Russian telegram channels are disseminating information that Ukrainian soldiers are being pelted with the carcasses of dead animals during training in France. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. The Politico article “Inside the secret French camp where Ukrainians prepare for war” confirms the use of dead animal carcasses in training to create more realistic conditions. This is carried out to prepare the Ukrainian military for the smell arising from the decomposition of flesh. However, this does not have the scale that the Russians talk about. The training course was adapted according to the comments of the Ukrainian side, including the use of artillery, grenades and simulating various combat situations. Instructors try to limit the shock effect of the Ukrainian military upon arrival at the front.

By spreading such manipulations, propagandists want to discredit the NATO armies and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They say that the situation has become absurd, and therefore Russia needs to be allowed to win. Detector Media has repeatedly refuted other inventions of Russians aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks claim that Svitlana Tykhanovska allegedly promised to transfer Belarusian tactical nuclear weapons to Ukraine during her speech at PACE. However, this news is fictitious.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project drew attention to the case. The primary source of the news is the satirical telegram channel “The Empire is very evil”. The description of the channel clearly states that its materials are a creative invention, and all coincidences are random.

Svitlana Tykhanovska has never made such statements. There are no reliable sources confirming this information. Her last speech at PACE in June 2023 did not contain such promises, like all her other public statements. Reputable Ukrainian and international media also did not record any reports regarding such statements from Tykhanovska.

Propagandists use satirical materials to ridicule those who express support for Ukraine and confuse the information space. All this is so that people stop understanding what is truth and what is fiction.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks claim that Ukraine stated that it was the military personnel who came to the reburial, and not civilians, who died in the village of Hroza during Russian shelling. However, this is manipulation.

Analysts from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that civilians were killed in the attack in the village. Among the 59 victims was even a young child, 8-year-old Ivan Kozyr. Claims that about 100 military personnel attended the commemoration are also untrue.

Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko stressed that the Russians killed 59 civilians with a direct hit from an Iskander missile, including pensioners, doctors, farmers, teachers, and entrepreneurs. Entire generations of families were victims of the tragedy. It was established that two traitors were behind the crime, who corrected the attack on the cafe. These are the brothers Volodymyr and Dmytro Mamon, who went over to the enemy side.

Targeting civilians is a war crime under international humanitarian law. The UN believes there is sufficient evidence of Russia's involvement in the strike, although Russia has not admitted direct responsibility for the crime.

By spreading such manipulations, propagandists want to shift responsibility for the crimes of the aggressor onto the victim of aggression and justify the Russian military.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks are distributing a video claiming that the body of a serviceman of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was found on the shores of the Georgian city of Batumi. However, this is manipulation.

A group of fact-checkers from the Myth Detector project have already confirmed the falsity of this information. It turned out that this video was filmed in the city of Sukhumi, and the body belonged to a local resident who went missing in 2022. It is recorded that the video was recorded on July 1, 2023.

At that moment, the body of local resident Aram Davajyan, who was considered missing since November 27, 2022, was found. This information was confirmed by “law enforcement agencies” of Abkhazia, a region occupied by Russia. After fact-checkers contacted the Emergency Management Service, it was established that there had been no reports of the body of a Ukrainian serviceman on the shore in Sukhumi.

Propagandists spread such manipulations to strengthen their narrative about the “large-scale losses” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They say that the war needs to be stopped on Russia’s terms. Detector Media has repeatedly refuted other manipulations aimed at directly discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Pro-Russian resources are spreading information that the Ukrainian army has stopped attacking and gone on the defensive, and the Russian military is stretching the Ukrainian Armed Forces along the entire front line. In asserting this, propagandists refer to an interview with former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar, which she gave to the online publication Liga.net.

