Spilnota Detector Media

Fake In Moldova, they built a personal bomb shelter for Volodymyr Zelenskyi

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric circulated a photo of Volodymyr Zelenskyi during negotiations in Moldova and stated that a personal bomb shelter had been built for him. Russian propaganda also claims that the meeting itself took place underground. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case. In fact, the negotiations took place not underground, but at wineries, in one of the rooms of the ancient Mimi castle. Propagandists use photos taken at the second meeting of the European Political Community, which was attended by 45 heads of states and governments.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi saying that he is afraid of Russian missiles even abroad. Previously, Detector Media talked about the tactics of reflection, which the Russians use to divert attention.

Fake The Embassy of Ukraine in Turkey published a document on the financing of the dismissed defenders of Mariupol

In the Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric, they are spreading an alleged document of the Ukrainian embassy in Turkey. It refers to the allocation of budgetary funds to exceed the amount of living expenses in Turkey for five defenders of Mariupol released from Russian captivity. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the Center for Strategic Communications drew attention to the case. The Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Turkey officially denied this information on the official website. The fact that this document is fake, “is evidenced by non-existent registration numbers, an invalid Embassy form was used, in particular, a long-defunct website of the Embassy is indicated (current website: turkiye.mfa.gov.ua), other rules for maintaining official correspondence are violated”.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit the Ukrainian military and complicate the cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey, aimed at the release of the Ukrainian military from Russian captivity. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the manipulation that Russia destroyed the entire fleet of Bayraktar drones in Ukraine.

Fake A cover with Zelenskyi and the deceased passenger of the Titan submarine was published by Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are circulating the alleged cover of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo with a caricature of Zelenskyi. In the image, the President of Ukraine is holding the deceased passenger of the Titan submarine so that he would transfer money to help Ukraine. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the Center for Countering Disinformation drew attention to the case. They determined that no such cover exists. The latest issue is number 1613 and it came out on June 21, while the fake cover is numbered 1614 and dated June 23.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Western partners and convince Ukrainians that Zelenskyi is neglected in the West. To do this, Russian propaganda uses the tactic of ridicule. Earlier, Detector Media refuted the fake that the German magazine Handelsblatt depicted a destroyed Leopard tank on its cover.

Fake Kyiv agreed with UNESCO on the transfer of holy relics to the museums of Italy, France, Germany and the Vatican

In the Russian and Georgian segment of Facebook and in the media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric, they disseminate information with reference to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service that Kyiv allegedly agreed with UNESCO to transfer the Orthodox relics of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to museums in Italy, France and France as if the holy relics had to be taken out in order to preserve them. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the Myth Detector project drew attention to the case. They established that the information about the removal of holy relics from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to European countries is false. The Minister of Culture of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko wrote on his Facebook page that “not a single sacred value will leave the territory of Ukraine”.  Also, the acting director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Maksym Ostapenko, noted that “the reserve did not have such plans and will not have them”. Information about this agreement cannot be found on the official website of UNESCO. This fake was denied on the official Facebook pages of the Ministry of Culture and the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO.

By spreading information that Kyiv has agreed to transfer relics to European countries, propagandists are trying to discredit UNESCO and the Ukrainian authorities. Russian propaganda created a fake to sow religious discord, as well as divert attention from the crimes committed by Russia, in particular, from the looting of museums and galleries. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that allegedly Russia does not destroy Ukrainian cultural and historical heritage.

Fake IAEA denied Budanov’s statement that Russian troops mined ZNPP

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.

Fake Al Jazeera published a video selection with angry comments of Ukrainians about the passengers of the Titan bathyscaphe

Propagandists are distributing a video purporting to be a compilation created by Al Jazeera. It analyzes the comments of Ukrainians on the death of the crew members of the submersible Titan. In particular, according to it, the Ukrainians “massively accuse” the passengers of the bathyscaphe of squandering. As confirmation of such conclusions, the authors of the video used the following “comments”: “Ukraine needs help while these people are spending a fortune on stupid entertainment”, “250 thousand dollars to “view”? It is not surprising that they disappeared”, “While they hang out, we really drown. I hope they don't get rescued”. It's fake.

