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.

Propagandists on social media are circulating a photograph and video purporting to depict an exhibition marking the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. The authors of these reports claim that there was a thematic exhibition where the Ukrainian military was presented as a pile of waste. The photo also shows an Instagram story with information related to the exhibition called Heroiam Slava. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the sakartvel project MythDetector drew attention to it. They found out that in fact these videos are an exhibition of the artist William Cobbing and it has nothing to do with Ukraine. The museum also did not host any exhibitions with the name that propagandists refer to.

In fact, the video showcases a project by contemporary artist William Cobbing called Social Substance, consisting of a series of video works, sculptures and exhibitions. The main element of the project is clay, and the artist himself explores the complex relationships between people immersed in shapeless piles of clay, where ceramic objects and television screens merge into one. The works often depict people partially covered in a mass of clay. Cobbing presented this project in 2023 and himself distributed a video about it on social networks. This exhibition was not held at MoMA in New York, but was held as part of the British Ceramics Biennial at the Air Space Gallery.

Propagandists spread such fakes in order to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine and create the false impression that this discrediting is also supported in the Western cultural space.

A video is being circulated online showing Poles transporting black soil from the Kherson region in trucks. It consists of three parts: the first part shows the earthworks; the second is how a forklift fills a truck with soil; the third is filming the road by a car driver. The video contains the caption: “How was my week. Kherson region”. According to the authors of numerous publications with him, the land is being taken to the Polish city of Myslowice. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that this video first began to be distributed online by predominantly pro-Russian telegram channels and anonymous accounts back in early March 2023. They note that there is no indication in the video that the footage of the earth being loaded was actually filmed in Ukraine. A reverse image search also did not yield positive results due to the low quality of the recording. Only the last part of the video indicates that its author is probably Polish - Polish music and the Polish language can be heard in the background.

And yet, in the first part of the video, a truck is clearly visible, into which earth is being loaded, and in the second, the logo on the steering wheel of the car from which the road is being filmed is clearly visible. AFP Polska journalists, who also drew attention to this fake back in 2023, were able to identify these two vehicles: in the first part of the video a Shacman truck appears (Shacman F2000 or Shacman F3000), in the second - a Scania. This fact indicates that these two video fragments are not related to each other and were presumably combined into one video for the purpose of falsification.

The export of Ukrainian black soil is also unlikely because it is contrary to Polish and EU legislation. In accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 of 28 November 2019, the import of soil and fertilizers is prohibited. Consequently, trucks with land simply could not cross the border between Ukraine and Poland. In addition, the refutation from StopFake contains a professional commentary on the deterioration of the quality of Ukrainian black soil, which is why its transportation to other countries also seems unlikely.

Propagandists spread such fakes in order to deepen tension in bilateral relations between Poland and Ukraine against the backdrop of recent events, in particular, protests by Polish farmers against the import of Ukrainian products. Detector Media also wrote how Russia is trying to use and support these protests not only in Poland, but also in other EU countries.

On behalf of Ukrainian TV channels, videos containing information are being distributed in TikTok, allegedly the government adopted Law No. 3386 regarding a one-time payment of 14 thousand hryvnia to those Ukrainians who have never left the country since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

In fact, these videos are fake. They are generated by artificial intelligence. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council writes about this. Law No. 3386 itself simply does not exist. Such content applies, in particular, to increasing the reach of anonymous telegram channels, which are linked in the description under the video.

By spreading this disinformation, Russian propaganda aims to split Ukrainian society. Like, “those Ukrainians who remained in Ukraine during the war are “more Ukrainians” than those who left, therefore the state in this way seeks to show the privilege of the former”. It is on this basis that the fake Russian propaganda is based.

• Read also: More money is spent on one prisoner in Ukraine every month than on pensions for Ukrainians

Russian media are disseminating information that in Kyiv, instead of the street of the composer Petro Chaikovskyi, there will now be a street named after the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland. As evidence, Russian propaganda is distributing a screenshot of a decision allegedly taken by the Kyiv authorities to rename the street, and the document itself is dated March 5, 2024.