Experts from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security developed this case. It turned out that the Russians manipulated Maliar’s words. In the interview, she made an assumption about the task of the Russians: to prevent the Ukrainian army from concentrating forces in a specific place. Also, the former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine noted that it is the Russian army that is stretching its troops along the front line in order to exhaust the Ukrainian defenders and prepare itself for offensive actions. In the end, there were no statements from Maliar that Ukraine was no longer advancing.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Ukrainian counteroffensive and assure everyone around that the advantage on the front line lies in Russia. Previously, we refuted the information that Valerii Zaluzhnyi allegedly ordered preparations for defense between Mykolaiv and Odesa.

Pro-Russian resources claim that the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, made a statement that there “are not and cannot be any Russian national minorities in Ukraine, and their rights must be infringed”. This is manipulation.

This case was investigated by experts from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. They found out that during the telethon, Stefanchuk actually said that “there are no Russian national minorities in Ukraine yet and there cannot be”. However, his words were taken out of context. The point was that representatives of the people who are today committing the Ukrainian genocide cannot have any privileges in our country on any issues related to their national minority.

By manipulating information, propagandists feed the narrative that there is “oppression of Russians and Russian-speaking people” in Ukraine, including to justify the so-called “special operation”. Previously, we wrote about how Russia blurs reality with the help of newspeak using the term “russophobia”.

Such information was disseminated on social networks in the Russian segment, commenting on the meeting of the presidents (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic) of the Visegrad Group, who discussed issues of international politics, including the Russian-Ukrainian war. The authors claimed that Czech President Petr Pavel allegedly explained during the summit of heads of state that the Visegrad Group was “ready to engage in aggression against Russia”,  and NATO would allegedly attack Russia “after the war in Ukraine”. This is manipulation.

The StopFake analysts investigated the case and found that there were no statements about NATO’s readiness to launch an invasion of Russia at the Visegrad Four summit - this is an invention of the propaganda media. The meeting of leaders was devoted to European security issues in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The parties stated that Russia must bear responsibility for human lives and damage, and the four countries must “resolutely continue to fully support Ukraine and its citizens”.

Among other things, Peter Pavel said during the meeting that Russia is the main threat to the security of Europe and, accordingly, the defense Alliance. That is, the manipulators distorted the entire context of the officials’ statements and simply came up with profitable Kremlin theses.

Using quotes from public figures, military officers, politicians and other public figures, Russian propaganda is trying to convince consumers of disinformation of the authenticity of such expressions. Like, if the European leader himself said this, then he can be trusted, because he is an authoritative source although the authors do not explain how reliable the information presented in the manipulative publication is. This is how propagandists use the tactic of appealing to authority.

The Visegrad Group was founded on February 15, 1991 in the Hungarian city of Visegrad by the presidents of Central European countries - Poland, Hungary, and then Czechoslovakia with the goal of integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. After the collapse of Czechoslovakia, the official name of the group was the “Visegrad Four”, or V4, consisting of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. It was possible to achieve the European and Euro-Atlantic goal in 2004 - the four countries joined NATO, and on May 1 of the same year V4 joined the European Union. Currently, countries also cooperate in the fields of culture, education, science and data exchange.

Pro-Kremlin resources are disseminating information that Ukraine was offered to join the North Atlantic Alliance “in exchange for abandoning” Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Propagandists refer to the words of former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who allegedly made such a proposal due to the “failure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces counteroffensive”. However, this is manipulation.

This case was analyzed by the fact-checkers of the StopFake project. They found out that Rasmussen actually promoted the idea of Ukraine joining NATO without occupied territories. However, he did not call on Ukraine to give up those territories, but had something slightly different in mind. In his opinion, the country’s early entry into NATO will help protect itself from new manifestations of Russian aggression in the territories controlled by Ukraine, since Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty on Collective Defense will apply to them. That is, the invasion of Russian troops into these zones will mean an attack on NATO and the response will be immediate. If Ukraine joins NATO as soon as possible, it will also be possible to release additional Ukrainian defense forces, which, for example, are now located on the border with Belarus, and send them to de-occupy the territories captured by the Russians.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen also reminded that there is a similar historical precedent. In 1955, West Germany joined NATO and Article 5 was extended to its territory. At the same time, it did not apply to East Germany, which was then under Soviet occupation.