Specialists in the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the video was not real. Its authors specifically used the logo of the Qatari television company and their design. The fact that this video has nothing to do with Al Jazeera was announced by the company's official English-language Twitter account. According to the channel's explanation, the fake was noticed after Reuters journalists asked for a comment on it. The company representative also noted that propagandists had already used the Al Jazeera branding to create other anti-Ukrainian fakes, in particular, reports that Ukrainian fans were allegedly detained in Qatar for “propaganda of Nazism”.

By creating and spreading such fakes, propagandists want to show Ukrainians as aggressive and ungrateful. Like, they don't care about someone else's grief, because the only thing they need the West for is money and weapons. This reinforces anti-Ukrainian stereotypes in Russian propaganda to justify the crimes of Russians.

Fake Zelenskyi “usurped” power in Ukraine

Propagandists in the Russian media claim that President Volodymyr Zelenskyi refused to hold elections in Ukraine. Like, in this way he “usurped” power and “weaved” on democratic norms. In addition, they also note that Ukraine does not go to peace talks with Russia, allegedly in order to “preserve Zelenskyi's power”. It's fake.

Specialists in the StopFake project drew attention to it. They argue that the holding of any elections during martial law is prohibited by the Constitution of Ukraine (Article 83 Section IV) and the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law” (Article 19). Propagandists distorted Zelenskyi's comment in a recent BBC interview. Zelenskyi said in it that there can be no elections during the war according to the law, but he wants peace next year.

Project analysts also note that holding elections during the war is not possible for a number of other reasons, including, in particular, infrastructure destroyed by Russia, the difficulty of organizing voting for Ukrainian refugees abroad, as well as security risks in the event of a missile attack on voting day. With the lifting of martial law, the next parliamentary elections should be held in October 2023, and presidential elections in the spring of 2024.

By spreading messages about the “usurpation” of power, propagandists want to personally discredit Zelenskyi and cause distrust in him. In addition, in this way, they want to shift the responsibility for the actions of the Russians to the victim of Russian aggression. They say that only Zelenskyi and his political ambitions are to blame for the fact that the war continues. However, it is the Russian criminal regime that is a true example of the usurpation of power, because it neglects its own legislation for the sake of one person being the head of state.

Fake Armed Forces of Ukraine urge to destroy all people in the de-occupied territories

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are calling for the destruction of all people in the de-occupied territories, since anyone can turn out to be a traitor. The authors of the messages refer to the telegram channel allegedly of the 35th Ukrainian brigade. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case, and they found out that the 35th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine does not have an official page on  Telegram. Therefore, the channel itself, from where the information was disseminated, is fake. The military unit confirmed that the information page of their brigade was not on  Telegram. And all the messages spread on their behalf are fake. Fact-checkers checked the fake Telegram channel itself and found that the authors often spread panic: they talk about the huge losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the impossibility of victory, ineffective actions of the command, etc. They also discredit Ukrainian officials. In addition, a recent fake about the death of Kyryl Budanov was circulated.

We recall that earlier we explained how and why Russian propagandists create clone pages of the Ukrainian military or even an entire brigade. Thus, they want to win the loyalty of the Ukrainians who can believe in the authenticity of the messages.

Fake On its cover, the German magazine Handelsblatt depicted a destroyed Leopard tank

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The German magazine Handelsblatt recently published a cover featuring a destroyed Leopard tank, reports say. The cover itself has a title: “This is not a counteroffensive - this is a bloody crash test”. Allegedly, they are hinting at the failed counteroffensive of Ukraine. It is not true.

