Pro-Kremlin resources write that the transfer of Polish weapons to Ukraine falls under the definition of treason, since the supposed consequence of such a policy is that Poland remains disarmed. In asserting this, Russian media refer to a report by Przemysław Piasta in the newspaper Myśl Polska.

Journalists of the No Lies project examined this information. As it turns out, the online publication Myśl Polska often publishes Kremlin propaganda, so Przemysław Piasta’s text fits completely into the pro-Russian policy of this media. In reality, Poland is transferring to Ukraine the equipment it replaced with new ones, and is also fulfilling old contracts. That is, the country is actively strengthening its own army and helping Ukrainians.

Russian propaganda is once again trying to weaken military support for Ukraine by Western countries. In addition, by promoting such a message, propagandists seek to cultivate the negative attitude of Poles towards Ukraine and their leadership. Previously, we analyzed the propaganda message that Kyiv is allegedly “preparing a military provocation against Poland” in the event of a critical decline in support from Western countries.

Russian media responded to the launch of the new Black Sea coalition with disinformation messages that “Britain and Norway are escalating the situation in the Black Sea”. They argue that the international community's intention to protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea from attacks by the Russian army is a “new stage of aggression” against Russia.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to the message. They found that the work of the new coalition, which includes Great Britain and Norway, is aimed at long-term cooperation and aims to strengthen Ukraine's naval defense, as well as improve its ability to operate along its own coast. However, the main task of the allied countries is to provide assistance to Ukraine in opening trade routes and ensuring free passage of civilian ships in the Black Sea. From the new coalition, Ukraine will receive long-term support, including training, equipment and infrastructure to improve security in the Black Sea. In particular, on December 11, it became known that the British Royal Navy transferred two minesweepers to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to search for Russian mines, and Norway also announced the transfer of two more ships to Ukraine for demining the water area. StopFake analysts recall that the agreement on the transfer of two Royal Navy minesweepers to the Ukrainian Navy was signed back in 2021, before the full-scale Russian invasion, and in the summer of 2023 a ceremony for their commissioning took place.

Russia began growing the conflict zone in the Black and Azov Seas back in 2014, trying to limit Ukraine’s legal right to use its internal waters. Russian actions violate international law, and due to their systematic disregard for them, Russia was expelled from the Council of the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) in December 2023.

Russian media are deliberately misinterpreting these steps as an “escalation of the situation”, trying to separate them from their context and interpret them favorably in their favor. All this is done to present Russia as a victim.

This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are creating an advertising campaign to “promote” women into the army. And they explain this initiative by saying that women should “encourage” men and get to know them. “Do you want a “real man”: strong, courageous, responsible? You know the answer. All the “real men” are here now - join the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, the video says.

The VoxCheck analysts investigated the case and found that such a video does not belong to the official campaigns of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. For example, this video is not on the official website or on the social media pages of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Moreover, using a reverse search on Google, it was possible to find out that the video was compiled using frames from stock videos. In addition, the video was distributed exclusively in the Russian segment of social networks.

Russian propaganda is once again speculating on the topic of “mobilization of women”. But only doctors and pharmacists must register with the military from October 1, 2023; however, military registration does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on travel abroad. The Ministry of Health notes: registration is necessary only to summarize data on the existing reserve of doctors in the country. The travel of this category of women is unlimited. To register for military service, this category of women will have three years - until December 31, 2026.

Propagandists also repeatedly appealed to the provisions of the bill, previously promulgated by People’s Deputy Marianna Bezuhla. Possible legislative norms published state that women who are fit for military service will be registered as liable for military service. At the same time, during martial law, women are recruited to combat positions only voluntarily. But during a big press conference that Volodymyr Zelenskyi held on December 19, 2023, he said that he would not sign a bill with clauses on the mobilization of women.

Among other things, we recommend reading another of our documented cases, in which propagandists claimed that Ukrainian doctors and pharmacists were supposedly “escaping” from Ukraine en masse through the so-called mobilization.

Russian media disseminated a disinformation statement by Foreign Minister Serhii  Lavrov about the “rebirth of Nazism” in the world. They say that the voting results of Germany, Italy and Japan and a number of other UN countries against the resolution condemning Nazism “cast doubt on the sincerity of their repentance for the events of the Second World War”. However, this is manipulation.

Analysts from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that we are talking about a draft resolution “Countering the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling modern forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”, proposed for consideration by UN member states during several letters. UN Third Committee (social, humanitarian and cultural). The authors of the resolution “on the glorification of Nazism” were Russia, Belarus and Syria.

