Russian propaganda is actively spreading disinformation about a resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), claiming that the organization is allegedly trying to “seize” the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) from its “legitimate owner”, Russia. This fake was debunked by experts from StopFake.

In reality, the resolution adopted at the 69th session of the IAEA General Conference in September 2025 is aimed at ensuring nuclear safety in Ukraine amid Russian aggression. IAEA member states are calling for the immediate withdrawal of the illegal Russian contingent from the plant and the return of the facility to Ukrainian control. The document emphasizes that six out of seven principles of nuclear safety have been violated at the occupied ZNPP.

Russian media reacted to the IAEA resolution by calling it “purely anti-Russian”, claiming it allegedly “calls Russia’s territorial integrity into question”. Propagandists argue that IAEA member states are “not authorized” to adopt such resolutions in support of Ukraine and also deny the presence of an Agency mission at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

In reality, the 69th session of the IAEA General Conference took place at the Vienna International Centre in Austria on September 15–19, 2025, where member states adopted the resolution “Nuclear safety, nuclear security and safeguards in Ukraine”.

In the resolution, IAEA member states call on Russia to immediately withdraw its military and other personnel from the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The document confirms that the ZNPP and all of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities must operate under the full sovereign control of the competent Ukrainian authorities. No one is planning to “steal” the Zaporizhzhia NPP from its legitimate owner, as propaganda claims.

The resolution emphasizes strict adherence to the seven principles of nuclear safety at the plant seized by Russia. These include a ban on any attacks on nuclear power plants, a ban on using the facility as a storage site for weapons, and ensuring reliable off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear facilities. Six of these seven principles are being continuously violated by Russia – IAEA member states report catastrophic breaches of nuclear safety rules by the Russian military at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Due to Russia’s war, the Zaporizhzhia NPP is operating under conditions not envisaged by its design. As a result of the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydropower Plant dam by Russian forces in June 2023, the ZNPP lost its main source of water for reactor cooling. The plant has completely lost external power supply nine times and experienced blackouts, as only one out of ten power transmission lines is currently operational due to constant Russian shelling. This increases the risk of a total power outage at Europe’s largest nuclear facility. Ukraine and its partners insist on granting qualified Ukrainian energy specialists safe access at least to carry out basic repairs on power transmission lines.

Russian propaganda crudely manipulates claims about the absence of an international monitoring mission at the seized Ukrainian nuclear facility and other Ukrainian plants. According to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP remain a priority for the Agency’s work: since the start of the full-scale invasion, the IAEA has deployed more than 200 monitoring missions to Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Since the beginning of 2025 alone, more than 500 flights of Russian drones and missiles have been recorded within the 30-kilometer monitoring zones around Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, deliberate Russian strikes have caused complete losses of external power supply at Ukraine’s nuclear plants on 13 occasions.

This fake is yet another attempt by Russian propaganda to justify the occupation and violations of international norms.

Russian sources have circulated claims that the United States allegedly imposed sanctions on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). According to propagandists, this supposedly means that the U.S. has ‘officially recognized the plant as Russian’ and even ‘acknowledged that Zaporizhzhia is Russian’.  

In reality, this is a manipulation of information, as reported by the StopFake project.  

On January 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a new package of sanctions against Russia. The department’s website states that the sanctions target over 150 legal entities and individuals, including a wide range of Russian defense industry companies and entities supporting Russia's military-industrial base. Additionally, the sanctions apply to dozens of companies in other countries that helped Russia evade previous U.S. sanctions.  

As for the alleged sanctions ‘against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant’, the ZNPP is mentioned twice in the list of sanctioned entities. The first reference concerns sanctions against Vladislav Isayev, the Russian general director of the plant. The second reference relates to sanctions against the Russian legal entity created to manage the ZNPP under Russian military occupation - Federal State Unitary Enterprise Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.  

Thus, the document does not recognize the ZNPP as Russian, nor does it recognize the city of Zaporizhzhia as part of Russia.  

By spreading such disinformation, Russian propagandists aim to assert that the U.S. has allegedly acknowledged the ‘real state of affairs’ in the Russia-Ukraine war and is beginning to accept Ukraine’s territorial losses. Previously, we debunked claims that Ukraine was allegedly provoking nuclear escalation at the ZNPP. 