Russian propaganda is trying to demoralize Ukrainian society with such manipulations and declare that Ukraine allegedly cannot de-occupy the territories captured by Russian troops. Previously, we denied information that NATO is preparing for the defeat of Ukraine and the occupation of the western part of Ukrainian territories.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks are publishing an article by the author of the British publication The Telegraph, Lewis Page, claiming that he allegedly writes about the misuse of Western equipment by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) during the counteroffensive. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that such an article by The Telegraph really exists, and its author actually writes about the difficulties of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but does not claim that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are using Western equipment incorrectly. The article notes that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is a difficult task. The author rather criticizes Western experts who say that “properly used” Western tanks will help quickly end the war.

The article also reveals some facts about the supply of tanks to Ukraine, noting that as of August 2023, only a limited number of tanks had been transferred. The journalist adds that criticism of the use of Western equipment by the Armed Forces of Ukraine is unfair, since the West has limited the use of equipment for attacks on Russian territory and delayed the supply of tanks to Ukraine. The article notes the success of the Ukrainian army in conditions of limited access to Western equipment and reveals the essence of the circumstances that determined the development of the situation at the front.

By spreading such manipulations, propagandists want to create a myth that Western media consider the Armed Forces of Ukraine to be insufficiently competent compared to the Russian army. They say that this is why the peoples of Western countries must resist military aid for Ukraine. Detector Media has repeatedly refuted fakes and manipulations of Russian propaganda directed against the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric on anonymous telegram channels claim that employers can now force pregnant Ukrainian women to work until the child is born through a new bill passed by the Verkhovna Rada. However, this is manipulation.

Analysts from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that such information was untrue. According to the new order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, women can independently decide whether to go on leave from the 30th week of pregnancy, or choose another date to start their maternity leave. Previously, women who were 30 weeks pregnant and under the supervision of a doctor received from them a medical certificate of temporary incapacity for work in the category “pregnancy and childbirth”. After receiving it, the woman was obliged to go on maternity leave. Pregnant women could continue working if they wished, but then the number of days on maternity leave was reduced by as many days as they worked. The size of the benefit in this case also decreased, because it depended on the number of days of vacation. In July of this year, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a bill according to which, if desired and in case of medical contraindications, part of the maternity leave, namely the 70 days provided before childbirth, can be postponed and used after it. The total duration of maternity leave should be no more than 126 calendar days and 140 days for the birth of two or more children or complicated births.

Propagandists extend such manipulations to create a negative impression of the healthcare system in Ukraine. In addition, in this way they also want to create distrust in the Ukrainian government regarding changes in the country. They say that this government is not worth fighting for, because it harms the people. Detector Media also refuted other manipulations related to the healthcare system in Ukraine.

Propagandists are disseminating information that from January 1, 2024, electricity tariffs for the population will increase in Ukraine. Anonymous telegram channels write about this and refer to a recent interview with Kostiantyn Ushchapovskyi, head of the National Commission for State Regulation in the Field of Energy and Utilities. However, this is manipulation.

Colleagues from the Center for Strategic Communications and Security decided to check the information. They found out that Ushchapovskyi did not make such a statement. The Ministry of Energy also reported that at present there are no plans to increase tariffs for the population. The words of the head of the National Commission for State Regulation in the Field of Energy and Utilities were taken out of context: in fact, he said that “until the successful completion of the autumn-winter season there can be no talk of raising tariffs”. The Russians manipulated information to nourish their narrative about the “Kyiv regime”, whose representatives do not take into account the Ukrainian people, but think only about themselves and are ready to torment the population with cold and darkness.

This case of disinformation, like other similar ones - about a power outage or the unpreparedness of the Ukrainian energy system for winter, is intended to demoralize Ukrainian society and “scold it with the authorities”. By the way, we previously refuted information that supposedly in November there could be a blackout in Ukraine even without shelling.