Several states categorically opposed the adoption of the Russian document. During the debate, several diplomats noted that the Kremlin resolution is a tool of political pressure, as Russia itself tries to justify its aggression against Ukraine with the fanciful excuse of “eliminating neo-Nazism” and the mythical need to “denazify” Ukraine. Several countries have stressed that Russia's actions in Ukraine, as well as its lobbying for pseudo-democratic resolutions, seriously undermine real efforts to combat neo-Nazism. During the debate and numerous votes to amend the draft resolution, the UN Third Committee recommended that the UN General Assembly adopt the document as amended. In particular, with the clause on Russian aggression against Ukraine:

“[The UN General Assembly] notes with alarm that the Russian Federation is trying to justify its territorial aggression against Ukraine with the fanciful excuse of eliminating neo-Nazism, and emphasizes that the use of neo-Nazism as a reason to justify territorial aggression seriously undermines the real efforts to combat it before the adoption of the draft resolution.

Also, during the discussion of the draft resolution, a number of countries called on Russia to immediately stop its aggression against Ukraine and abandon false narratives, “with the help of which Russia is using one of the darkest moments of history to achieve its cynical goals”. UN countries strongly condemned Russia's abuse of anti-Nazi rhetoric and “unequivocally rejected the inaccurate and inappropriate use of the term 'denazification' to justify Russia's desolate, brutal and illegal actions in Ukraine”. Therefore, several countries, in particular Ukraine, the USA, the EU and Japan, refused to vote for the resolution proposed by Russia and advocated amending the document.

Propagandists are disseminating information with reference to a publication in the British tabloid Daily Mail, allegedly Ukraine has the components to create a “dirty bomb”. They say that the UK began to view Ukraine as a potential threat to Europe due to the fact that Kyiv allegedly “sells weapons indiscriminately to whom and where” and as a result of which terrorists can illegally transport nuclear materials through Europe to the UK.

The story in question is a Daily Mail report titled “Radioactive substances could be smuggled out of Ukraine during invasion unrest and end up used in “dirty bombs” on UK streets unless border controls are tightened in NATO countries, warns nuclear energy expert” dated December 12, 2023. However, this is manipulation.

The StopFake specialists drew attention to it. They found that this time propagandists are manipulating Rachel Bunyan's Daily Mail article to once again portray Ukraine as a danger to the world. In fact, nowhere in the Daily Mail publication is it written that the Ukrainian authorities are somehow illegally selling components for “dirty bombs” to terrorists. On the contrary, the author points out that the danger is precisely the unlawful Russian attacks on Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Dr. Ghiassi, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Fellowship think tank, noted in a commentary for the Daily Mail that Russia's takeover of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, one of the largest nuclear power plants in the world, has resulted in regular shelling and power outages making it impossible to safely use the plant. According to the expert, the situation becomes even more dangerous due to the fact that more than 3,000 nuclear fuel cells containing highly radioactive substances and plutonium stored in metal containers at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are vulnerable to air attacks.

Dr Ghiassi, in a commentary for the Daily Mail, noted that air attacks on the nuclear plant and the damage they caused could “facilitate terrorists or proxy groups acting on behalf of hostile states to illegally obtain radioactive substances to create nuclear dirty bombs”. The expert believes that the insecurity of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant poses “serious threats to the security of Ukraine and countries beyond its borders, including the UK”. He calls on countries to strengthen controls at land and sea borders, in particular, to increase the number of radiation detectors at checkpoints.

Moreover, the publication reminds its readers that initially the full-scale invasion, Russia, without providing evidence, accused Ukraine of Kyiv possibly planning to use a “dirty bomb” in the war. Citing experts interviewed, the Daily Mail writes that “dirty bombs” are relatively primitive and inaccurate weapons that terrorists use “more as a psychological weapon” to intimidate people.

Russia's false claims about a “Ukrainian dirty bomb” and a “Ukrainian nuclear provocation” were refuted not only by the Ukrainian government, but also by international organizations, including the UN. In addition, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following the results of an unscheduled inspection conducted at the request of Ukraine in November 2022, did not identify any signs of illegal activities at nuclear facilities controlled by Ukraine. The Kremlin propaganda has more than once used the topic of “dirty bombs” to discredit Ukraine in front of its Western partners.

Russian telegram channels are distributing a video recording of an unknown woman who, on condition of anonymity, says that the Ukrainian military seems to be robbing residential buildings and apartments in Kherson because they will “surrender the city”. They justify their actions by the fact that they do not want to leave Russia.

