Russian resources disseminate information that during his visit to Kyiv on March 18, 2024, American Senator Lindsey Graham insisted on the mobilization of Ukrainians who are not even 25 years old. In asserting this, Russian propagandists refer to an article by The Washington Post.

In fact, this information is distorted, write the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Russian propagandists have twisted Graham's words, which originally appeared in The Washington Post: “I would hope that those eligible to serve in the Ukrainian military would join. I can’t believe it’s at 27. You’re in a fight for your life, so you should be serving — not at 25 or 27.” That is, the American senator did not call on Ukraine to mobilize those who are not even 25. He only said that in such an existential war it is not necessary to wait until the age of 27 (current conscription age).

This is not the first time that propagandists have had difficulty translating Graham's statements. For example, in May 2023, Russian propaganda attributed to the senator the words that supposedly “the deaths of Russians are the result of a successful investment of money by the American authorities”. However, these words turned out to be nothing more than manipulation.

In mid-March 2024, Russian propagandists spread information that Ukraine was allegedly not releasing citizens of African countries and was “forcibly” mobilizing them for military operations. Like, this was reported by the American television channel ABC News, where a Congolese citizen allegedly claimed that he was offered to fight for Ukraine. However, this is manipulation.

After disseminating this information, StopFake decided to check whether a Congolese citizen really complained to an American TV channel that he was not being allowed out of Ukraine and was being “forced” to mobilize for military action. They found out that the news was false.

In the video distributed by Russian propaganda, the foreigner cannot be heard complaining that he is not allowed to leave Ukraine. At the beginning of the video, the voice of a TV presenter talks about a person from the Congo who claims that he was the target of discrimination when trying to board an evacuation train. What follows is the direct language of a foreigner who says that he was offered to fight for Ukraine. After his comment, the video ends. It is impossible to draw conclusions about why he was not released from the country and whether they really tried to “forcibly” mobilize him.

In this regard, StopFake tried to find this news on the American ABC News channel and reconsider whether there was perhaps additional context that could help understand this situation better. The video shows that the Congolese citizen's name is Pira Diantuadi. We managed to find an article about this man on the ABC News website. It turned out that it was published in the spring of 2022 and was dedicated to foreign refugees trying to leave Ukraine after the full-scale Russian invasion. The authors of the material tried to figure out whether there was discrimination on racial grounds during the evacuation from the country. In particular, Diantuadi complained that, despite promising to put only “women and children” on the evacuation train, he saw Ukrainian men being put on the evacuation train. The material is accompanied by an insert where Diantuadi talks about the proposal to fight for Ukraine, which the propagandists took advantage of. However, the material does not contain any conclusions that Ukraine tried to deliberately not let foreigners out of the country and “forcibly” mobilize them.

The ABC News article also noted that the interview with the Congolese citizen was conducted in Poland. The inscriptions in Polish in the background of the video confirm this. That is, the foreigner still managed to leave Ukraine at the beginning of the Russian invasion. Therefore, Russian propaganda tried to use the story of the “travel ban” and “forced” mobilization of foreign citizens in a new way, publishing an old video of a person in order to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of citizens of the countries of the South.

It should be added that according to Ukrainian legislation, foreigners cannot be mobilized. As the head of the personnel department of the headquarters of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Roman Horbach, explained in a comment to ArmyInform, a foreigner can only want this himself.

“According to the law, foreigners can be drafted into the Defense Forces. But they are not called up for mobilization, but are accepted for military service voluntarily under a contract in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, said Roman Horbach.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on anonymous telegram channels claim that the Ukrainian military is given the drug ketamine so that they will not be afraid of battle. They write that “Time magazine, citing neuroscientists from the United States, stated that the Ukrainian command uses ketamine “at zero front line”; it is a specific hallucinogenic drug”. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that propagandists distorted the content of the article, which actually talked about the use of ketamine in the treatment of veterans and military personnel in Ukraine.

The Time article noted that “psychedelic drugs may help troops overcome trauma” in war and that “some (Ukraine) military personnel have already received legal ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic with some hallucinogenic effects, in private clinics”. This applies to the treatment of military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or having a traumatic brain injury. However, the massive use of ketamine in therapy has not yet been considered in Ukraine.

Regarding the use of drugs by military personnel in combat, Time mentions in its article a report alleging that Russian soldiers in Ukraine are given amphetamines before combat.

