StopFake specialists found in the Russian search engine Yandex a video from the then Kyiv protest, where protesters can be seen chanting “Get out!” and holding the same posters and flags as in the video distributed by propagandists. This all confirms that both recordings show the same Kyiv action from four years ago.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to create internal tension and conflicts in Ukraine. Detector Media also noted the intensification of this narrative and refuted a number of fabrications of Russian propaganda aimed at personally discrediting Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

Russian propagandists claim that in Ukraine they have begun distributing advertisements for homosexuals calling for them to join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The first half of the 10-second video shows heterosexual and homosexual couples kissing, while the second half features footage of military personnel. The footage is accompanied by a male voice saying: “It doesn’t matter at all whether you love women or men. It is important that you love Ukraine. Join the Armed Forces of Ukraine”. However, this is fake.

This case was analyzed by the fact-checkers for the StopFake project. They found out that the video is fake for a number of reasons. Firstly, the kissing footage was taken from a report published on the iD YouTube channel back in 2020. The second part of the video already uses footage from the social advertising of the Ukrainian Ground Forces “The Ballad of the Infantry”, published back in 2016. Secondly, the use of the word “love” in relation to Ukraine in the video indicates that its authors probably have poor command of the Ukrainian language. The word “love” describes specifically romantic love, while Ukraine or, for example, animals or colors can be “loved”.

With this fake video, Russian propaganda nourishes the narrative that supposedly Ukrainian troops will suffer huge losses on the battlefield and, as a result, they are running out of people. Therefore, “even” homosexuals are now being mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, attempts to discredit the Ukrainian army are in vain, since the Armed Forces contain representatives of different gender and sexual identities who defend Ukraine along with other military personnel. Previously, we analyzed disinformation that supposedly Ukrainians are dying for the right to be homosexual.

Social media users spreading pro-Russian rhetoric are spreading an alleged news story about telephone scammers from Ukraine who, according to the article, are committing crimes against Israelis. In the news story they claim that since October 8, Israelis have been receiving calls from “banks” informing them that the bank office has allegedly been the victim of a Hamas attack, and they need to immediately provide card details to transfer money to a safe place. It is alleged that the police investigation showed that the money was transferred to Ukraine, where the criminals were operating. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They claim that this information is false. The video distributed online imitates the design of videos from the Israeli publication The Times of Israel, but in fact no such material exists on the official website or social networks of this media company. Also, the video's inauthenticity is indicated by a difference in design, as The Times of Israel uses a different font and from time to time publishes a video without its logo or any inscriptions. The story itself is completely fictitious because none of the reputable publications, including local media in Israel, reported such cases of fraud on the part of Ukrainians.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to discredit Ukrainians abroad. They say they interfere in the affairs of others and make money from the misfortune of others. However, Detector Media also refuted other fakes and manipulations on the latest events in the Middle East.

Media and social media users spreading pro-Russian rhetoric claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi ordered the Ukrainian military to “immediately leave” the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, supported by a corresponding video. However, this video is fake.

Analysts from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the video used old footage and a voice similar to the voice of the Ukrainian president. In addition, it is distributed only by users of social networks, pro-Russian sites and Telegram channels. Not a single authoritative Ukrainian or English-language media reported such a “loud” order from the Ukrainian president. In addition, this video distributed by Russian propaganda is not on Zelensky’s official pages on social networks, where he usually publishes his addresses.

Secondly, with a detailed review of the fake “video message”, it is noticeable that Zelenskyi’s facial expressions do not correspond to his language. StopFake specialists discovered an identical video with Zelenskyi dated October 31, 2023. However, in the original video, the president does not issue any “orders” regarding Avdiivka, but talks about the situation in the Black Sea, the work of the “grain corridor”, international support, and so on. To create a fake, audio with an artificially created voice of Zelenskyi about the order to leave Avdiivka was simply superimposed on this video, using the corporate style of the 1+1 TV channel for greater credibility.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to cause panic among Ukrainians and personal distrust of Zelenskyi. Like, Ukraine is losing. However, Detector Media also refuted other fakes and manipulations on a similar topic, where propagandists manipulated the President of Ukraine.

Pro-Russian resources began distributing a video in which supposedly Ukrainian military personnel, introducing themselves as fighters of the 3rd battalion of the 110th separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, complain to the President of Ukraine and the Commander-in-Chief about poor command and heavy losses in Avdiivka.