The very fact of the appearance of information with reference to an anonymous authority already indicates its dubiousness. The Russians are conducting IPSO as if they are actively advancing on all sectors of the front and are preparing to occupy Kherson. In fact, the reality is different - the Ukrainian Armed Forces are conducting an operation on the left bank of the Kherson region, and this gives grounds to assert that the information about the surrender of Kherson is an invention of Russian propaganda.

With disinformation about the alleged capture of Kherson, the Russians are trying to cover up their failures on the battlefield and discredit the Ukrainian army. Moreover, the Russians launched similar messages before the Kharkiv region was liberated in September 2022.

• Read also: The Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly deliberately shelled the center of Kherson

The Russians are promoting a message about the alleged appearance of “two armies” in Ukraine: one under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the other under the Commander of the Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi. Arguments allegedly confirming this thesis boil down to the fact that President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had personal communication with Syrskyi.

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council explains that the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is working, so personal meetings between Zelenskyi and Zaluzhnyi, and Zaluzhnyi himself with Syrskyi are regular. In Ukraine there is a clear vertical: Supreme Commander-in-Chief (President) - Ministry of Defense - Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The message itself about “two Ukrainian armies” is beneficial primarily to Russia. In this way, Russian propaganda is trying to sow discord among the military-political leadership of Ukraine, Ukrainians and weaken us. Previously, Detector Media denied information that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was allegedly calling for a military coup.

Russian President Volodymyr Putin recently said that Russia has no partiality towards anyone in the UN and that its actions do not violate the UN Charter. However, this is not true.

This message was noticed by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. They recalled that on the day the full-scale invasion began, the war criminal stated that his actions were in accordance with the UN Charter. Later, he repeatedly justified the war in Ukraine, explaining it by the need to “protect the inhabitants of the people’s republics of Donbas”, which is one of the main narratives of Russian propaganda. The aggressor country constantly abuses its membership in the UN by blocking resolutions in support of world peace and stability.

Propagandists use such messages to provide validation for their actions. They say that the international community supports his actions. However, it is not. Detector Media has already written about how Russia uses international organizations to spread its propaganda, in particular the OSCE.

This thesis is promoted by the chairman of the occupation administration of the Kherson region, collaborator Volodymyr Saldo. In addition, according to him, the strike could be carried out “in the near future” by either Western or Ukrainian missiles with Russian markings on the parts.

The Center for Countering Disinformation has reviewed this information. Russian war criminals and their henchmen constantly accuse the criminal “Kyiv regime” of provocations both on the territory of Ukraine and abroad. Taking advantage of the situation that has developed on the Ukrainian-Polish border with the Poles blocking trucks, propagandists are trying to further complicate the political relations between Ukraine and Poland. Another goal of promoting the mentioned message is to reduce Western support for Ukraine.

This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular on anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports cite a video excerpt of a service woman allegedly saying “indirectly” that all women in Ukraine will soon be mobilized.

The VoxCheck analysts investigated this case and explained that the video did not contain any “hints” or information that women would soon be mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After all, propagandists interpreted the video of the fighting in their own way and put forward such a thesis. However, it is baseless and unfounded - no legislative initiatives that would regulate mobilization “everywhere” simply exist in Ukraine.

Using a reverse search, experts found the video that the anonymous telegram people referred to in their messages: it was published on the telegram channel of the airborne assault troops. It talked about Iryna Tokarchuk, a doctor at the medical center of the airborne assault troops. She voluntarily joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; in the video she did not call for joining the army, but only explained her position on why she went to serve: “The war is not in the East or the South, it is in our country. If I close my eyes, nothing will change, the war will not disappear. So I choose to walk with my eyes open”.

However, there is no basis for interpreting the words of the doctor as indicating the impending mobilization of women. She only expressed her motivation for voluntarily joining the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In general, doctors and pharmacists must indeed register with the military from October 1, 2023, but registration with the military does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on traveling abroad. The Ministry of Health notes: registration is necessary only to summarize data on the existing reserve of doctors in the country. The travel of this category of women is unlimited. To register for military service, this category of women will have three years - until December 31, 2026.

Among other things, we recommend reading another of our documented cases, in which propagandists claimed that Ukrainian doctors and pharmaceutical workers were supposedly “escaping” from Ukraine en masse through the so-called mobilization.

Self-proclaimed colonel, collaborator and war criminal Eduard Basurin claims that “denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine continues”. In general, the Russian leadership and propagandists are promoting the message that the so-called “special operation” is constantly ongoing, and all its goals will certainly be achieved.