In Ukraine, there is still an ongoing debate about this method of treatment, as StopFake notes. In particular, previously the initiator of the introduction of psychedelic-assisted therapy, a doctor at the State Center for Psychological Health and Rehabilitation of Veterans “Lisova Haliavyna” of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Kseniia Voznytska, explained that this topic is very stigmatized in Ukraine and that most people do not even know what psychedelic-assisted therapy is. This is an inpatient type of treatment under the supervision of psychotherapists.

Propagandists from time to time spread misinformation that Ukrainian military personnel are drug addicts and alcoholics because they cannot withstand the horrors of the front. These false reports are intended to discredit the Ukrainian Armed Forces, hinder mobilization in the country and demoralize Ukrainian society as a whole. Detector Media has already refuted such a fake before.

In the Russian segment of social networks they write that Ukrainian partisans burned down a drone production plant in Lviv, having previously also eliminated the plant’s security guards. The authors added that they produced 5 thousand drones every month for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular, UAVs “Furia”, “Leleka 100”, RAM II UAV and others. This is manipulation.

VoxCheck analysts analyzed this information and found that until now details about the explosion at the enterprise in Lviv had not been reported. Moreover, the company does not produce UAVs; information about such production was disseminated by a pro-Russian propagandist. That is, his words do not claim to be authentic.

Ukrainian media indeed reported that on February 18, 2024, an explosion actually occurred in Lviv on the territory of an industrial complex on Antonovych street. According to the speaker of the SBU in the Lviv region, Roksolana Yavorska, there were no casualties as a result of the explosion. There have still been no official statements about the cause of the explosion or those involved.

Propagandists on anonymous Telegram channels are distributing a video where the executive director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights, Oleksandr Pavlichenko, allegedly stated on the Kyiv TV channel that many children rescued from Russian abductions want to return to Russia. However, this is manipulation.

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights itself reported about it on its telegram channel. The organization claims that propagandists cut the video and took it out of the context of Pavlichenko’s interview. In fact, answering one of the presenter’s questions during the broadcast on March 11, Oleksandr Pavlichenko emphasized that the Russian authorities are conducting criminal ideological propaganda among Ukrainian children, actually zombifying them. He noted that this could lead to children who are later rescued being tempted to return to Russia, where they were abused. However, Russian propaganda presents a cut-out piece with its own interpretations.

Propagandists spread such manipulations to justify Russia's actions against Ukrainian children. Like, it saves them. Detector Media previously wrote about how propaganda justifies the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.

Russian resources are disseminating information that the President of Ukraine promised the West that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will use long-range weapons provided by partner countries only against targets in territories that Ukraine considers its own. However, according to a recent presidential decree, the list of “ours” now allegedly also includes one area (krai) and five regions of Russia, propagandists say.

In fact, this information is distorted, as reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Zelenskyi’s decree on the territories of Russia historically inhabited by Ukrainians concerns exclusively the protection of the national rights of Russian citizens of Ukrainian ethnic origin, but propagandists pass it off as a demonstration of “territorial claims”.

The weapons transferred by partners are used exclusively to defeat Russian targets in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. The Defense Forces are destroying objects on Russian territory by Ukrainian-made weapons.

By manipulating information, in this case, Russian propaganda seeks to mobilize Russians for war against Ukraine and the “collective West”, resorting to demonization. Propagandists also want to intimidate Ukraine’s Western partners with “escalation” from Russia in order to disrupt further assistance. Previously, we denied information that NATO countries would try to capture “six Russian regions”.

From the very beginning of the charity campaign of the Lithuanian public broadcaster Radarom, propagandists in the Lithuanian segment of social networks began to spread information that the funds donated to Ukrainians did not bring any benefit after all. One of the most widespread reports in Lithuania claims that the purchase and sale of cars, especially premium ones, in Ukraine have increased significantly since the start of the war, which means that the warring country is trading on the support it has received. At the same time, they refer to statistics from Ukravtoprom. However, this is not true.