In fact, this information is not true. Fact-checkers from the StopFake project write about this. The City Council did not make such decisions, and the screenshot itself is probably fake, since the “document” on it does not meet the established rules of record keeping in Ukraine. In particular, when comparing it with similar documents, you will notice that some points have been rearranged or paraphrased. In addition, the mayor’s last name is not written in capslock, as is customary in documents according to state standards.

In the end, the Kyiv Council made one of the recent decisions to rename streets in the city of Kyiv on February 8, 2024. And there is not a word about renaming Chaikovskyi street.

By spreading this fake news, Russian propaganda seeks to discredit the Kyiv City Council, headed by Vitalii Klychko. They say that the Ukrainian authorities are now making idols out of modern US officials in the hope of eventually receiving military assistance from this country. However, this is not true. Previously, we refuted information that the United States allegedly confirmed the theft of military aid in Ukraine.

Russian propagandists spread such information. In some US stores, milk cartons allegedly posted notices about a missing boy named Elijah. This was supposedly done by the public organization National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC),  the captures are as follows: “We would have found Elijah if the government had not cut our budget to send aid to Ukraine”.

In fact, these photo ads are fake. This was reported by checkers from the StopFake project. NCMEC Communications Director Angeline Hartman responded to StopFake's request that the organization did not print such postcards, someone else used their logo without permission.

Response from NCMEC Communications Director to StopFake request:

Probably, a caption about Ukraine was added to the photo of the milk carton in a graphic editor.

In addition, NCMEC is financed by the US Department of Justice, whose task is to ensure law and order and justice within the country, so there can be no talk of any “budget cuts to help Ukraine”. Moreover, funding provided by the Department of Justice to NCMEC has, on the contrary, increased compared to 2021.

If in 2021 the Department of Justice allocated almost $37 million to the organization, then in 2022 this amount was already more than 44 million. In 2023, the organization received more than $51 million. The organization also has other sources of funding. Many resources are provided by private donors, including large corporations like Google and Zoom.

Thus, Russian propaganda seeks to fuel the narrative that “Western society is already tired of the war in Ukraine”. According to propagandists, such fakes can influence the minimization of international support for Ukraine. Previously, we refuted information that economist Robert Kiosaki allegedly called any financial injections into Ukraine pointless.

Anonymous telegram channels are distributing the allegedly real cover of the new issue of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo with the image of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi sitting among the dead Ukrainian soldiers. It's a lie.

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council examined this case and found out that a magazine with such a cover does not exist. This can be verified on the official website of the publication.

We have repeatedly documented hoaxes involving fake graffiti or covers on foreign magazines, newspaper columns or advertisements. Thus, propagandists seek to show that their rhetoric (for example, that Zelenskyi is hated by the whole world) is also repeated in the West. So it may seem to readers that the public is really dissatisfied with Ukraine. And especially when the authors use elements of popular culture, hinting that people are laughing at the situation in Ukraine, and that the Ukrainian agenda for Europe is a reason to laugh.

Anonymous claims that Ukrainian border guards were allegedly allowed to open fire on those trying to flee the country illegally. As “proof” of such an innovation, social networks show a photograph of an alleged border checkpoint, on which a sign with text is visible. The sign allegedly says: “When crossing the border illegally, officers will use weapons”.  It's a lie.

StopFake fact-checkers found out that no sign exists, and the information about the use of weapons is fake. The State Border Service of Ukraine also denied the so-called innovation. Moreover, the photo, which supposedly shows a sign about new rules for border guards and border crossers, was generated using special programs.

Anonymous telegram channels write that the Armed Forces of Ukraine seem to be engaged in “sexual exploitation” of women. They say the command of the 44th separate mechanized brigade forces women to collect donations for the brigade with candid photos. As proof, the authors of the fake add screenshots from Facebook: one of the photos shows the Facebook account of a girl who seems to be calling for donations to the 44th Brigade for FPV drones. The account itself, as shown in the screenshot, contains explicit photos with elements of pornography. It is not true.

The case was analyzed by StopFake fact-checkers, who examined the Facebook account of a user under the nickname “Sveta Andriuk”. Using a reverse search on Google, it was possible to establish that the photos from the account belong to a model of the social network with intimate content Onlyfans. And on the page of the probable user they actually publish various meetings at the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but not only for the needs of the 44th Brigade.