Specialists from the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council investigated this case and found out that such a cover does not exist. The fact-checkers explained that they did not find a magazine with such a cover on the official website of the publication. The latest issue of the magazine has a completely different design.

Thus propagandists seek to show that their rhetoric is also being repeated in the West. So readers get the impression that the whole world is laughing at Ukraine.

Fake Kyryl Budanov, head of the GUR, in a coma

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that after the last rocket attack, Kyryl Budanov was wounded. They assure that he is in a coma, although this is “hidden”. The authors refer to the German edition of Stern. It is not true.

The case was taken up by the fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project who determined that the German edition did not publish such news. This is just propaganda stuff. Meanwhile, Stern journalists also denied this information, as if they had reported on the health condition of Kyryl Budanov. They explained that this was part of Russian disinformation and propagandists used their publication as a “primary source” for no reason.

Let us remind you that this fake is part of a propaganda story about how Kyryl Budanov was allegedly “wounded” as a result of a Russian missile hitting the building of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine. Previously, the authors claimed that Budanov is being treated in Germany and the Ukrainian leadership is hiding this.

Fake An outbreak of cholera was recorded in Mykolaiv

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that an outbreak of cholera was recorded in Mykolaiv and the region. The authors of the messages add that allegedly in the cities people are not allowed out of their apartments and quarantine is being introduced. It is not true.

Fact-checkers of the Center for Countering Disinformation investigated this case and found that the information about the cholera outbreak is not true. At the same time, the chief state sanitary doctor of the Mykolaiv region confirmed that no cholera outbreak had been found in the city and the region. There are no deviations from the norm. And quarantine measures too.

The chief state sanitary doctor Ihor Kuzin said that Ukraine is ready to respond quickly in case of outbreaks of cholera. So far, they have not been fixed. According to him, there are enough drugs and diagnostic tools to diagnose acute intestinal infections, including cholera.

By spreading this fake, propagandists seek to sow panic among Ukrainians in order to destabilize their moods. Earlier, we just refuted a similar case about records of an outbreak of cholera in Kyiv. It turned out that this was also not true.

Fake The humorous magazine Humor Times dedicated the cover to Zelenskyi with a call to “kill and get rid of him”

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say an American humor magazine recently ran a cover featuring Zelenskyi lying on the hood of a car in motion. The cover itself has the caption: “before the future, one needs to get rid of something now”. Allegedly, they hint at the death of Volodymyr Zelenskyi. It is not true.

Specialists of the Center for Countering Disinformation investigated this case and found that such a cover does not exist. The fact-checkers explained that the last available issue of the magazine is 374 while the fake cover is already 375. There is no information on the official website about the 375 issue of the magazine, since it has not yet been released.

Thus, propagandists seek to show that their rhetoric (for example, that Zelenskyi should be eliminated) is also repeated in the West. So readers may get the impression that the whole world is opposed to Ukraine.

Fake Joseph Biden proud to be the most pro-Russian president in American history

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are circulating a video of US President Joseph Biden saying he is allegedly proud to be the most pro-Russian president in American history. I promised you that I would. But here's what I'm really proud of: I'm proud to have been re-elected as the most pro-Russian president in history”. It's fake.

The case was investigated by the VoxCheck fact-checker. They found out that the video had been edited: a disfigured Russian translation was superimposed on the original audio track. On June 17, 2023, Biden spoke to union members in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the campaign trail. In fact, at that meeting, the President of the United States said, “I am proud to be the most union-friendly president in American history. I promised that I would. But what I'm really proud of is that I was re-elected as the most pro-union president in history”.

By spreading such fakes, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Western partners and instill distrust in them. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that Joe Biden admitted that Putin could not be defeated.

Fake The French studio released an animated series about Zelenskyi and Bakhmut

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread the fourth series of the animated series “Ukraine Inc.” about Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which was allegedly created by a French animation studio. Russian propagandists write that for the Ukrainian president “Bakhmut is a bloody dream” and “he sacrificed an entire army of his soldiers-pawns and did not even spare Commander-in-Chief Zaluznyi”. It's fake.