Fact-checkers of the StopFake project processed this case. They found out that the 110th separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces responded to this video and refuted it. On the brigade’s official Facebook page they write that the video is not of their Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, but of occupiers dressed in Ukrainian uniforms. In addition, suspicion was also aroused by the fact that the “military man” who complained on behalf of the battalion did not name his company, unit, position, surname or call sign in this “appeal”, although the video was recorded with open faces.

Propagandists are trying to demoralize Ukrainian society by spreading fake news like this video. They do this cynically, insidiously and resort to peculiar methods. Previously, we refuted the information that allegedly Hamas representatives recorded a video in which they thanked Zelenskyi for providing the weapons.

This thesis was spread on social networks in the Russian segment. Reports say that female doctors are leaving Ukraine en masse for the temporarily occupied territories. In support of this thesis, a video is cited: a recording of a telephone conversation with a so-called doctor, a woman, from the Lviv region, who allegedly wants to go to temporarily occupied Mariupol and is looking for an apartment to live in. The authors argued that the woman allegedly received a draft notice and therefore she wanted to leave.

Analysts from the VoxCheck project dealt with this case. They explained that female doctors and pharmacists should indeed register with the military from October 1, 2023, but registration with the military does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on traveling abroad. The Ministry of Health notes: registration is necessary only to summarize data on the existing reserve of doctors in the country. The travel of this category of women is unlimited.

Therefore, most likely, the video is staged. After all, women are not mobilized in Ukraine  although the heroine of the video, during a telephone conversation, used the argument about mobilization as one of the main reasons for her irresistible desire to “escape” from Ukraine. In addition, this video is distributed only in the Russian segment of social networks. Experts cited other points from the telephone conversation:

For example, a woman said that she was only interested in an apartment in a new building and thus hinted that Russia was rebuilding Mariupol - a city that the occupiers really destroyed to the ground. Read in our Newspeak section how Moscow actually “rebuilds”  captured and destroyed cities and villages, calling them “a piece of paradise”.

Of course, it is almost impossible to verify the authenticity of the recording of a telephone conversation, since we can only refute the facts listed during the conversation. And this information includes false facts that, most likely, the Kremlin can use for its own purposes. For example, spread panic among Ukrainian women.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media and social networks claim that Halloween was celebrated in the churches of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which the authors of such posts call “the holiday of evil spirits”. Like, proof of this is a video where one can see a church choir performing a song dedicated to this holiday. It was allegedly filmed in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Lutsk. However, this is a fake.

Analysts of the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the video was not actually shot in Lutsk, but in the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Lviv on October 8, that is, before Halloween. Moreover, it is a temple of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, not the OCU. In addition, in the original video, the choir does not perform a song about the holiday, but the church song “How Beautiful is in Your Temple, Mother of God”, which has nothing to do with Halloween. The “celebration” of Halloween in Ukrainian churches is impossible, as the Orthodox Church of Ukraine publicly opposes this holiday, as explained on its official Facebook page.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to portray Ukrainians as schisms who destroy their faith for the sake of ideology. He said that even the churches in Ukraine were invaded by Western influences, which is why Russia introduced troops to protect “true values”.  Detector Media has repeatedly refuted messages and fakes related to the OCU.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are distributing a video in which Ukrainian first-graders allegedly march to the song “We’re killing Russianns” on Knowledge Day. Russian propaganda also states that the subject Defense of Ukraine is designed to instill in children neo-Ukrainian ideology and hatred of Russians. It's fake.

The case was investigated by the fact-checker of the VoxCheck project. They found the original video, dated September 2, 2022, and featuring a different song. That is, Russian propaganda edited the video and superimposed the song “We’re killing the Russians” on it.

Regarding the subject Defense of Ukraine - it has long existed in the school curriculum and until February 26, 2020 it was called Motherland Defense. This subject aims to provide schoolchildren with knowledge to defend Ukraine. The updated program contains information on the provision of pre-medical care, terrain orientation, and mine safety. As stated in the Ministry of Education and Science: “And the skills of controlling UAVs are used by videographers, surveyors, archaeologists and many specialists in their professional activities”.

This is a continuation of the narrative promoted by Russian propagandists that Nazism reigns in Ukraine, to which children are taught from childhood, and the Russians are supposedly trying to save Ukrainians. Thus, Russia is trying to justify a full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory. Previously, we refuted the fake that in the Azov children's camp children read Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are disseminating information that representatives of the Hamas group allegedly recorded a video thanking Volodymyr Zelenskyi for the transferred weapons, which help resist Israel. It's fake.