Propagandists are spreading a message on anonymous Telegram channels about a disabled man from Zaporizhzhia who was allegedly captured 10 days after mobilization. However, it is false.

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. Its experts found that the Zaporizhzhia Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support refuted this information. The man was not mobilized by this center and was last registered for military service at the Pokrovsk Territorial recruitment and social support center of Donetsk region back in 2009. He is also not registered at the address provided in the video. The video is a staged creation made as part of an information-psychological operation to discredit mobilization and hinder the formation of Ukraine's Defense Forces.

Russian propagandists are spreading disinformation about mobilization in Ukraine to achieve several important goals. In this way, they create the impression of its supposed chaos and injustice, which undermines trust in Ukrainian state institutions. They also aim to instill fear and uncertainty among those who may be mobilized and their families. One of their goals is also to demoralize soldiers and potential recruits by spreading false information. This is yet another attempt to portray the Ukrainian government in a negative light before the international community.

Russian propagandists are spreading manipulative messages that Russian aviation allegedly destroyed a UAV train in Zaporizhzhia. Russian media, citing the alleged words of the spokesman of the Operational-Strategic Group of Forces “Tavria” Vladyslav Voloshyn, claim that the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly confirmed the “liquidation of the UAV production workshop”. This is reported by StopFake.

In fact, Russia has really stepped up terror against the civilian population of Ukraine's frontline cities - dozens of airstrikes are carried out daily on Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, Odesa and other populated areas. Schools, playgrounds, residential buildings and hospitals often fall under these indiscriminate attacks. Russian occupiers have modernized guided aerial bombs (GAB), allowing them to attack cities located deep in the rear. On September 27, 2024, on the air of Novosti.Live, the press secretary of the Tavria Operational-Strategic Group of Forces, Vladyslav Voloshyn, commented on the modernization of Russian aerial bombs, but made no statements about the destruction of “UAV workshops”. Voloshyn noted that Russia continues to destroy Ukrainian frontline cities, striking the civilian population. He also noted that it is very difficult to shoot down guided air bombs and Ukraine should focus on destroying the enemy's rear airfields and its aircraft. This requires long-range weapons.

Russia's airstrikes in Ukraine can be considered war crimes falling under the jurisdiction of international courts. In this context, on March 5, 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for the commander of Russia's Long-Range Aviation Serhii Kobylash and the former commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Viktor Sokolov for attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine.

Propaganda is trying to create the false impression that the Ukrainian military will suffer serious losses due to Russian airstrikes. Fakes about the destruction of “UAV warehouses” and “drone production workshops” help to present Russia as an effective force capable of carrying out pinpoint strikes on important Ukrainian Armed Forces facilities. By claiming that Ukrainian speakers allegedly confirm Russian successes, the Kremlin is trying to raise doubts about the veracity of Ukrainian reports and sow mistrust among Ukrainian citizens and the international community. The spread of false reports about allegedly massive strikes on important facilities in the rear can also sow panic among the population, undermine morale and create a sense of danger even far from the front line. Fake reports about the destruction of military infrastructure can be aimed at weakening Western support for Ukraine, making them doubt the advisability of providing further assistance.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are disseminating information that on the website of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, residents of Zaporizhzhia have registered an electronic petition for the “opening of anti-radiation shelters”. The text of the appeal states that there are such shelters in the city, but it is supposedly impossible to get into them if you do not know the “right” people. Propagandists add a screenshot of the petition as “proof”.

In fact, such treatment does not exist. One can verify this by checking the petition, a screenshot of which is being distributed by propagandists on the electronic petitions website. Thus, on the website of the President of Ukraine there is no appeal under number 22/215b442-eп. Moreover, it could not exist, since the petition number contains an extra letter “b” in the middle. If one removes the unnecessary things, the petition numbered No. 22/215442-eп really exists, but its topic is different, and it is dated January 11, 2024.

The Center for Countering Disinformation also stated that this is a fake. The Russians once again created a fake petition, probably with the help of a graphic editor, and passed it off as real. For example, a little earlier we recorded misinformation about the alleged existence of a petition to name the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces after Iryna Farion.

Propaganda anonymous telegram channels disseminate information that the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly failed during the offensive in the Kursk region and, in “desperation”, attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security drew attention to it. In fact, the fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant occurred on August 11, and Russian propagandists immediately accused the Ukrainian army of attacking the station. Now fake news is filling the information space with messages about supposedly “Ukrainian drones” and that “it is not profitable for Russia” to set fire to nuclear power plants.