That is, this cannot confirm the thesis about the “sexual exploitation” of women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Firstly, the Facebook account does not indicate any information about the service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine regarding the probable user. Secondly, it is unknown who runs this Facebook page and for what purpose. The fact-checkers have not determined whether this account is run by a real person. For example, the activity of the Facebook page itself is quite small.

Photos of an anti-tank ditch are being circulated online; according to the authors of the publications, it was dug on the western borders of Ukraine. “This was done on the orders of dictator Zelenskyi so that Ukrainians would not run away to free democratic countries”, they comment on the message. However, this is a lie.

Analysts from the StopFake project took on the case and found that the photo actually shows an anti-tank ditch located in the Donbas and Luhansk regions. The photo of the ditch also shows military journalist Vlad Voloshyn; he published this photo on his Facebook on March 3, 2024. His message says that the photo was taken in March 2024 in one of the “hot destinations in Donbas”.

Moreover, he wrote that the ditch was built many years ago - and he saw it with his own eyes in 2016. That is, the construction does not in any way affect the western borders of Ukraine, because it is a propaganda fiction.

Read on Censor.NET: Ukraine “dug” a ditch on the border with Moldova to stop the flight of men from mobilization.

A video is being circulated on social networks in the Russian segment in which a so-called Ukrainian volunteer allegedly received gratitude from the Ministry of Defense for his “active civic position and assistance to the army” - and in addition, he was “handed” a draft notice to the nearest Territorial center of recruitment and social support. In the messages, the authors of the fake conclude that in Ukraine you “shouldn’t” trust anyone, because they still want to mobilize a volunteer who decided to help of his own free will. However, just like the gratitude from the Ministry of Defense, the draft notice is fake.

The case was analyzed by VoxCheck specialists, who explained that the gratitude and the agenda do not comply with state design standards and contain various errors. For example, with regard to gratitude from the Ministry of Defense, in the special order “On departmental incentive awards” they give an example of a sketch of a “certificate”. It is different from the one in the fake video.

Moreover, in the text of gratitude itself there are many errors: in words “Vasylenko”, “heating means”, etc.

The situation with the draft notice is the same: instead of the current name of Kropyvnytskyi, the fake document used the old one - Kirovohrad. They also wrote a military commissariat, although there should be a territorial center for recruitment and social support.

That is, Russian propagandists wanted to show that in Ukraine they “use” people for their own purposes, for example, for widespread mobilization. In the message, the Kremlin’s minions convinced that the volunteer was doing something useful, helping the army, but the “evil Ukrainian authorities” decided to mobilize him anyway.

However, according to the law “On mobilization preparation and mobilization” and Article 23 of the legislative initiative, the status of a volunteer does not fall under the category of persons who may be exempt from mobilization. First of all, volunteer activity is a voluntary, socially oriented, non-profit activity that is performed by volunteers by providing volunteer assistance. In theory, a Ukrainian volunteer can be mobilized or served with a draft notice if there are specific grounds for this.

Propagandists claim that such flashlights have already appeared in temporarily occupied Horlivka and may appear in other front-line cities.

The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council denied this information. In fact, such “flashlights” began to be scattered by the pro-Russian population of the Kharkiv region, as reported by the mayor of Pervomaisk Mykola Baksheiev. According to the mayor, instead of batteries, inside the device there are explosives that detonate when turned on. Although the charge is small, damage to the limbs is guaranteed.

Under no circumstances should you pick up such “flashlights”, call the police immediately if you come across one. We urge you to be vigilant and take care of yourself. Previously, we refuted information that in the Kharkiv region, fighters of a 125th  separate territorial defense brigade allegedly shot two men.

Propaganda resources are disseminating information that Kyiv has allegedly announced the preparation of Kharkiv for defense, therefore all civilians are forcibly deported from the city.

In fact, this information is not true. This was reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Ukraine, unlike Russia, does not carry out deportations. Ukrainians can only be evacuated from the most dangerous zones to protect their lives. Thus, civilians, primarily children, have been evacuated from the most dangerous communities of the Kharkiv region since the fall of 2022, when almost the entire temporarily occupied part of the region was dismissed by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

On February 24, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov announced plans to include 18 villages of the Velykoburlutsk and Olkhovatsk communities in the mandatory evacuation zone due to increased hostilities. And already on March 6, 2024, he announced the evacuation of 161 children from the most dangerous communities of the Kupiansk district. However, in Kharkiv itself, no forced evacuation was announced. Moreover, it is not about “forced deportation”.