Lithuanian fact-checkers for the 15min.lt project drew attention to this. They found out that propagandists are silent about the fact that the growth of the automobile market began with the beginning of the war, when it was significantly depressed. It is also not mentioned that as many as a third of new cars were purchased by companies. According to Ukravtoprom, in 2023, almost 61 thousand units of new passenger cars were sold in Ukraine (most of which were purchased by companies) worth more than 105.5 billion hryvnia (about 2.5 billion euros). This is 1.6 times more than in 2022, when Ukrainians purchased 37,900 new cars, the lowest since the beginning of the century. When the war began, many off-road vehicles were purchased. According to these data, 103.25 thousand new cars were sold in 2021, and 37.89 thousand new cars were sold in 2022. Last year this figure rose to 75.99 thousand, and this year it is expected to increase to 86 thousand. Thus, neither last nor this year the same level as before the war is expected.

Ukrainian public figure in Lithuania Andrii Tapin also added that in Ukraine in 2023 there will be one new car for every 606 inhabitants. Last year, 31,000 new passenger cars were registered in Lithuania, or 1 car per 90 inhabitants. The difference is about 7 times.

Propagandists spread such disinformation to discredit Ukrainians and reinforce their “corrupt Ukraine” narrative. All this is so that foreigners stop supporting Ukraine.

As the US Congress considers military aid to Ukraine, European leaders are expressing concern about how the withdrawal of US financial support in the fight against Russian aggression could affect Ukraine. An Instagram post on February 25 claimed that Poland's foreign minister called the US a “dysfunctional and unreliable” state due to delays in the process. In particular, propagandists disseminated such messages on social networks like Instagram. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the Politifact project drew attention to it. They found that while Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorsky did express concern about a possible end to U.S. military aid to Ukraine in an interview with Bloomberg News on February 22, he called for a democratic process in resolving the issue and urged the Speaker of the House of Representatives to put forward a bill on the aid package to Ukraine to vote.

In his interview, Sikorsky highlighted the potential consequences if the United States does not provide expected assistance to its allies, warning of negative developments for American alliances around the world.

There is no evidence to support that Poland's foreign minister called the US “dysfunctional and unreliable” in his interview with Bloomberg News or elsewhere. Therefore, we evaluate this statement as erroneous.

Russian propagandists take such statements out of context in order to antagonize Western states and cause skepticism about helping Ukraine. Detector Media has already written about how Russian propaganda is trying to influence the policies of the United States and for what purposes.

Pro-Russian resources are disseminating information that NATO has decided to move on to terrorist attacks and sabotage in the Russian rear using long-range Taurus cruise missiles. In asserting this, the propaganda media refers to the Russian “expert” Ivannikov.

In fact, this information is distorted. This is written about in the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Germany is not transferring Taurus missiles to Ukraine due to fears that it will use them to attack Russia.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained that in order to prevent missiles from hitting the wrong targets, it was necessary to involve German specialists in programming the missiles. “A Taurus with a range of 500 kilometers, if used incorrectly, can reach a specific target somewhere in Moscow. I initially clearly said: there will be no German or NATO soldiers in Ukraine... And my position remains unchanged”, Scholz said.

With such rhetoric, Russia seeks to create an image of a victim, saying that “the provoking West is to blame for everything”, so it is forced to “defend itself”. Previously, we analyzed information that Germany allegedly transferred 1,000 laptops to Ukraine instead of long-range Taurus missiles.

Russian propagandists are distributing a video on anonymous telegram channels in which the author claims that old German maps published in 1881 and 1908 contain no mention of Ukraine or Ukrainians. However, this is a distortion of facts.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that the term “Ukraine” designating the territory of the modern state of Ukraine had already appeared on the maps of European cartographers at the end of the 17th century.

Ukrainian historian Yaroslav Hrytsak explains that the word “Ukraine” as a geographical name was first mentioned in the Kyiv Chronicle of the 12th century as a designation of the territory of the Pereyaslav Principality. The term had different interpretations among Ukrainian historians: Mykhailo Hrushevskyi believed that “Ukraine” meant the Middle Dnipro region, and Agatangel Krymskyi argued that this was the territory where the Cossacks later arose. The term “Ukraine” began to acquire a specific geographical meaning throughout the 16th century, and its final consolidation in cartography occurred thanks to the maps of the French engineer Guillaume de Beauplan in the mid-17th century.

Therefore, if one carefully examines the map in the propaganda video, they will notice that the territory of modern Ukraine is designated as “Malorossia” or “Little Rus”, which was a derivative of the term “Hetmanate” or Left-Bank Ukraine. This approach of Russian propagandists is aimed at discrediting Ukraine, but it has no scientific basis, since the term “Ukraine” has been known since ancient times and was used to designate certain territories.