However, an IAEA statement dated August 12 noted that agency experts checked the fire site and did not find any “remnants of drones”, which refutes the Kremlin propaganda claim that the station was shelled.

The only source of threat to the nuclear power plant is Russia, which has seized the plant, turned it into a military base and is using it for provocations and nuclear blackmail. Russia has more than once organized provocations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and accused Ukraine of attacks on energy facilities.

Propagandists are disseminating information about alleged preparations for the evacuation of authorities from the Orikhovskyi and Huliaipilskyi districts of the Zaporizhzhia region. This was stated by the coordinator of the so-called Mykolaiv underground. However, this is fake.

The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council drew attention to it. Its specialists checked the information with the head of the Polohivskyi district state military administration, Artur Krupskyi, who confirmed that this information was not true.

Several inaccuracies also indicate unreliability. Firstly, Orikhovskyi and Huliaipilskyi  districts were liquidated in 2020 in accordance with the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine No. 807-IX dated July 17, 2020. On their basis, the enlarged Polohivskyi district was created. Secondly, the “news” about emergency evacuation is based on a false interpretation of information about a meeting of the Coordination Headquarters at the regional level to prepare plans for evacuation work in case of emergencies. Such events are regularly carried out at both the district and regional levels, including planned evacuation drills. In addition, a significant part of the Polohivskyi district is located in a zone of active hostilities, so the evacuation of civilians from populated areas near the conflict occurs daily.

By spreading such fakes, Russian propagandists are trying to sow panic among the local population and discredit local authorities. In this way, they try to create a feeling of uncertainty and fear in people. They say that the situation is so critical that local authorities are planning to evacuate, which means they are not able to cope with the situation and are leaving their citizens to fend for themselves. This could undermine confidence in the Ukrainian authorities, raising doubts about their ability to protect the population and maintain order.

Propaganda telegram channels working in the interests of the occupation forces in the Zaporizhzhia region quote an article from the Turkish publication dikGazete. The author of the article claims that Russian reforms in the agricultural sector of the Zaporizhzhia region allegedly led to economic growth. This, according to them, became possible thanks to the support of the Russian government, which purchases the products of local farmers at market prices and provides them with subsidies. They also praise the organization of the State Grain Operator, which creates jobs and pays high prices for grain. However, they do not have objective information about the work of this operator. They say that Ukraine, on the contrary, sold off land and neglected the region. The article was pointed out by the Zaporizhzhia Investigation Center.

Its experts found that the information in this publication is manipulative and deceitful. For example, the mention of Russia’s “rescue” actions in restoring the agricultural sector of the Zaporizhzhia region after the Ukrainian government does not reflect the real situation, since the region had developed agricultural activities even before the invasion. In addition, the statement about the sale of agricultural land to foreign investors is not true, since until July 2021 there was a moratorium on the sale of such land in Ukraine, and after its lifting, sales to foreigners remain complicated.

This media has a pronounced pro-Russian slant. At the time of writing, columns were published on the main page of the publication’s website about the alleged blackmail of the families of Russian prisoners of war by Ukraine and disappointing forecasts for Ukraine. These materials have a direct connection with Russia: the author of one of them indicated Moscow as his location, and the other - St. Petersburg.

Propagandists spread such disinformation to the TOT inhabitants to convince them that Russia supposedly cares about “new regions”, unlike Ukraine.

Pro-Kremlin resources are spreading information that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have decided to release water from the dam at the Dnipro hydroelectric station in order to try to slow down the advance of the Russian army. However, in this way the Armed Forces of Ukraine seem to be only trying to delay the “inevitable dismissal of Russian Kherson”.

In fact, the fluctuation in the water level in the Dnipro is connected, firstly, with the Ukrainian energy system, which was damaged as a result of Russian missile attacks on it. Secondly, small changes in the water level in the Dnipro cascade of reservoirs are due to the natural process of spring floods in Ukraine.

The Dnipro cascade, consisting of six hydroelectric power stations, allows one to control and regulate the natural process of spring floods on the Dnipro River. In the spring of 2024, five of the six hydroelectric power plants in Ukraine experienced floods as planned. The sixth - Kakhovska hydroelectric power station - is not working due to the fact that it was blown up by Russia in June 2023.