This information stuffing aims to sow panic among the residents of Kharkiv. In addition, Russia is trying to reassure everyone that it has seized the initiative on the battlefield and is allegedly even considering scenarios such as an attack on Kharkiv.

• Read also: Kharkiv authorities are allegedly planning to flee the city.

Russian propagandists are spreading information that people of retirement age are being mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To prove this, they refer to correspondence “between grandmother and granddaughter on Telegram”. The grandmother seems to be complaining that they brought her a draft notice to mobilize.

The VoxCheck project specialists looked into this information and found out that it was a fake.

Firstly, the mobilization of women in Ukraine is voluntary. Moreover, pensioners are not mobilized in Ukraine. During martial law in Ukraine, citizens liable for military service between the ages of 18 and 60 who are capable of performing military duties may be conscripted. At the same time, senior officers can, if they wish, serve in the army up to 65 years of age.

Secondly, the grandmother’s age exceeds the mobilization age limit. On the agenda in the correspondence one can see that the woman’s year of birth is 1950, so as of November 2023, the date of publication of the news, the woman was 72 or 73 years old. In addition, since 2014, not a single woman has been forcibly mobilized - Ukrainian women voluntarily joined the ranks of the Defense Forces.

So the correspondence on Telegram could have been forged. The words “grandchildren” in audio messages on Telegram sound in the Russian manner and with incorrect accents, in particular, in the words “creatures” and “come out”. Such correspondence can be created between any two people, whatever one wants to call them, and pass it off as a dialogue between relatives. The photo of the draft notice in the correspondence is of poor quality, so it is impossible to confirm the authenticity of the document.

• Read also: Dead man allegedly received a draft notice

Propagandists in the media are disseminating information that the Ukrainian authorities are allegedly removing archives and exhibits from Kharkiv, preparing for evacuation, due to the likely threat of a new Russian invasion. However, this is fake.

This was brought to the attention of the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. They found that no official statements about the “evacuation of the city” were published on the websites of the local regional military administration or city council. There is also no information on the communication channels of the country's top leadership. Moreover, Kharkiv is not in danger of a Russian occupation invasion.

Propagandists spread such fake news to intimidate the local population and discredit local authorities.

Propagandists are distributing on anonymous telegram channels and other social networks a photograph of a train that was allegedly blown up by Ukrainian partisans because there was “help from the West”. They say that Odesa is resisting Ukraine and taking the side of Russia. However, this is fake.

The fact-checkers of the 15min Lithuanian project drew attention to it. They found out that the photo was real, but the disaster happened almost a year ago and it was in Russia - near Briansk. On May 1, 2023, in the Unechenskyi district of the Briansk region of Russia, after being blown up by an unknown explosive, seven carriages of a freight train derailed. Former internal affairs official Karnauchov announced the next morning that the rails had probably been blown up by a saboteur. If one looks for information about the allegedly blown up train in Odesa, it can only be found on Russian propaganda sites and on the corresponding accounts on social networks.

Propagandists spread such fake news to create the false impression that Russia is welcome in Ukraine. They say that people hate the West and are ready to do anything to help Russia.

Russian media and social network users are disseminating information that Ukraine has allegedly announced the formation of a women's battalion Snow White in the Chernihiv region. They say it will consist of girls from 16 to 30 years old. Such publications are accompanied by comments that in Ukraine there are not enough people to fight, so women are sent en masse to the front. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that in reality this was not about creating a women's battalion. Russian propagandists took photographs from a real event - training in the basics of using small arms, which was carried out by military personnel of the regional directorate of forces of the North territorial defense forces  for the local population of the Chernihiv region - and presented it in a completely different, false context. These trainings were indeed conducted by the 119th Troops Brigade, but not a single recruitment, as propagandists write about it, was carried out during the exercises. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare the population for national resistance, which includes the basics of tactical medicine, the rules of handling weapons and engineering training.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to arouse distrust of the Ukrainian population in the government and discredit the mobilization. Detector Media has previously refuted fakes about the mobilization process in Ukraine.