Accordingly, the thesis of propagandists that there are no mentions of Ukraine on old maps is unfounded.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are distributing a video with a survey of Odesa residents answering the question: “In your opinion, how to stop the war in Ukraine?” The majority of those surveyed are in favor of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Propagandists present it this way, as if “the majority of Odesa residents are for peace”.

In fact, such a survey cannot be called representative, that is, generally corresponding to the real sentiments of all residents of Odesa regarding the end of the war in Ukraine. In the video one can hear the opinions of only 11 passers-by. Also, the author of the video could have edited it “in his own way”, and not in the way people actually responded. That is, 30 people, for example, could actually take part in the survey, but only 11 people could be selectively shown in the video. Specialists from the VoxCheck project write about this.

In the summer of 2023, the American research organization Gallup conducted a series of surveys in Ukrainian-controlled territories. In one of the articles in the form of a report, they noted that 60% of Ukrainians surveyed want Ukraine to continue to fight for victory. Only 31% of all respondents support ending the war through peaceful negotiations with Russia. However, in the south of Ukraine this mark is higher - 41% of respondents support the negotiations.

The Ukrainian survey was conducted for Independence Day 2023 in the territories that Ukraine controlled at that time. 2019 respondents over 18 years old took part in the survey. In particular, they were asked what the Ukrainian leadership should do if Russia intensifies rocket attacks, which will lead to an increase in the number of civilian casualties. Only 23% of respondents in this case are in favor of negotiations with Russia. At the same time, in the south, among those surveyed, 38.5% were in favor of negotiations if Russia intensifies shelling of Ukraine, and in the east - 31.9%.

By distributing manipulative information online, propagandists intend to assure everyone around them that Ukrainians have long been ready to enter into peace negotiations, but supposedly the “Kyiv regime” does not want this. In particular, in this way, the creators of the video are trying to split the people of Ukraine. Previously, we analyzed the manipulation that almost half of Ukrainians in the front-line territories are ready to agree to territorial concessions for the sake of peace.

Propagandists broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric on anonymous telegram channels are disseminating information that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has stated that if assistance is refused, he will no longer consider the United States a strategic partner. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that Zelenskyi really didn’t say that. An excerpt from his speech was disfigured.

During the Munich Security Conference, Volodymyr Zelenskyi and US Vice President Kamala Harris held a joint briefing. When asked about “Plan B” if the US Congress does not support the bill on additional funding for Ukraine, the President of Ukraine noted that no alternatives are being considered.

He expressed hope for a positive decision by Congress, pointing out that Ukraine views the United States as a strategic partner, and therefore hopes for its further support. Zelenskyi stressed that an alternative position would mean instability in relations. These words have been twisted and used to create a manipulative “quote” that is being circulated online without proper context.

Kamala Harris also supported Zelenskyi, expressing confidence that the bill will be passed and called for a focus on “Plan A” - providing Ukraine with the necessary resources. She stressed the importance of avoiding politicization of the issue and the need to remain steadfast in supporting allies. The President of Ukraine also expressed his faith in the positive decision of Congress and said that he does not consider the adoption of the bill a treacherous position, because, in his opinion, the strategic partner will not leave Ukraine without support.

Propagandists spread such manipulations to undermine bilateral relations between the United States and Ukraine and stop US support. They say Zelenskyi is provoking America, which means we won’t see the money. Detector Media also refuted other manipulations regarding Ukraine’s relations with the United States.

Russian propagandists claim that in Ukraine, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of police officers per 10 thousand population has increased from 20 to 100. In asserting this, propagandists refer to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko, who allegedly made a corresponding statement. As a consequence, Ukraine allegedly “became a 100% police state”.

In fact, the information was manipulated. In an interview with the “We are Ukraine” channel, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko spoke about increasing the number of police officers fivefold specifically in the deoccupied territories, and not throughout the entire territory of Ukraine.

“On average, there were 23-26 police officers per 10 thousand population of Ukraine before the large-scale war. Today there are more than 100 in the deoccupied territories. Because the regime is much tougher, because there are many more tasks. I can say that the police began a large-scale war and increased their functionality by 80%. But we are not increasing the number of police officers”, the minister said.