Levels of flooding of Ukrainian territories as a result of spring floods are observed only in certain parts of the Chernihiv region (northern Ukraine, completely controlled by the Ukrainian army), reports the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center. At the same time, in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, water levels have decreased significantly. Accordingly, controlled water releases at Ukrainian hydroelectric power stations can in no way flood the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, where battles with the Russian army are taking place.

Pro-Kremlin media are spreading messages that it is the “Kyiv regime”, and not Russia, that is shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power plant - the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. In asserting this, propaganda resources refer to a statement by Russian Foreign Ministry representative Zakharova.

However, this information is fake. It is Russia, after the seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, that puts Ukraine and the world at risk of a nuclear disaster. They write about this in the Center for Strategic Communications and Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Russia places soldiers of its occupation army on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, military equipment, and also illegally interferes with the operation of the nuclear power plant. Also, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia is simulating drone attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in order to accuse Ukraine. And Zakharova’s words are simply a lie.

In the end, it is the Russian Federation that provokes nuclear escalation with repeated threats to use atomic weapons against Ukraine and other European countries. Previously, we refuted the information that the IAEA was allegedly “satisfied with the state of the Zaporizhzhia NPP under Russian control”.

Propaganda telegram channels write that the West, together with Kyiv, are allegedly trying to shift the blame for dangerous incidents at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to Russia. And that in this way they only confirm their involvement in these provocations.

In fact, this information is not true. This was reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. The Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, Serhii Kyslytsia, at a meeting of the Security Council rejected accusations from Russia that Ukraine could cause a nuclear disaster: “Someone believes that a country that is still recovering from a major nuclear disaster would like a repeat of Chernobyl in 1986? This is an idea that could only have occurred to Kremlin propagandists, because only Kremlin propagandists openly dream of radioactive dust replacing Ukrainian cities”.

In addition, according to the chairman deputy of the Board of National Atomic Power Generating Company Energoatom Petro Kotin, due to the incompetence of the personnel recruited by the occupiers, the necessary repairs and inspections are not carried out in full at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. In particular, this is why equipment failures are recorded, which significantly worsens the safety situation.

Accusing the Russians of Ukraine’s alleged involvement in the shelling of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and promoting this disinformation at the level of the UN and the Russian Foreign Ministry is part of the Kremlin’s nuclear terrorism. At the same time, in this way propagandists discredit Ukraine and throw another “argument” into the information space to justify aggression, which sounds like “protection from terrorism on the part of Ukraine”. Read more about how Russia blurs reality by resorting to rhetoric about the “Ukrainian trace” in various troubles in Russia or even the world here.

Information is being spread online that as a result of assault operations, Russian troops allegedly captured the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region and actually gained a foothold there. In asserting this, propagandists refer to a statement by one of the deputies of the Zaporizhzhia regional council.

In fact, this “news” is not true. They write about this in the Center for Strategic Communications and Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

The Defense Forces of southern Ukraine note that the information picked up by the media was published without checking its veracity by those who are not directly related to real combat work and do not have operational information about the situation in Robotyne.

The Southern Defense Forces also add that Ukrainian units are repelling Russian attacks with artillery on the approaches to Robotyne: the military of the 65th Mechanized Infantry Brigade and related units are destroying groups of invaders with strike drones and mortar crews.

Russian propagandists on anonymous telegram channels and media, as well as through diplomatic channels, are distributing materials according to which Ukraine allegedly staged a provocation at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), attacking it with drones. They say that the International Nuclear Energy Agency (IAEA) condemned Ukraine for such actions in its recent statements and is ready to hold a meeting of the Board of Governors at the request of Russia on this situation. However, this is only the interpretation of propagandists.

The other day, drones actually exploded at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, but the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine noted that this was a provocation by Russia in order to discredit Ukraine. At the same time, the IAEA did not blame Ukraine for the attacks in its statements regarding the situation.

In Agency circles, the Russian narrative was actively disseminated by the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN in Vienna, Mikhail Ulianov. In particular, on his telegram he repeated the messages of Russian propaganda regarding the incident. On April 8, he sent a note to the current Chairman of the Board of Governors, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the IAEA Federico Martinsen, and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi with a request to convene an urgent meeting on “the recent attacks and provocations of the Ukrainian armed forces against a Russian nuclear facility” not later than April 11. The note notes that it was created “according to instructions from Moscow”. Later, Ulianov confirmed in the same telegram channel that the IAEA would still hold a meeting on April 11 at the request of the Russian delegation.