In response to statements by Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who expressed that Chisinau has no common topics for discussion with Moscow, Russian officials point to the allegedly disastrous results of the municipal elections in Moldova for the ruling party. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from The Insider project drew attention to it. They emphasize that the “victory of the opposition” does not look very convincing. Moldova's pro-European Action and Solidarity party won 19 of 32 districts in regional elections, eight times better than in the previous elections in 2019. Also, the pro-Russian Party of Socialists lost five districts after these elections. They also note that the victory of the pro-Russian party is also not significant, since it was unable to gain success in the elections of mayors of the largest cities.

Ion Ceban, a former adviser to Moldovan President Ihor Dodon, left the Party of Socialists and created the National Alternative Movement, a center-left, also pro-European opposition political force. Ceban advocates European integration of Moldova and condemns Russian aggression against Ukraine. Despite the fact that there is an allegation about Cheban’s ties with Russia, his victory in the elections took place under slogans for European integration and condemnation of Russian aggression.

By spreading such manipulations, propagandists make their desire reality. They say that Moldova will never be able to become a full-fledged European state. However, Detector Media  using the example of material about the “Moldavian language”, explained how else Russians can use the internal political context of Moldova for their propaganda.

Russian media are disseminating information that supposedly the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that the European Union recognized Ukraine’s loss in the war. However, this is manipulation.

Analysts from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that propagandists used Borrell's statement, taking it out of context. In fact, the diplomat had no doubt about the prospect of ending the war in Ukraine’s favor. The quote was taken from the speech of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security during the Congress of the Party of European Socialists in Malaga, Spain on November 11. Borrell said that EU countries must be prepared to continue to support Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.

Although Borrell did say that Ukraine's victory over Russia “does not happen overnight”,  Russian media deliberately skipped a significant part of the European diplomat's speech that followed this phrase. Borrell emphasized that the greatest security guarantee that the EU can provide to Ukraine is its membership in the “European family”. However, for this to happen, the Union must remain united and prepare for a longer conflict than Russia had planned, which hoped to take over the country in two weeks and establish its own puppet regime, similar to the Belarusian one. Borrell emphasized that, despite the expectations of dictator Putin, Ukraine not only did not fall, but is also recapturing its territories. This became possible thanks to Ukraine's fierce resistance against the Kremlin regime and the support of its allies. Thus, according to the EU representative, Ukraine is the EU's top priority, and work to support the country must continue until it wins the war.

Propagandists spread such fake news because they want to convince Ukrainians that even their closest allies have allegedly turned their backs on them. Like, if the EU has already recognized Ukraine’s loss, the situation is definitely catastrophic. However, this is not the case, and Detector Media has repeatedly refuted such fakes and manipulations of Russian propaganda.

Russian media claim that now Russians who left their country due to disagreement with Russian aggression against Ukraine are allegedly forced to look for food in landfills. However, this is manipulation.

Analysts from The Insider project drew attention to it. They found an article cited as a primary source in the manipulated reports. In fact, in the article “Freega - the idea of smart consumption”, journalist and photographer Serhii Stroitieliev talks about young Russians who moved to Georgia and remained faithful to the idea of “smart consumption”, or freeganism, without mentioning the difficulties of emigration. The article also notes that most of these people were engaged in freeganism back in Russia and that this is their way of life and practice associated with subculture, environmental and anarchist ideas.

By spreading such manipulations, propagandists want to discredit all those who oppose the war within Russia. Like, it’s unbearable abroad, but in Russia it’s good, so one needs to exchange principles for comfort.

Propaganda resources are trying to disorient the Ukrainian Defense Forces with messages about the alleged withdrawal of the Russian army from some temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region. Thus, on the morning of November 12, pro-Russian media published news about the regrouping of Russian troops near Dnipro, and on November 13 they deleted their publications and reported that the preliminary information was canceled.