For comparison, according to Eurostat, on average in EU countries there were 335 police officers per 100 thousand population in 2019-2021. That is, on average 33-34 police officers per 10 thousand people. In 2021, in Ukraine this figure was 287 police officers, and in Russia - 510, which was one of the largest figures in the world.

In 2014, Russia had 564 police officers per 100 thousand people, and that year it was recognized as the most police state. It is significant that over the past 10 years the number of police officers in Russia has remained at one of the highest levels in the world, while in Ukraine this figure does not exceed the European average.

By manipulating information, in this case, propagandists seek to create a picture of an authoritarian Ukraine led by Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Like, now it’s clear why people don’t oppose the “Kyiv regime”. However, Ukraine is a free and democratic state, and Russians’ reproaches about authoritarianism in their neighboring country have no basis.

• Read also: Police were allegedly allowed to use traumatic weapons, rubber truncheons and tear gas to disperse rallies

Pro-Russian resources write that Ukraine needs to mobilize women and children. In asserting this, they refer to the head of the Special Staff of Ukraine in the Bundeswehr, General Christian Freuding, who allegedly made a corresponding statement. They say this can be explained by the large losses at the front on the Ukrainian side.

In fact, this information is distorted. This was reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. In an interview with the German broadcaster RND, General Freuding did talk about the need to mobilize more conscripts to replenish the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but he did not say anything about “mobilizing women and children”.

In addition, during a press conference on December 19, 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated that he would not sign the law on the mobilization of women.

Russian propaganda is once again speculating on the topic of mobilization, which is sensitive for Ukrainians. It should be noted that this spread of misinformation occurred against the backdrop of public discussions on the mobilization bill. More materials on this topic can be found here.

Russian telegram channels, with reference to Polish border guards, disseminate information that during February 5, 2024, 16,400 people left Ukraine for Poland. The reason for this is the alleged flight of Ukrainians from Zelenskyi.

In fact, Russian propagandists manipulate information. This is written about in the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. So, on February 5, 2024, 16,400 people actually left Ukraine for Poland, but on the same day 17,600 people returned from Poland to Ukraine. In addition, this does not mean that none of those who left will return back. These days, when the skies over Ukraine are closed to civil aircraft, one of the few options to get to any other country is to go through Poland. Ukrainians can visit their relatives abroad, travel or go on their own business, and then return back.

In this case, the Russians resort to one of the propaganda tactics called “selective truth”. Its essence is that a statement may be partially true, may be completely true but not include the whole truth, or may contain several deceptive elements. That is, in the message about the “flight of Ukrainians from Zelenskyi”, the Russians deliberately kept silent about the 17,600 people who returned from Poland to Ukraine on February 5, 2024, thereby providing one-sided information.

• Read also: Ukrainian refugees are caught on the Polish-German border to send them to the front.

Russian media are actively distorting the decision of the International Court of Justice, adopted on January 31. Propagandists said that the Court rejected all of Kyiv's demands. Pro-Kremlin “experts” also claim that the Court’s decision supposedly confirms that “Russia honestly fulfilled its obligations to cooperate in the fight against the financing of terrorism”, and the Court itself “refused” to recognize Russia as an “aggressor state”. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that Ukraine, as a plaintiff, did not demand that the International Court of Justice recognize Russia as an aggressor, therefore all propaganda statements about this are disinformation. The court considered the case not on whether Russia is an aggressor state, but on whether it finances terrorism and promotes racial discrimination in the occupied Ukrainian territories. In particular, Ukraine accused Russia of violating the Conventions for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the Prohibition of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. We are talking about the beginning of Russia’s occupation of parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk regions and Crimea in 2014. The lawsuit did not directly address a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. On January 31, 2024, the International Court of Justice announced its decision on this claim. The court indeed rejected most of the Ukrainian arguments, among which was the payment of compensation to Ukraine. But he admitted that Russia violated the provisions of both Conventions. Thus, Russia is, at the highest possible level, officially recognized as a state violating international law. Although the Court rejected most of Ukraine's claims that Russia financed terrorism, this decision in no way confirms the “honesty of Russia”, as Russian propaganda claims. The court ruled that Russia refused to investigate allegations that funds were flowing from Russia to Ukraine for possible terrorist financing.