This was also stated by Reuters sources, who at the same time note that they do not expect the IAEA to accept Russia’s position and that the meeting is more of a formal nature, where all parties will present their position.

The Russians are spreading such disinformation ahead of the meeting to try to lead a favorable message in countries where the position on Russian aggression has not yet been fully formed. In addition, this is an attempt to influence both foreign and domestic audiences, thus showing that Russia is actively represented in the international arena.  Detector Media previously wrote about what methods and techniques Russia uses to spread disinformation in international organizations using the example of the OSCE.

In the context of the visit of the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi to Russia, propagandists claim that the IAEA directors allegedly “convinced the safety” of the plant, as a result of which Grossi allegedly “remained satisfied with the technical condition of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the qualifications of the personnel”. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that in February-March 2024, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi made three working trips dedicated to the safety issues of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. During this period, Grossi visited Kyiv, where he discussed with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi the current security situation at the seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the risks posed by its occupation by Russian troops. Grossi then noted that “there is no basis for self-relaxation or belief that everything has stabilized there - this is far from the case”.

After the meeting with Zelenskyi, Grossi visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. He warned Russians about the restart of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, noting that basic safety principles were not observed at the station. Grossi noted that the station is located on the front line and is subject to shelling, the nuclear power plant is used by the invaders as a heavy weapon, and after the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, the nuclear power plant was left without a stable source of water supply. In addition, Grossi emphasized that the main problem of Zaporizhzhia NPP is the lack of qualified personnel at the station, since Russia does not allow employees of the national operator Energoatom to work there. In addition, Russia categorically refuses to allow IAEA experts into most of the turbine rooms and equipment of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Grossi’s meeting with Putin on March 6, 2024 did not change the situation and did not reduce significant risks to nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the IAEA noted in a statement following the meeting. It is emphasized that in the first days of March 2024 alone, IAEA experts who were at the site witnessed three shelling attacks carried out from the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. According to the IAEA, the explosions “indicate the use of heavy weapons from the area near the plant”.

So, all statements by Russian propaganda that the IAEA is “satisfied with Russia’s actions” are outright fakes. On the contrary, both the head of the Agency and his experts report catastrophic violations of nuclear safety rules by the Russian army at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Detector Media has previously written about how Russia conducts its disinformation in international organizations, in particular in the OSCE.

Pro-Kremlin media are spreading information that the Zaporizhzhia region is ready for “provocations” from Kyiv during the “presidential elections”. That is, Russia has allegedly already taken care of the safety of voters. The corresponding statement was made by gauleiter Balytskyi.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine writes that the “concern” of the occupiers and local gauleiters for the safety of the population is hypocrisy, because it was Russia that brought war, destruction and death to these lands. In addition, it is the Russians who expose the residents of Zaporizhzhia to danger. It is possible that the Russian army is preparing provocations with victims in order to blame Ukraine, the Center adds.

The pseudo-voting itself will not be considered legitimate in any case. After all, forcing people to participate in illegal elections, at a minimum, does not correspond to the general principles of democracy. We previously wrote that in temporarily occupied territories, Ukrainians are forced to publish photos with their family at “polling stations”.

Pro-Russian resources disseminate information that the decision to overpower the residents of the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, who supported Ukraine, was made due to fears of lynching against them. The corresponding statement was made by the “governor” of the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, Balytskyi.

In fact, this information is not true. This is written about in the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. The eviction of Ukrainians from their homes is not a forced measure, but forced deportation. This is part of the Russian campaign aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity. The mayor of Melitopol Fedorov said that the Russians are preparing a mass settlement of the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region with residents from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. That is, the occupiers want to evict “undesirable” Ukrainians and move doctors, teachers, engineers, fighters, etc. into the housing taken away by force from distant regions of Russia.

All the statements of propagandists about “caring for Ukrainians” have nothing to do with reality - in fact, the invaders cruelly abuse the residents of TOT and deprive them of any rights and freedoms, forcing them to receive Russian passports and vote for Putin. We previously wrote that the Russians sent SMS messages to residents of Zaporizhzhia about supposedly evacuating the city, but in fact it was a fake story.