Fact-checkers at the Center for Countering Disinformation analyzed the video and determined that it was fake. It is this video that is being distributed by Russian propaganda resources and fake foreign accounts, the time and place of filming are unknown. Moreover, the video cannot be verified because Hamas representatives have their faces covered.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and reduce the assistance of Western partners. This is a continuation of the disinformation campaign about Ukrainian weapons in the hands of Hamas. Previously, Detector Media refuted the fake that Ukraine sells weapons to Hamas and debunked the fake that Hamas militants use weapons from Mukachevo.

Such information was disseminated on social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that an illegal “mobilization of scientific staff” is allegedly being carried out in Ukraine - and add to the publications a video from an eyewitness who says that her comrade was allegedly forcibly taken to the local territorial recruitment and social support center. And that person is a historian and supposedly teaches in a higher education institution. The authors sum up: no one can fight in Ukraine, it doesn’t need smart people, so everyone is being raked into the “Zelenskyi meat grinder”. It is not true.

Research workers, scientific-pedagogical and pedagogical workers are not subject to conscription for military service during mobilization. According to the amendments to Article 23 of the Law “On Scientific and Scientific-Technical Work” dated July 29, 2022, they are not subject to conscription, provided that this category of people works in scientific institutions and organizations, institutions of higher education, professional higher education, professional (vocational and technical) or general secondary education (at the main place of work with at least 0.75 rates of their salary).

Moreover, the heroine in the video did not provide any evidence, photo or video evidence confirming the arbitrary behavior of employees of the local territorial recruitment and social support center towards the man. Yet, cases where employees of territorial centers exceed their authority are still recorded. We are talking, in particular, about the use of physical force against those liable for military service. But the woman simply spread information and in no way confirmed either the thesis about the use of violence against the scientist, or the fact that, in general, a higher education worker was hypothetically mobilized.

A story allegedly from the European media Euronews is being spread on social networks in the Russian segment. It talks about the so-called 34-year-old Ukrainian refugee Petro Bondarenko, who was recently detained in Germany for committing a crime. He, according to the conclusions of the authors of the fake message, added the number 8 to houses with numbers 148. And then he divided the resulting number with the symbol / - thus forming the Nazi slogan 14/88. It is not true.

The VoxCheck project analysts investigated this case and found out that the news story about the Ukrainian refugee was compiled. At the same time, this news was also not found on the official Euronews website or on their pages on social networks. German media also did not come out with similar news.

In addition, the probable plot consists of numerous cuts of various videos that are not related to each other. For example, fakers used fragments of videos from different seasons, and this can be seen in the changes in natural phenomena: in one fragment, the leaves of the trees are green, and people are walking in light clothes while another part of the video depicts a completely different time of year, where people are dressed in warm clothes, and the leaves are no longer there, although, hypothetically, journalists cover events for one period of time, namely the moment of the “detention” of a Ukrainian refugee. The story also showed a law regulating the ban on the display of Nazi symbols in Germany, although in fact the propagandists illustrated the Australian law.

The image of the so-called Ukrainian refugee was used from the website “We face painting”, which published the photo back in 2011. Obviously, this photo has nothing to do with Ukraine.

Finally, propagandists are trying to show that Ukrainian refugees are supposedly a total threat to the sovereignty and security of EU countries. Russian propaganda, first of all, seeks to demoralize Ukrainian refugees in the eyes of Europeans and pass them off as supporters of Nazi ideology who are ready to resort to vandalism and violation of laws for their own purposes. All this contributes to a decrease in assistance to Ukraine from EU countries; and also leads to the victimization of Ukrainian refugees - when they are the only ones to blame for all the troubles.

We recommend reading our previous cases on this topic as the Kremlin systematically speculates on this:

- the Poles allegedly declared that they “don’t want to see” Ukrainian refugees in their country; 

- how a Ukrainian refugee barista “showed off his Nazi inclinations” by seeming to paint Nazi symbols on his coffee. 

And in our weekly review of disinformation, we talked on how propagandists lied about the mobilization of Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels are distributing a video according to which street advertising allegedly appeared in New York calling for support for Ukraine rather than Israel. The video was captioned as follows: “In New York, an advertisement appeared from disgruntled Ukrainians: Helping Jews = burning money”. It's fake.

The case was examined by the fact-checkers from the Center for Countering Disinformation. In fact, such advertising was not placed in New York. And the video used by propaganda appeared a month ago on the YouTube channel The NYC Walking Show, where the author gave a virtual tour of the streets of New York.

Russian propagandists seek to discredit Ukraine and worsen its relations with Israel and Western partners. Detector Media refuted the fake that the Turkish magazine Le Man published a cover with Zelenskyi “enraged by the whole world”.