The Center for National Resistance investigated this case and stated that the regrouping of Russian troops in the Kherson region has not been recorded. This was reported to the Center by local residents of the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) of the Kherson region, which are discussed in the “news”. It looks like this case is an information operation against Ukraine. The Center for National Resistance also added that the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kherson region is a matter of time.

Pro-Russian resources began to disseminate information that the Lithuanian authorities are planning to introduce a “rain tax”, the reason for which was “exorbitant expenses” on the country’s defense and the supply of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine. They say that the Lithuanian government no longer knows where to look for additional resources to cover the country’s expenses, so it resorts to innovative methods. This is manipulation.

This case was processed by fact-checkers from the Center for Countering Disinformation. They found out that in some Lithuanian counties there is indeed a rain tax, although it is not related to the war in Ukraine. For example, in Alytus, city residents have been paying it since 1996. It is worth noting that the tax is levied only on residents of private houses and provided that precipitation fell on their territory and entered the general runoff. It turns out that the tax is not really for rain, but for the treatment of rainwater by wastewater treatment plants.

Russian disinformation in this case aims to undermine Lithuanians’ trust in their government, encourage them to boycott financial assistance to Ukraine, and generally weaken international support for our country. One of the key messages of propagandists here is that the internal problems of the state have not been resolved in Lithuania and, for example, school teachers periodically go on strike due to low salaries, and the authorities are indifferent to this - they are thinking about Ukraine.

This thesis was spread by pro-Kremlin media. The messages add how Volodymyr Zelenskyi allegedly stated that Israel should fight terrorism “without laws and rules” - in fact, he allegedly called for the commission of war crimes. This is manipulation.

Analysts of the StopFake project managed to process the case: they explained that the basis for creating this manipulation was most likely an interview with the Ukrainian president on the American television channel NBC News on November 5, 2023. During the live broadcast, the interviewer asked whether Volodymyr Zelenskyi is confident that Israel is subject to international law in the war with Hamas. Zelenskyi responded that it is Russia, Iran and North Korea that are trying to scale up the war in Israel:

“This is a fire that is burning between Israel and Palestine, and some people are still throwing matches into this fire, and I am sure that Russia is not far behind in sponsoring Hamas. And Iran too. That's who is to blame. When we talk about laws and rules, where there are terrorists, there are no rules [terrorists don’t care about rules ed.]”.

Actually, Volodymyr Zelenskyi meant that Russia and other “friendly countries” - Iran, North Korea, etc. — do not support the norms of international law, especially directly or indirectly incite discord. These countries, for example, actively block any legislative initiatives aimed at supporting Ukraine in the UN General Assembly. And according to Zelenskyi, they may also be interested in scaling up the war in the Middle East.

But propagandists twisted the statement and began to claim that it is the Ukrainian leader who seeks to sow discord and calls for committing war crimes, regardless of the cost. Thus, propagandists demonize Volodymyr Zelenskyi and label him: let's say, he is an aggressor and a provocateur who wants wars around the world.

In the pro-Kremlin media and in the Russian segment of the Facebook social network, information is spread that in 25 days almost as many civilians have been killed in the Gaza Strip as allegedly killed in Ukraine in 563 days, that is, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian propaganda presents an infographic comparing the number of victims. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of the StopFake project. In the graphs published by Russian propaganda, it is stated that 8 thousand 796 people died in Gaza during the 25 days of the conflict, of which 3648 are children. There were 24,000 wounded, of which 9,600 were children. These data are provided by the UN.

During the 563 days of the full-scale war in Ukraine, 9,614 people died, including 554 children. 17,535 people were injured, of which 1,180 were children. However, the Office of the United Nations and High Commissioner for Human Rights believe that “the actual figures are much higher”, because the organization's calculations do not take into account data from occupied cities where fierce fighting took place, such as Mariupol, Lysychansk, Popasna and Sievierodonetsk, where there are reports of numerous victims among the civilian population.