Russian resources are disseminating information that allegedly during his last visit to Russia, the current commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, “confessed to his mother, that he is with the Ukrainians in the same headquarters and cannot stand them, because they are cunning and unpleasant”. As proof, Russian propaganda is distributing a video in which a neighbor of Syrskyi’s parents allegedly recalls how the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine told his relatives about hatred of Ukrainians.

This information is fake, and the video is staged. This is reported by VoxCheck. Statements from Russian media contradict each other. Syrskyi said that he hated Ukrainians during his last visit to his relatives, but now he continues to communicate with them. At the same time, the “neighbor” in the video does not remember when the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that he hates Ukrainians and, accordingly, it was the last time he visited his relatives. One Russian resource reports that this happened between 2008 and 2010. Another propaganda resource, citing the words of his brother, the head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, claims that Syrskyi does not keep in touch with his relatives. Independent media do not indicate when the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces last saw or communicated with relatives. This information cannot be verified on the basis of open data, so the allegations about Syrskyi’s “Ukrainophobia” are unfounded.

A significant part of his life and military career is connected with Ukraine and the confrontation with Russia. After the start of a full-scale invasion, the current commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine became one of the key persons in the country's defense. In addition, he considers Kharkiv to be his hometown, where he graduated from school.

This fake appeared as part of a large-scale campaign aimed at discrediting the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, the purpose of such lies is to sow discord among Ukrainians, undermine confidence in the country’s top leadership and make them despair of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Previously, in the Newspeak section, we wrote about how and why the word “virus” was again remembered in Russia after the appointment of Oleksandr Syrskyi to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The social network TikTok is distributing a video in which a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly died during hostilities received a draft notice from the Territorial center of recruitment and social support. The video with the relevant documents was allegedly recorded by the close family of the deceased woman.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security claims that the video is fake and created by the Russians. This is evidenced by several factors.

Firstly, from the pronunciation one can hear that the Ukrainian language is foreign to a person, he makes a huge number of mistakes and has a specific accent.

Secondly, one senses inept acting – the woman is clearly overacting with negative emotions.

Thirdly, the draft notice states that the military man is an “ordinary” one, but there is no such rank in the Armed Forces of Ukraine; in Ukraine it is a “soldier”.

Fourth, the “documents” date back to May and June 2022, but the video appeared online on February 23, 2024—on the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

It should be noted that in Ukraine there were indeed cases when people who had already died received draft notices. However, they are not associated with the “arbitrariness of the Territorial centers of recruitment and social support”, as propagandists claim, but with a certain confusion in the databases. For example, the district administration may not have informed the Territorial center of recruitment and social support about the death of a person, which is why it was on the agenda list.

This fake appeared as part of a large-scale propaganda campaign to discredit mobilization in Ukraine. Propagandists speculate on a sensitive topic for many Ukrainians and resort to such fabrications that are intended to demoralize, mislead and intimidate society. Previously, we refuted the information that Silpo’s receipts allegedly issued draft notices.

Russian telegram channels are disseminating information that a female serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine born in 2006 died at the front. That is, at the time of her death she was not even 18 years old. As evidence, Russian propaganda uses a photo of the supposedly military badge of the “deceased woman”.

In fact, this information is not true. The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes that the badge in the photo is fake. Personal badges indicate the last name, first name and patronymic of the serviceman, his blood type, Rh factor, as well as a personal number assigned in accordance with his registration number. In addition, the name of the formation in which the soldier is serving is indicated on the badge. However, they never indicate the date of birth, much less the date of death, as on the “token” distributed by propagandists.

By spreading this disinformation, Russian propaganda seeks first of all to demonize Zelenskyi. Moreover, such rhetoric by Russians aims to cast doubt on the advisability of Ukraine to defend itself, because supposedly “the youngest are already going into battle”. After all, in Ukraine teenagers are not mobilized, and only citizens over the age of 18 are liable for military service.

• Read also: The first teenager from an orphanage mobilized into the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly died in the war

Propagandists are distributing a photo allegedly from the cover of the German satirical magazine Titanic, which depicts Valerii Zaluzhnyi next to the bodies of dead soldiers. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that on the official website of the Titanic publication there is an archive of all the covers of the magazine and there is no mention of the cartoon there. This is confirmed by the fact that none of the magazine's official social media accounts have posted the above mentioned  cover.