According to experts from the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, this animated series is a continuation of the information and psychological operation of the enemy. Previously, they reported that it was impossible to find references to the French studio, and the series was distributed by propaganda media, so it follows from this that the series was created by the Russians themselves.

By ridiculing the military leadership of Ukraine in the animated series, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit it, sow discouragement among Ukrainians and weaken the support of Western partners. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the first episode of the animated series Ukraine Inc., which says that Zelenskyi, at the request of the West, launches a “military meat grinder” by sending Ukrainians to death, and an episode in which the president tries to escape with the money of his partners.

Fake German Foreign Minister asked Ukraine not to call Leopard tanks German

The Russian segment, Facebook and media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread information that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock asked Ukraine not to call Leopard tanks German. Baerbock allegedly asked the media not to name the Leopard tanks destroyed in Ukraine as German. It's fake.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of the StopFake project. Annalena Baerbock did not ask the media not to call the Leopard tanks German. Experts have determined that open source searches in German, English and Russian lead to Russian propaganda sites and the Russian segment of social networks. Also, on the website of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs there are no texts with a similar request from Annalena Baerbock.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Germany and the assistance provided to Ukraine by Western partners. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that Ukraine could join NATO if it gave up the territories occupied by Russia.

Fake First lady Olena Zelenska received an Israeli passport

Russian media and anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric circulate a photo of Olena Zelenska’s Israeli passport and write that the first lady received it during her last visit to this country. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case. This document has been edited with a photo editor. On the passport allegedly of Olena Zelenska, the date of issue is indicated as 19.06.2023, and the date of expiry is 18.06.2023. It is impossible to issue a passport after its expiration date.

Also, experts found in open sources a template for an Israeli passport. Probably, the Russian propaganda used this particular template, and took the photo of Olena Zelenska  from the official telegram channel.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Olena Zelenska, cause neglect among Ukrainians and Western partners, and deprive international support. Detector Media denied the fake that photos of Olena Zelenska's vacation on a nudist beach in Israel appeared.

Fake Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe insists on holding elections in Ukraine during martial law

Kremlin propaganda media disseminate information that PACE allegedly insists on the need for Ukraine to hold parliamentary elections, despite the martial law. Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, said that this would “tear the state apart”, moreover, in the current conditions it is very difficult to organize elections. Russian propaganda also writes that experts believe that “Kyiv is not interested in organizing voting as soon as possible, since it can blow up the position of the current government”. It's fake.

Fact checkers from The Insider investigated the case. The PACE position was expressed on June 12 in an analytical article by Olena Davlikanova, a project coordinator of the Representation of the Foundation of Friedrich Ebert in Ukraine. She explains that parliamentary elections should be held in October 2023, and presidential elections in March 2024, but due to the Russian occupation of Ukraine and the flooding caused by the actions of the Russians, “the expediency of a popular vote is in question”.

From the legal perspective, according to the Constitution of Ukraine, elections in Ukraine cannot be held under martial law. From the point of view of security and practicality, there are also a number of reasons why elections cannot be held now - the occupiers can fire at polling stations along with voters, about 20% of Ukrainians have become refugees and it will be difficult to organize voting in other countries, part of the territory is under occupation, and part is destroyed.

As for the thesis that they allegedly do not want to hold elections in Kyiv, because this will undermine the position of the current government, the article, on the contrary, notes that holding elections could help both Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the ruling “Servant of the People” party. Zelenskyi exceeds the popularity of the party, and this could play into the hands.

Russian propagandists use the tactics of substitution of concepts and try to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Like, Zelenskyi is holding on to power, because elections in Ukraine will not be held. Earlier, Detector Media denied the fake that Ukraine is postponing parliamentary elections in 2023 due to Zelenskyi's political ambitions.