In terms of racial discrimination, Ukraine focused on accusations against Russia of committing illegal actions against the Crimean Tatars, the Mejlis, culture and religion. However, Ukraine’s arguments regarding the recognition of violations by Russia in Crimea of the right to assembly and freedom of speech, as well as Russia’s participation in the persecution, abductions and murders of Crimeans, did not satisfy the Court. However, it ruled that Russia had banned teaching in Ukrainian since its occupation of Crimea in 2014, limiting the rights of Ukrainians and thus violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The decision also states that Russia, with its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, violated the Court’s 2017 decision, which prohibited any action that could “worsen or prolong the dispute before the Court or complicate its resolution”. According to the Court, these actions “seriously undermined the basis of mutual trust and cooperation and thus made the resolution of the dispute more difficult”.

It should be noted that Russia manipulated the provisions of the Court’s decision in its favor, although previously Russian propaganda actively tried to discredit not only this international body, but also a number of other institutions. In particular, by spreading such manipulations, propagandists want to create the false impression that the international community has recognized Russia’s actions as lawful.

Propagandists on social networks and Russian public pages are massively disseminating information that 700 prosecutors in Ukraine received the status of combatants during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Dozens of social network users publish almost the same text and, as an illustration, use a screenshot from the Censor.NET page on the social network X. It, dated January 30, 2024, contains information about the recent mobilization bill. So, the authors of the publications believe that these two “news” are interconnected. In the texts of almost all publications on this topic, the following quote appears: “700 prosecutors received the status of a participant in combat operations? How? They have been booked from mobilization, after all. Rebus. How did 700 prosecutors, sitting in their offices and having reservations, receive the status? Ahhh, exactly. Slaves do not have to ask questions”. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that this information was untrue and had nothing to do with Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine or changes in the Ukrainian mobilization bill. The latter was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on January 30 this year and sent for consideration to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian parliament has not yet voted for the discussed bill No. 10449, even in the first reading. Despite this, Russian propaganda is spreading a lot of false information about possible new mobilization rules in Ukraine. The information about “700 prosecutors” is also erroneous.

In fact, the first information that “700 prosecutors received combat status” appeared in March 2016, long before the full-scale invasion. Then we were talking about the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas (ATO). However, this information was also not confirmed then. Ukrainian media mentioned only one prosecutor, Hryshchuk, who actually defended the Donetsk airport; there was no such information about the other 699 civil servants. In the screenshot from 2016, only the property of some Ukrainian prosecutors could be seen, but there was no indication that they had a participant in combat operations status. Moreover, the round number 700 raises many questions, and the authors of the publications do not provide actual evidence of their words. Later, this topic began to be raised again in 2019 with complaints against the then newly elected President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

They are trying to tie the story about “700 prosecutors” to the modern context of Ukraine and the new draft law on mobilization, which is being actively discussed by society. Such publications cause many reactions, reposts and emotional comments about the present on the battlefield, corruption in Ukraine, “corrupt power” and ineffective defense enterprises. All this indicates that this news is another Russian manipulation technique with the aim of internally destabilizing Ukraine. Detector Media has already refuted other mobilization manipulations in Ukraine.

Pro-Russian resources disseminated information that on February 3, 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces dealt a “cruel blow” to Lysychansk, Luhansk region, as a result of which a two-story “bakery” building collapsed and allegedly injured “civilians”. In particular, gauleiter of the occupied Luhansk region Leonid Pasichnyk wrote about this on his telegram channel. The next day, February 4, after clearing the rubble, the Russians announced 28 dead “civilians” and blamed the Ukrainian Armed Forces for this.

However, already on February 5, Pasichnyk himself admitted on his telegram channel that the Minister of Emergency Situations of the LPR, Colonel Oleksii Poteleshchenko, was killed during the shelling. He received Russian citizenship in 2019, worked in the ranks of the so-called “LPR People’s Militia”, and in 2023 headed the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the self-proclaimed LPR.

According to the British media Reuters, based on the design and color of the shelled building, as well as the location matching the file images, an acquaintance was able to confirm the location of the video shared by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. On Google maps it coincides with the location of the Adriatica restaurant on Moskovska Street in Lysychansk. That is, the blow was struck not at the bakery, which is located next to the restaurant, but precisely at the Adriatica. Ukrainian blogger and journalist Denys Kazanskyi also writes about this, citing propagandist Anastasiia Kashevarova, who also claims that there were many security officials in the restaurant with the Minister of Emergency Situations of the LPR. According to her, they were celebrating the birthday of a “high-ranking man”. However, they were allegedly surrendered by local residents who did not support the activities of the occupation authorities.