In the Russian segment of social networks, on YouTube and in pro-Kremlin media, a trailer for the horror film “Voienkom” (The Military Commissariat), which was allegedly produced by the Ukrainian company Kvartal 95 Studio, is being distributed. It's a lie.

The case was examined by the fact-checkers from the Center for Countering Disinformation. They established that the video was created by the Russians. Experts also managed to identify the person in the video - it turned out to be Russian actor Roman Makarov living in Moscow.

By spreading fake news about mobilization, Russian propaganda is trying to intimidate men of military age. The Russians are deliberately demonizing the mobilization process and exaggerating its pace in order to cause panic among Ukrainians. Previously, we talked about the manipulation that in Ukraine they are planning to mobilize men who are over 60 years old.

Such information was disseminated on social networks, including the Georgian segment of Facebook. The authors publish the video and claim that it depicts the process of transferring Western weapons to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The authors add that the transfer of weapons was allegedly initiated by the Ukrainians. In the video, a man in Arabic “thanks the Ukrainian authorities for the supply of weapons”. It's a lie.

The analysts from the Myth Detector project took on the case and found out that the speaker is not visible in the video, and the location and time of filming cannot be determined, because the video itself consists of several frames where the weapon lies on the floor. Moreover, the fact- checkers emphasize that this video is actively disseminated in the Russian segment of social networks. Neither Israeli nor international media come out with news about the transfer of weapons to Hamas. Most likely the video is compiled.

Experts also refer to a statement by the Institute for the Study of War on October 7, which states that the Kremlin is actively using the Hamas attack on Israel for information operations aimed at weakening US and Western support for Ukraine. This includes promoting the thesis of a “black market for the sale of weapons”.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists once again want to show Ukrainians as ungrateful provocateurs who want to destabilize the situation in the world and incite armed conflicts. They say that Ukrainians resell weapons on the black market and they fall into the hands of criminals. Thus, the authors undermine the authority of the Ukrainian authorities and try to disrupt future supplies of armed assistance from NATO countries. After all, such fakes previously target Western audiences and leaders in order to inspire despondency towards Ukraine’s actions.

In the Russian segment of social networks Facebook and TikTok, propaganda media and pro-Kremlin telegram channels are distributing videos with fortune telling on Tarot cards about Volodymyr Zelenskyi. At some point, the fortune teller’s online stream is interrupted, allegedly because the police came. According to propaganda, law enforcement officers detained the fortune teller because of her regular negative Tarot spreads for the President of Ukraine. The reason for the arrest was criticism of the president. “Having opened the cards, the woman said that the head of the independent state was becoming more and more aggressive and obeying his mind less and less, being exposed to emotions”, the Russian propaganda wrote. It's fake.

The case was investigated by the fact-checker of the StopFake project. The circulated video does not mention the name of the fortune teller, and there is also no link to her Twitch. Russian propaganda refers to the “original source” posted on the YouTube channel under the nickname “Lera”. It was created on June 9, 2023. The fact-checkers analyzed the content and concluded that its purpose was to spread Russian disinformation.

In a comment to StopFake, representatives of the National Police of Ukraine said that the Cyber Police Department does not have information about such a detention. However, they established that the original source where the video was posted was probably the pro-Kremlin telegram channel Sheikh Tamir.

Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the Ukrainian authorities; they have already begun to arrest people for allegedly criticizing the President of Ukraine. Russian propaganda is using deflection tactics to portray Zelenskyi as a dictator whose criticism could land him in jail. That is, propagandists accuse Ukraine of what Putin is really doing. Previously, we talked about the message that Volodymyr Zelenskyi is introducing “Nazism” into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In the American segment of the social network Facebook, a message is being circulated that NATO allegedly sent troops to Ukraine to fight Russia. The post contains a video in which a man expresses support for the candidacy of US ex-President Donald Trump in the White House elections in 2024 and notes that “NATO troops have been sent to Ukraine”.

As fact-checkers of the PolitiFact project note, there are no reliable news or official sources that could confirm the message that there are no NATO troops in Ukraine. The man in the video refers to Russian sources.

Moreover, NATO press officer Matthias Eichenlaub commented to the fact-checkers, where he noted: “There are no NATO troops in Ukraine”. The official website also contains no information about these military personnel in Ukraine. “And we have a responsibility to ensure the conflict does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine. That would be even more dangerous, destructive, and even more deadly”, the alliance’s website says.

Russian propaganda continues to spread messages that Russia is fighting the West on the territory of Ukraine. Thus, the Russians are trying to justify their defeats at the front and absolve themselves of responsibility for crimes in Ukraine.