This information is published by pro-Russian resources and supported by “evidence”: a fragment of a video with an alleged comment by the head of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, on the air of a telethon. Basic Russian-made medicines are also imported into the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region in large quantities.

In fact, the Melitopol mayor did not say anything like this during the telethon, because such a video simply does not exist, and there are no comments on this topic on his official communication channel. This was brought to the attention of the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. The video itself was made using the deepfake method. It can be viewed here. The video shows facial expressions that are not typical for humans, a lack of speech pauses, and desynchronization of lips and direct speech. In addition, the video is of low quality, the date and time of inclusion are blurred. The last broadcast, where Fedorov commented on the medical situation in Melitopol, was on December 16, 2023. There he spoke, in particular, about the fact that the Russians are conducting medical experiments on Melitopol residents.

Thus, propagandists strive to assure that “Russia will come and restore order”. However, the reality is somewhat different. Considering the atrocities of the Russians in Bucha, Hostomel and Izium, it can be argued that this war is genocidal in nature, and Moscow’s ultimate goal is the complete destruction of the Ukrainian people.

• Read also: In Italy, a propaganda exhibition about Mariupol “revived” by the occupiers was banned.

The name of such a chat is President’s Messenger. The leaflets themselves are distributed on behalf of the chairman of the Zaporizhzhia regional council, Olena Zhuk. They say that city residents can share all their problems and what worries them through a chatbot by clicking on the QR code on the leaflet, since “this is a quick way to draw attention to an existing problem”.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reported that the head of the local regional council, Olena Zhuk, called these leaflets fake, saying that she, her colleagues and the regional council have nothing to do with them, as well as with the President’s Messenger chat. In addition, Olena Zhuk asked citizens not to follow the QR code on the leaflets and not to transfer their personal data to unknown persons on the Internet. She also reminded residents of Zaporizhzhia about cybersecurity, urging them to observe the rules of digital hygiene.

According to such reports, the next evacuation from Zaporizhzhia to “Odesa, Poland and Germany” was supposed to take place on December 11, 2023. However, after processing this information, the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council found out that in fact no evacuation is planned. Such messages are part of the Russian IPSO. By resorting to such cynicism, propagandists pursue the goal of sowing panic among the population of Ukraine. If such a notification is received, the Center calls on citizens not to click on the links and block the number from which the SMS came. More enemy speculation on the topic of evacuation of Ukrainians can be found here.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels are disseminating information that on the night of October 18, a house in Zaporizhzhia was damaged, allegedly as a result of the work of Ukrainian air defense forces. It is not true.

The case was examined by the fact-checkers from the Center for Countering Disinformation. According to the Secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council Anatolii Kurtiev, at night the Russians fired 6 missiles at Zaporizhzhia, “apartments in 2 entrances of the building were partially destroyed”. As of 16:47, four people are known to have died, and search and rescue efforts are continuing.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to shift responsibility for the crimes of Russians into Ukraine and cause panic among Ukrainians, saying that air defense forces do not protect, but destroy civilian objects and kill people. Previously, we wrote about manipulation, supposedly the Ukrainian Air Force admitted that “Ukrainian air defense missiles are hitting” residential buildings.

Pro-Russian propagandists disseminated such information on social networks, in particular, on telegram channels where they broadcast pro-Russian narratives. The reports say, among other things, that instead of the end of the war promised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, locals are suffocating from the continuous burning of the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. However, this is fake.

This case was analyzed by VoxCheck specialists. They found out that in Zaporizhzia  there are organizations that carry out cremations, but this does not happen in the city itself, but outside its borders, in particular, in Odesa, Kharkiv or Kyiv. But analysts were unable to find the user who complained about the supposedly continuous operation of the crematorium in the city.

Thus, the Russians want to intimidate the civilian population. They say that in Ukraine everything is so bad at the front that the bodies of the dead are burned around the clock, even in residential areas. The enemy is trying to demoralize Ukrainians by manipulating the number of losses. Detector Media has already refuted the Russian fake about the creation of mobile crematoria in the Ukrainian Territorial Defense brigade.

Anonymous telegrams broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric, as well as a number of Ukrainian mass media, spread the information that Russian President Volodymyr Putin had allegedly decided to blow up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and determined the dates of the terrorist attack. This is not true.