Fake Deportation in case of refusal - Ukrainians in Estonia are summoned to a military meeting

Kremlin propaganda media and anonymous telegram channels spread the information that the Ukrainian embassy in Estonia allegedly informed the Ukrainians that they were being called to a “two-week meeting of reservists”. Those who refuse are deported. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case. According to the Estonian National Defense Law, foreigners are exempted from the obligation to join the army. Also, the Ukrinform news agency requested the Ukrainian Embassy in the Republic of Estonia. The embassy said that this information is not true and it is another fake of the Russians. Moreover, according to the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On approval of the procedure for organizing and maintaining military records of conscripts, conscripts and reservists”, diplomatic departments have no right to force them to join the ranks of a foreign army.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Estonian government and intimidate Ukrainians, to destabilize the situation. Earlier, Detector Media refuted the fake that Poland had allegedly launched covert mobilization.

Fake Budanov was wounded and was replaced by a double

Propagandists are spreading a fake, allegedly the chairman of the GUR, Kyryl Budanov, was wounded and instead of him, a double was sent to meet with Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori. It's fake. 

The authors of such messages note that the “double” can be exposed thanks to a new hairstyle, a clean-shaven chin and an “unnatural fold” of the right hand. However, all these are rather signs of a slight change in the image of one person.

By concocting such excuses, the Russians want to nourish the fake about Budanov's severe injury, even if it has already been debunked. In addition, by spreading reports about the injury or death of Ukrainian top military/political figures, the Russians want to cause panic among Ukrainians and create the illusion of defeat. However, the leaders who appeared in these fakes repeatedly debunked them on their own.

Fake Ukrainians desecrated a Polish monument

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular in the Polish segment of Facebook. Reports say unidentified women “desecrated” a Polish monument in Opole. Allegedly, the monument was decorated with the Ukrainian flag. So, the authors came to the conclusion that the women were engaged in profanation and desecrated the monument with a “Ukrainian sign”. The authors add video evidence to the publication. The Polish fact-checkers of the Demagog project investigated this case and found out that the organizers of the event filmed on video were a group of volunteers from Opole. They weave camouflage nets and then hand them over to the Ukrainian military. Moreover, the blue and yellow ribbon on the monument, which is visible on the monument, is not the flag of Ukraine, but the flag of the Opole Voivodeship. And even if the monument has a Ukrainian flag, this is not a profanity.

The Ukrainian banner does not contradict the values of the monument itself. It also symbolizes freedom and victory. The organizer of the rally himself noted on his Facebook that the purpose of the rally was to express solidarity with the victims of the floods in Ukraine. Thus, the authors simply tried to demonize Ukrainians, who allegedly desecrate monuments and propagate their values.

Fake Ukraine demands Silvio Berlusconi's legacy to be handed over to it

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that after the death of Silvio Berlusconi, Ukraine demanded that all of his legacy be handed over to it. The authors refer to a statement by Dmytro Kuleba, allegedly saying that Berlusconi was a friend of Putin and would rightly transfer all his legacy to Ukraine. It is not true. 

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the case, and determined that Dmytro Kuleba did not say this. It's just a made up quote. Berlusconi has been known for controversial statements about the Russian-Ukrainian war. Yes, he accused Ukraine and President Zelenskyi of Russia invading Ukraine. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reacted to this situation by saying that Silvio Berlusconi undoubtedly disseminated pro-Kremlin narratives in this statement. However, this does not give any reason to alienate the heritage from Berlusconi. The children of the former politician will receive it. 

Propagandists speculate on the topic of the forced seizure of property of Russia and its residents. This law was signed by Zelenskyi back in March last year. The law says that they will seize, without any exception, the property of Russia or its residents on the territory of Ukraine. However, we are not talking about third parties. This year, for the first time, the United States allowed the transfer of confiscated Russian assets to Ukraine. These were the assets of the Russian oligarch.