For example, the fake cover states that it is a February 2024 issue, but there is no issue with that cover on the magazine's website. The February 2024 issue appeared on the website on January 26 and has a different cover.

Propagandists spread such fakes to create the impression that the Western media has lost support for Ukraine. Detector Media has refuted fake covers before.

Propagandists are distributing on anonymous telegram channels a photo of an allegedly official letter from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which requests the use of Moldova’s airspace. To discuss this issue, a meeting of representatives of the general staffs of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania was held from February 12 to 16, 2024. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to this. They found out that this information comes exclusively from Russian and pro-Russian sources. No other media or officials have confirmed such a meeting. Additionally, information about the deployment of F-16 military aircraft on the territory of Moldova and the use of its airspace was denied by the Ministry of Defense of this country. Even the “letter” that propagandists distribute shows signs of editing.

The Moldovan media NewsMaker contacted the Ministry of Defense with a request to clarify information about the use of airspace for Ukrainian aircraft, and received an answer that this information was erroneous and was being disseminated with the aim of scaring society. Moreover, there is no mention anywhere of a meeting between representatives of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine in Chisinau from February 12 to 16, 2024. Analyzing the “writing” using the Forensically tool and ELA analysis, signs of editing are noticeable.

Previously, the same pro-Russian sources disseminated information that F-16 aircraft transferred to Ukraine would be stationed at the Moldovan Marculesti airport near the border with Ukraine. However, Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolii Nosatyi denied these statements, calling them an attempt to destabilize the situation in the country.

Propagandists are distributing a video on anonymous telegram channels where a Ukrainian volunteer allegedly received a gratitude letter and a draft notice to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Ministry of Defense. However, this is fake.

Fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that the sample of a gratitude letter is clearly regulated, but the gratitude letter on the video has a completely different design and does not contain the necessary information about the order of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. In addition, the text of the gratitude letter  contains grammatical, spelling, punctuation and lexical errors, and there is no official seal on it.

Also, the draft notice in the video is drawn up with errors: it has an incorrect template and application number, the photo also lacks a draft notice number, the outdated name of the city is used, and also it contains grammatical errors and does not have a seal.

Propagandists spread such fakes to discredit the mobilization process in Ukraine.  Detector Media has previously refuted other Russian fakes regarding mobilization in Ukraine.

Propagandists on anonymous telegram channels are distributing a photo showing an allegedly real identity card of the European Solidarity party named after the ex-commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, along with his photo. However, this is a fake photo.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that the photograph used in the ID was published on December 10, 2019, when Zaluzhnyi was appointed as a head of North operational command. This was two years before he became commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Also visible in the photo are shoulder straps that have only one star, according to the rank of major general, which he received in 2017. In 2021, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general, and his shoulder straps have 3 stars. On March 4, 2022, he became a general, so he should already have 4 stars on his shoulder straps. Additionally, the fact-checkers used the ELA (Error Level Analysis) tool in FotoForensics to check for a fake ID. The analysis showed that the edges of the document are uneven, and the text on it appears to be erased. This may indicate that the photo has been edited.

Propagandists spread such fakes in order to personally discredit Valerii Zaluzhnyi and aggravate the split in Ukrainian society. Detector Media has already refuted Russian fakes about Zaluzhnyi.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels are disseminating information that the 119th separate territorial defense brigade in the Chernihiv region has allegedly begun recruiting into its ranks “girls aged 16 to 30 who will be deployed in frontline positions”. Claiming this, propagandists refer to a message from the official page of the 119th separate territorial defense brigade on the social network Facebook.

In fact, this information is not true. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council writes about this. The mentioned message talks about conducting classes with the civilian population, in particular, on the rules of handling weapons. It does not talk about recruiting girls to the 119th separate territorial defense brigade.

With this fake, Russian propaganda nourishes the message that “women, children and pensioners are about to be mobilized into the army”. However, according to the legislation of Ukraine, under martial law, men from 18 to 60 years old are considered liable for military service. In addition, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated on December 19, 2023 that he would not sign the law on conscription of women. Previously, we denied information that the Russian military allegedly captured a pregnant Ukrainian serviceman.