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine stated: “As for the possible provocation of the Russians at the ZNPP, there is no danger now. The Russian IPSO is actively working, they are trying to sow panic and scare Ukrainians. Of course, in the event of an increase in the probability of provocations, the Main Directorate of Intelligence, the President and other special services will always warn. But now there's no need to worry”.

Later, the manager of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Yurii Malashko, also denied this information in the Telegram channel. “Currently, the information that is being circulated in the mass media about any planned terrorist attack by the Russian occupiers at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is not confirmed. It does not correspond to reality”, Malashko noted.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to create chaos and sow panic among the Ukrainian population. They systematically spread fakes about ZNPP for these purposes. Earlier, we refuted the fake that all potassium iodide was bought up in Kyiv after Zelenskyi's statement about the mining of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

In the Russian segment of Facebook and in the media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric, information is being disseminated that the IAEA allegedly refuted the statement by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyryl Budanov, about mining by the Russian military at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. It's fake.

As fact-checkers of the Stop Fake project note, the IAEA press service published a press release on the official website and confirmed the mining. The press release says that the station is mined around the perimeter and in some places inside. Therefore, the claims of Russian propaganda are false. The only thing that the IAEA does not confirm is the report of mines planted near the cooling pond. The visit of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi took place on June 15.

Thus, Russian propaganda wants to shift the responsibility for the crimes to the victim and convince the whole world that Ukraine is creating provocations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that Kyiv disrupted the IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The Kremlin propaganda media are spreading information that the “Kyiv regime” allegedly deliberately raises the water level at the Kakhovka reservoir in order to “flood” the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The authorities are allegedly taking measures to “create conditions for forcing the Dnipro, in particular for seizing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”. It's fake.

The case was noticed by specialists from the StopFake project. Ukraine does not flood its own territories, and the increase in the water level in the Dnipro is due to spring floods. As hydrologist and candidate of geographical sciences Konstiantyn Danko noted in a StopFake commentary, flooding the Zaporizhzhia NPP is impossible, because “its infrastructure is designed by default for maximum levels in the Kakhovka reservoir”. According to him, 5 out of 6 hydroelectric power plants operate on the Dnipro cascade, which control and regulate the water level. The sixth is not working due to the capture by Russian troops.

The hydrologist also refutes the narrative that due to the uncontrolled release of water by Kyiv and due to powerful water pressure, it will break the dam of the Kakhovka reservoir. He notes that the structure was built with the calculation of all risks, both natural and anthropological, and the dam is able to withstand water pressure at high speed. But a breakthrough may occur due to the constant shelling of the dam by the Russians.

Russian propaganda also spreads the narrative that Ukraine deliberately held back water in early 2023 in order to drain the Kakhovka reservoir and cause a flood in the spring. According to the hydrologist, during the retreat from the right bank of the Dnipro in the fall of 2022, the Russian military blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station and opened the lock chambers in the engine room. Therefore, the integrity of the dam was violated, since then there has been a constant uncontrolled discharge of water at the Kakhovka reservoir.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to shift the responsibility for Russia's crimes onto Ukrainians. Russian propaganda uses the tactics of reflection, attributing its actions to opponents.  Detector Media refuted the fake that Ukraine allegedly stores weapons on the territory of the ZNPP.

Kremlin propaganda media are spreading information citing American reports that the Ukrainian army is allegedly preparing to blow up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The US military gave Ukraine sensors that help detect a surge of radiation, and, according to propaganda, this confirms that “the Americans are afraid of the explosion of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces”. It's fake.

As the fact-checkers of the StopFake project note, the Russian propaganda used the New York Times article, took the information out of context and built its own fake on it. There is no information in the NYT publication about the “blowing up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”, however, the United States did indeed transfer sensors to Ukraine. The Nuclear Accident Support Team (NEST), affiliated with the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, has deployed sensors in Ukraine to warn of an emergency or report a radiation disaster. It has to do with Russia's nuclear blackmail.

Moreover, this equipment will be able to decipher the so-called atomic signature, which is formed after the explosion. If Russia wants to stage a provocation, hiding behind the Ukrainian flag, the US will be able to expose it.

Thus, propaganda is trying to intimidate not only Ukrainians, but the whole world with nuclear weapons. And also to shift the responsibility for Russia's crimes to the victim. Previously, Detector Media described how Russian propaganda uses intimidation tactics.