Fake German humour magazine published a cover with the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say a German humour magazine recently published a cover featuring fallen Ukrainian soldiers spelling out the phrase “counteroffensive”. The authors add that the whole world is mocking Zelenskyi's plans for a counteroffensive. It is not true. 

Specialists of the Center for Countering Disinformation investigated this case and found out that such a cover does not exist. The fact-checkers explained that the latest available issue of the magazine was the sixth while on the fake cover one could see the seventh. There is no information on the official website about the seventh issue of the magazine, since it has not yet been released. 

Thus, propagandists seek to show that their rhetoric (for example, that Ukraine will fail the counteroffensive) is also being repeated in the West. So, readers may think that the public is really dissatisfied with Ukraine.

Fake As a result of a wound from a Russian missile, the head of the GUR, Kyryl Budanov, is in a German hospital

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyryl Budanov, is allegedly in a hospital in Berlin after a “Russian missile” hit the office next to him. Like, at first he was delivered by helicopter to Poland, and then by an American evacuation board to Germany. It's a lie. 

This information was denied by the representative of the GUR Andrii Yusov, he explained that it simply does not correspond to reality. Kyryl Budanov is still on duty. 

By spreading this fake, the propagandists seek to demoralize the Ukrainians and show them that “there is no one to protect them anymore”. Thus, propagandists sow panic among Ukrainians. We recall that we recently refuted similar fakes regarding the “death” of the military leadership. This was one of the cases about the commander of the territorial defense units, Ihor Tantsiura, who, according to Russian propaganda, was allegedly killed in Bakhmut. And we also refuted the fake about the “death” of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Fake Polish politicians “flaunted” the Russian flag in the Vatican

Such information was disseminated in the Polish segment of social networks. Reports say that Polish politicians visited the Vatican during the funeral of former Pope Benedict XVI and members of the delegation took a photo with the Russian flag. Like, they “flaunted” it and thus expressed their commitment to Russia. The authors add to the publications a photograph where the delegation allegedly holds the flag of Russia. It is not true. 

The Polish fact-checkers of the Demagog project investigated this case and found out that the photo was simply edited using Photoshop. In fact, in the original photo, the politicians were holding the Polish flag, not the Russian one. Fact-checkers found the original photo by a reverse Google search. The photo was published by one of the members of the Polish delegation on his Twitter. 

By spreading this fake, the propagandists, first of all, sought to undermine the confidence of the Poles in their high-ranking officials, who, they say, express the “favor” of Russia in an international format. Also, in this way, Ukrainians can despair of the actions of Ukraine's brother country. Allegedly, on the one hand, they help the Ukrainians, on the other hand, they wear the Russian flag during international events.

Fake In the UK, they recruited “mercenaries” before the Ukrainian counteroffensive

Kremlin propaganda media, anonymous telegram channels and users of the Russian segment of Twitter spread information that the UK is allegedly recruiting “mercenaries” for the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south and east of Ukraine. Proof of this is the announcement of the EU Citizenship Program on the Adzuna job site. Russian propaganda refers to the publication of the British edition of The Times. It's fake.

The fact-checker of the Stop Fake project drew attention to the case. The UK did not recruit “mercenaries” to Ukraine because of the Adzuna website. What's more, Adzuna chief executive Doug Munro told The Times that the ad was created for the purpose of propaganda and that his site was “a victim of Russian disinformation about the war”. After the message began to circulate among the military, The Sunday Times contacted Adzuna. And the company immediately froze the advertisement and contacted the police. Doug Munro believes that this provocation was created by “Russia or pro-Russian fans”.

Russian propaganda systematically spreads fakes and manipulations by so-called foreign mercenaries in Ukraine. Thus, Russian propagandists seek to create the appearance that Russia is actually at war not with Ukraine, but with the so-called collective West. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that the West allegedly does not allow the Ukrainian military to use its equipment, because “foreign mercenaries” are doing this.