Experts from the Center for Countering Disinformation drew attention to this repeated mantra. For example, Volodymyr Putin announced the two above-mentioned goals of the SVO on February 24, 2023. Moreover, another reason for the full-scale invasion, according to him, was “the protection of the residents of Donbas”. Over time, the Kremlin has already changed entire war goals against Ukraine many times, which indicates its confusion and misunderstanding between the military-political leadership of Russia.

Read also: The main goal of the so-called “SVO” is supposedly not to seize Ukraine, but to ensure the security of Russia

This thesis was spread by pro-Kremlin media. Reports say that Ukraine seems to be using prohibited methods of warfare, in particular using prohibited weapons. They say this is stated in the Landmine Monitor 2023 report, compiled by independent experts from different countries, which was presented to the UN on November 14, 2023.

The case was studied by StopFake project specialists and explained: the analysts who worked on the report reported that Ukraine began an investigation into the case of how the Ukrainian Armed Forces “used anti-personnel mines in the city of Izium and its environs in 2022, when the city was under Russian control”. The report emphasized that Ukraine then used mines against Russian military targets, but as a result, “civilians suffered”. This case in relation to Ukraine is isolated, and international experts have recorded hundreds of facts of widespread use of prohibited weapons in Ukraine by Russian occupiers.

Among other things, the document wrote that Russia, probably with the help of neighboring Belarus, is actively using anti-personnel mines in Ukraine. According to the data presented in the report, in Ukraine in 2022 there was a tenfold increase in the number of victims of anti-personnel mines compared to the year before the full-scale Russian invasion.

Russia tries to ignore cases of the use of prohibited weapons and pays attention only to Ukrainian actions - although the case of the use of an anti-personnel mine is isolated, and it was primarily used to replace a Russian military facility.

The online media of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, ArmyInform, explains that the Ottawa Convention of 1997 provides for a complete cessation of the use of non-directional anti-personnel mines, a cessation of their production and accumulation. Ukraine signed the mine ban agreement on February 24, 1999 in New York and ratified it on December 27, 2005, becoming a state party on June 1, 2006. Russia is not a party to the Convention, so it has been using them since the beginning of the war back in 2014.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media and among Russian politicians claim that it is supposedly “terrible to live” in Kherson. They say that without Russian influence the city is experiencing a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

The analysts from the StopFake project drew attention to this message. They note that the humanitarian situation in Kherson and other front-line cities of Ukraine is difficult precisely because of Russian aggression and daily shelling from Russia. It continues to attack different areas of the city, damaging civilian infrastructure and killing ordinary people. Interruptions in energy, heat and water supplies are a consequence of Russia's actions. Since the de-occupation of Kherson in November 2022, the occupiers have tried to cause maximum damage to the city and its energy system. However, it was Ukraine that made efforts to restore infrastructure and support the local population. The StopFake specialists claim that there are many shops in the city, humanitarian aid distribution points and programs to support the local population.

By spreading such messages, propagandists want to devalue Ukraine’s efforts and shift responsibility for Russia’s crimes from the aggressor to the victim of aggression. Detector Media has repeatedly refuted other fabrications of Russian propaganda regarding the situation in Kherson.

This information is promoted by Spiridon Kilinkarov, a former Ukrainian politician, a traitor to Ukraine. He is hiding in Russia and speaking on Kremlin propaganda channels. In his opinion, Russia’s aggression is justified because it guarantees the country’s security. Kilinkarov argues that we are not talking exclusively about new territories for Russia, but about the exhaustive implementation of the assigned tasks for the Russian army.

The experts from the Center for Countering Disinformation examined this case. It turns out that by spreading such a message, the traitor makes Russia a victim of circumstances. They say that Russia must defend itself from NATO and the collective West, and therefore is forced to resort to armed confrontation on neutral territory, in Ukraine, playing ahead. A similar version of the reason for the full-scale invasion was voiced by the self-proclaimed President of Belarus Oleksandr Lukashenko: Russia launched a “preventive strike” because Ukraine was allegedly planning an attack on Belarus.

Russian media are spreading information that the West is planning to carry out a coup in Ukraine and wants to deprive Zelenskyi of power. The authors explain: on November 1, 2023, the British edition of The Economist “not without reason” published an article by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi and an interview with him - supposedly the West is trying to show its commitment to Zaluzhnyi, and not to Zelenskyi. After all, on October 30, 2023, the American magazine Time dedicated the cover of its new issue and an article to the Ukrainian president. “No one believes in our victory as much as I do. The lonely struggle of Volodymyr Zelensky”,  said the cover. In fact, the authors of the propaganda correspondence explain that the West is hinting at the “mediocrity” of the Ukrainian president.