By spreading disinformation about the shelling of a “bakery” and the death of 28 “civilians”, the Russians seek to demonize the Ukrainian army and nourish their narrative of “atrocities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces” against civilians on the temporary occupied territories. Earlier, Detector Media denied information that the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly fired at the market in Donetsk.

Russian telegram channels disseminated information about the study of Polish as a second foreign language in schools in the Poltava region. Propagandists explain this by saying that the Ukrainian authorities are allegedly preparing citizens to surrender their territories to Poland. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that in one of the classes at Lyceum No. 17 “Intelligence” in Poltava, they actually study Polish as a second foreign language (the first is English). But the decision to learn Polish was made not by the authorities, but by the parents of the students. This decision was made at the level of the parent committee and taken at the regional level for study in two schools in the Poltava region, as confirmed by information from the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

The Ministry of Education and Science has developed a program for studying the Polish language for students in grades 5-9 and 10-11, but it is not mandatory for teaching. The director of Lyceum No. 17, Olena Holtvianytsia, emphasizes that the Ministry does not limit the school in the choice of foreign languages to study. The introduction of the Polish language in the lyceum is justified by the fact that many children have experience in Poland, so it becomes a more convenient option for them than other foreign languages. It also gives children more opportunities to practice.

This innovation is due to the joint initiative of parents and schools, and it is completely unrelated to any plans for the return of territories to Poland. In addition, it should be noted that the Polish authorities have already expressed respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine several times. Detector Media has already written about why propagandists are trying to create fake news that Poland will supposedly soon seize Ukraine.

Information is being spread on the Internet that supposedly 10 thousand hryvnias are spent monthly on the maintenance of one prisoner of war in Ukraine, and if the amount is less, this is a violation of human rights. At the same time, the state allocates only 2,500 hryvnia monthly for pensions of Ukrainians. However, this is not true.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to this. They found out that the cost of maintaining a prisoner included not only clothing and food, but also utilities, staff and security. No special conditions were created for Russians, since the same amount is spent on maintaining prisoners in Ukraine. In March 2023, Deputy Minister of Justice Olena Vysotska stated that about 10 thousand hryvnia per month are spent on one prisoner of war in Ukraine. However, this amount includes not only clothing and food for the prisoner, but also payment for utilities, arrangement of the place of detention, work of staff and security, and so on. The Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War does not specify a specific amount that the state must allocate for their maintenance. Each country determines this amount itself. Prisoners are also involved in work in the camp, and their labor partially offsets the costs.

As for pensions, in 2024 more than 271 billion hryvnia will be allocated from the state budget to pay pensions. The average pension in Ukraine exceeds 5,300 hryvnia. It is incorrect to compare expenses on prisoners and pensions, since these are different categories of expenses related to the protection of human rights and social support of the population.

With their statements, users are trying to sow hostile sentiments in society and emphasize that Ukraine allegedly does not care about its residents. Detector Media recently denied other manipulations related to Ukrainian captives.

Pro-Kremlin resources are disseminating information that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has issued a decree on the annexation of Russian territories to Ukraine. With this decree, he allegedly declared the right of sovereignty over the Krasnodar Territory, Voronezh, Kursk, Rostov, Briansk and Belgorod regions.

Thus, on January 22, 2024, Zelenskyi signed a decree “On the territories of the Russian Federation historically inhabited by Ukrainians”, but it does not talk about the “annexation” of these territories to Ukraine or the “declaration of sovereignty” over them. Propagandists resorted to yet another manipulation of facts, because the real purpose of the decree is to begin work to preserve the national identity of Ukrainians living in Russia. This is written about in the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

This decree, in particular, is about restoring and preserving the historical memory of crimes against Ukrainians in the past and present; on countering disinformation and propaganda; development of cooperation between Ukrainians and other peoples conquered by Russia; preparation and distribution of materials, as well as updating and inclusion in educational programs of information about the true history of ethnic Ukrainians in Russia.