This was also stated by the spokesman of the UN Office for Human Rights in Ukraine, Kryshtof Yanovskyi. He noted that it is impossible to provide exact figures from Mariupol. Ukrainian human rights activists believe that in Mariupol alone, the Russian invaders killed about 100,000 people.

By manipulating numbers and using a sensitive topic for this, Russian propagandists are trying to put psychological pressure on Ukrainians. Russians also want to whiten themselves: as if against the background of Israel, which, regardless of morality, kills people, Russia looks like a humanistic country, because it supposedly protects Ukrainians. Earlier, we refuted the fake that Economy Minister Svyrydenko said that Ukraine would restore the Gaza Strip.

Pro-Kremlin resources are spreading disinformation about the losses of American troops in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Propagandists refer to an interview with American volunteer Matthew Van Dyke, published on the YouTube channel Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom. In it, a volunteer allegedly stated that 510 American volunteers who joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces died. This is manipulation.

The Center for Countering Disinformation worked on this case. They found out that during a volunteer’s answer to the presenter’s question about the number of American soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, Van Dyke voiced the figures of five to ten people. He also added that many American volunteers were wounded.

Russian propagandists exaggerate the achievements of the Russian army in the war against Ukraine to fuel the narrative of the “second army of the world”. On the other hand, by manipulating information, Russian propaganda is trying to convince everyone around that mobilization in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is useless - and so everyone will die, and therefore it is easier for Ukraine to surrender now. Previously, we denied information that American students were allegedly being recruited into the Foreign Legion of Ukraine.

A video is being distributed on social networks in the Russian segment in which the mayor of Kyiv, Vitalii Klychko, allegedly proposed voting not to consider the occupied territories part of Ukraine. This is manipulation.

The VoxCheck analysts analyzed the case and found out that this quote was taken out of the entire video. In fact, Klychko spoke about the reasons that make it impossible to hold elections. Among them, in particular, is the fact that some people are in the occupied territories and will not be able to vote. He spoke about this on the television channel “Kyiv”.

“Those territories that are occupied are no longer Ukraine, because there will be no representatives [of Ukraine at the polling stations]. How do we take these territories into account or not?” - said the official.

That is, he did not claim that the occupied territories are not Ukrainian, but explained that elections there are not yet possible. For example, because representatives of Ukraine will not be able to establish polling stations there due to active hostilities.

Using quotes from public figures, military officers, politicians and other public figures, Russian propaganda is trying to convince consumers of disinformation of the authenticity of such expressions. Like, if a Ukrainian official himself stated this, he can be trusted as he is an authoritative source, although the authors do not explain how reliable the information presented in the manipulative publication is. This is how propagandists use the tactic of appealing to authority.

Propagandists, spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media, claim that evidence of the existence of US military biological laboratories is being destroyed in Odesa. Like, they do it in the burial ground, which was used for the disposal of hazardous waste, during the disposal of 147 tons of dust. However, this is manipulation.

Analysts of the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that at the end of October, work on the disposal of 147 tons of dust near Odesa really began. In particular, according to the local authorities, this year funds were allocated from the local budget for the elimination of hazardous substances due to fears that Russian shelling could lead to chemicals entering the water and soil. Liquidators began their work in time, as some bags of poison were on the verge of depressurization.

The fact is that in 1972, the ship Mozdok, which was transporting 900 tons of dust on board, sank in the Odesa Bay. Two years later, a storage facility was built near the village of Altestove, and the dust was conserved in concrete bunkers. Already in 2012, most of the chemicals were disposed of, but due to a lack of funding, 147 tons of dust continued to be stored in this special storage facility.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to cause panic among Ukrainians and justify Russia's aggression against Ukraine. They said that Russia is destroying biolaboratories that could harm Russians. Detector Media has repeatedly refuted fakes about American biolaboratories in Ukraine, and recently told how propagandists use the conspiracy theory of “chemical emissions” to scare Ukrainians.

Pro-Russian resources claim that a prayer book for children has appeared in Ukraine, in which they are invited to pray to God, saying the following words: “Protect my father near Donetsk, as you protected my great-grandfather in Galicia”. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of Gvara Media. They contacted one of the places where this prayer book was sold, the Church Store of the Lviv Archdiocese of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, with a question whether such a text existed in the book. In response to a request from the fact-checkers, store employees responded that there was no such text in the prayer book and added that it was published back in 2011, that is, long before the start of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

Propagandists are trying to demonize Ukrainians in the eyes of ordinary Russian citizens in order to justify Russia's war crimes in Ukraine. We recently published an extensive article about Ukrainian children suffering as a result of Russian aggression.

Pro-Russian resources began to disseminate information that Sony, a company specializing in electronics and other high-tech products, allegedly released the PlayStation 5 game console and its accessories in the colors of the Russian flag. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by fact-checkers from the VoxUkraine project. They found out that when creating new designs for the game console and joysticks, the authors relied on the colors of the Earth, and not the Russian tricolor. Thus, one of the designers explained that his team was inspired by the beautiful and powerful shades that can be found in the depths of planet Earth. The colors used are Sterling Silver, Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, and not pure white, blue and red, as in Russia. If one reads the colors according to the usual version, that is, from left to right, then it will be obvious that the sequence of colors of the presented game consoles and accessories is different from the sequence of colors of the Russian tricolor.

Pro-Kremlin propagandists trying to trace at least latent manifestations of the civilized world’s solidarity with Russia resort to manipulation and use information for their own purposes. They use one of the propaganda tactics when they write about such “support” for the transnational company Sony: they try to evoke in ordinary Russian citizens a feeling of euphoria - a psychological state in which a person experiences elation, happiness and joy, which is unjustified by objective conditions.

Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are disseminating information that Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna allegedly called the Ukrainians “a cheap way to fight Russia”. He allegedly said this during a meeting organized by the Atlantic Council. This is manipulation.

The case was examined by StopFake specialists. The head of the Estonian Foreign Ministry did not make such statements. At a meeting organized by the Atlantic Council, he said: “Instead of military conflicts or aggression between Russia and NATO members, Ukraine is fighting in our region. And this is the most effective and cheapest way, if I may put it so roughly, to get rid of the desire for aggression on the Russian side”. Russian propaganda distorted this phrase to create manipulation.

In fact, the Minister said that Ukrainians are fighting for European values.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to discredit Western partners and show that they allegedly devalue the deaths of Ukrainians in the Russian-Ukrainian war. It is also a continuation of the narrative that the West started the war, and Russia “was forced to defend itself”. Previously, we refuted the fake that Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine should participate in the formation of the US state budget.

Russian telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are disseminating information that because of the war, 90% of Ukrainians will need psychological help. Russian propaganda refers to messages from Health Minister Viktor Liashko, who allegedly said that the Ukrainian government is to blame for this, because it refuses “peace” with Russia, which “saved” Ukrainians from mental health problems. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by the fact-checker of the VoxCheck project. Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko actually said that 90% of Ukrainians have at least 1 symptom, which indicates that a person will need psychological help. However, this was not caused by the actions of the Ukrainian authorities and the “unwillingness” to make peace with Russia, but by Russian shelling, threats to destroy all infrastructure, abuse of residents in temporarily occupied territories and intimidation, torture, and separation from relatives. Ukraine is doing everything to win.

Moreover, in Ukraine there are programs that help you get psychological help. For example, the Medical Guarantee Program, the “How are you?” All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program, there are also Vitality Centers and special hotlines.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to shift responsibility for the war and possible mental problems of Ukrainians from Russia to Ukraine. Although it is precisely because of Russia’s actions that Ukrainians need special support and in the future they may find themselves needing to seek psychological help. Previously, we talked about the manipulation that the UN said that Ukraine was announcing the verdicts of innocent people.