With this media manipulation, Russian propaganda seeks to fuel its narrative: “Ukraine is the aggressor”, so Russia had no other option but to attack Ukrainian lands. They say that in this way Russia wanted to protect its territorial integrity, as well as Russian-speaking Ukrainians who were allegedly “oppressed” in Ukraine. However, the truth is that this is only a justification for Russian aggression by Moscow, which has been encroaching on Ukrainian territories for centuries and seeking to seize them, today committing a real genocide of the Ukrainian people.

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Pro-Russian media are disseminating information that the security guarantee agreement that Great Britain signed with Ukraine states that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are actually part of NATO, and the goal of the “proxy war” with Moscow through Kyiv is to capture “six subjects of Russia”. Thus, in Russian news they named LPR, DPR, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reports that in fact, propagandists presented this news in a distorted form, that is, they manipulated the essence of the agreement. It stipulates that the UK will provide Ukraine with all possible assistance in protecting and restoring territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, as well as helping to counter any military escalation or new aggression from Russia. The fact that the Armed Forces of Ukraine is developing and moving to NATO concepts and operational procedures does not make them military of the Alliance. The return of the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Kremlin to the control of Kyiv is not the “seizure of Russian subjects”, but the de-occupation of internationally recognized Ukrainian lands.

Let us recall that the UK became the first country to conclude a final bilateral security agreement with Ukraine as part of the agreements agreed upon during the Vilnius NATO summit. Security responsibilities are an intermediate step before Ukraine joins NATO. It should be noted that Ukraine and the UK will also cooperate in the field of information security and the fight against manipulation and propaganda within the framework of the agreement signed on January 12, 2024.

Between January 20-22, 2024, social media users spreading pro-Russian rhetoric circulated the video along with the claim that it was filmed in a church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The authors of messages with it indicate that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which, according to them, was liberated from “pro-Russian exarchs”, has now been captured by the “Zelenskyi regime”, which holds musical performances instead of church services. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the MythDetector project drew attention to it. They found out that Information about the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is regularly disseminated with fabrications and manipulative descriptions and is directed against the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church. In fact, this video was not filmed in the church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), but in the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Ivano-Frankivsk, which belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. It clearly reflects the arrangement of religious symbols, chandeliers and ceramic glass windows, thanks to which it was possible to determine the denomination of the temple.

The video was filmed on January 14 and depicts a performance by the orchestra of the Lviv Theological Seminary. According to information published on the official website of the Cathedral, members of the seminary orchestra came to it after the service and played various musical instruments for the clergy and guests of the church.

Propagandists spread such manipulations to reinforce their narrative that the autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church is “blasphemous” and “unreal”. They say that the Zelenskyi regime infringes on the rights of real believers, which means it is not a full-fledged European state.

Propagandists claim that the war in Ukraine will supposedly end on the terms determined by Russia after the complete collapse of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Like, the USA announced this. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security drew attention to it. They found out that this information was being disseminated by Russian media with reference to a military expert, former US Marine Brian Berletik. Berletik is, in fact, a pseudo-expert spreading Russian propaganda. He gives examples of how the Ukrainian military allegedly “kills its own population in order to frame Russia”.  Previously, he also argued that Ukraine will continue to lose its regions. It is simply pointless to trust the “forecasts” of such a person, since he only expresses theses that are beneficial for Russia. This is his personal opinion, and not the position of the entire United States.

At the moment, according to the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, there is no reason to believe that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will face a “complete collapse”, since the Ukrainian army successfully holds the defense and inflicts significant losses on the occupiers. That is why propagandists spread such manipulations - to create a false impression of Russia’s victory on the battlefield, which supposedly even is recognized by Ukraine’s allies. Detector Media has repeatedly denied other Russian manipulations related to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russian propagandists, citing statements by journalist Christoph Wanner, are spreading information in the media that the defenders of Ukraine have to give up positions from small sections of the front due to a lack of people. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security drew attention to it. Probably, the propaganda had in mind the retreat of the defenders of Ukraine from Krokhmalne in the Kharkiv region and the capture of this village by Russian occupiers. The representative of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Fitio, clarified during the telethon that the defense forces retreated to reserve positions due to the fact that the village was completely destroyed by the occupiers, and it was no longer possible to remain there, since this endangered the lives of the Ukrainian military. In addition, they found that Wanner's journalistic work was characterized by one-sidedness, violations of journalistic standards and an open pro-Russian position.

Propagandists spread such manipulations to give a false impression of victories at the front. Detector Media has repeatedly denied other Russian manipulations related to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.