Specialists from the EU vs Disinfo project investigated the case and explained that this is a typical conspiracy theory that has no confirmation. Such theses are aimed only at undermining the authority of Zelenskyi, who is allegedly losing the support of the West. And nothing indicates that Zaluzhnyi’s interview once shows the West’s “favor” for the commander-in-chief.

Detector Media analysts analyzed materials from The Times and The Economist - one  can read about it here. In short, the article about Zelenskyi contains manipulative signs, because “all betrayal goes through the stamp of anonymity”. And Russian propaganda  really gloated about this, explaining by this the so-called incompetence of the Ukrainian president.

This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that a shipment of humanitarian medical aid, namely anesthesia drugs, was allegedly delivered to Ukraine; their expiration date has supposedly expired. The authors of the reports claim that due to the use of expired drugs, “in one day in Dnipro, 12 people died after anesthesia”. And in Kharkiv, five deaths seem to have been registered as a result of using the drug.

Analysts from the StopFake project took up the case and explained: the authors of the fake publication did not provide any confirmation regarding the information about the expired batch of humanitarian aid medicines. However, experts suggest that the basis for creating this stuff was the situation in Dnipro, when in one of the clinics, after planned operations, 11 patients ended up in intensive care. According to the regional prosecutor's office, one of the patients, an 11-year-old boy, died. The State Service of Ukraine for Medicines and Drug Control then reported that patients suffered a severe adverse reaction to medications used during surgical interventions. Doctors were unable to save two patients.

However, this case has nothing to do with the import of low-quality medicines into Ukraine through humanitarian aid. The civil service has temporarily banned the sale and use of several batches of medications that are likely to have caused severe adverse reactions during operations. The pre-trial investigation is currently ongoing.

By speculating on this situation, propagandists seek to demonstrate that in Ukraine as a state, supposedly, no one is interested and even partner countries are ready to supply expired medicines. At the same time, the authors hint at the contrived inability of the Ukrainian healthcare system to conduct audits of supplied medicinal products. After all, this is how the Kremlin’s henchmen nurture mistrust of Ukraine among consumers of disinformation.

Read our other documented case: Ukrainian soldiers allegedly suffer from HIV en masse because they are offered free testing.

This thesis was spread by pro-Kremlin media. The reports say that Ukraine does not care about the medical field and it is gradually “declining” - and then epidemics of various diseases will soon begin. They wrote that outbreaks of hepatitis A were already allegedly observed in five Ukrainian cities and recognized that this was an epidemic. They also refer to the statement of the general director of the Kyiv City Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Serhii Chumak, who stated a high probability of a measles outbreak in Ukraine in 2023.

Analysts of the VoxCheck project analyzed this case and explained that in the 2024 budget, funding for medicine, on the contrary, was increased, and the highlighted facts about measles and hepatitis A contain manipulations or lies.

For example, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine actually reported an outbreak of hepatitis A in Vinnytsia. But the situation was defined as an emergency at the regional level; there was no talk of an epidemic at all. And, as experts explained, cases of hepatitis A are recorded in Ukraine every year - this is a seasonal disease that most often spreads in the cold season. The disease is usually spread by unwashed hands or by using or drinking contaminated water.

As for a possible measles outbreak, Serhii Chumak actually talked about it. In general, the disease is cyclical, and the last outbreaks were recorded in 2018-2019. Over the nine months of 2023, 46 people fell ill with measles in Ukraine - this figure is four times more than was recorded for the entire 2022. Analysts note that the risk of an outbreak is not due to a lack of funding or doctors, but to the low level of measles vaccination.

Russian Foreign Ministry representative Mariia Zakharova is promoting the narrative that turbulence in Ukraine is growing, and that election campaigns are even starting to gain power in the country. Officials and those in power allegedly do not take into account ordinary Ukrainians, many of whom are on the brink of survival, and think only about their own benefit.

This message was recorded by the Center for Countering Disinformation. Such statements from a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry are nothing more than an attempt to root the opinion in Ukrainian society about internal conflicts among the top leadership of Ukraine. On the other hand, propaganda resources continue to discredit the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and refer to the statement about the inappropriateness of elections in Ukraine under martial law. Finally, the enemy aims to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt among the Ukrainian society regarding the possible course of action in the country, using one of the propaganda tactics.

Florian Philippot, the leader of the French Patriots party, said on a social network that, by refusing to hold presidential elections in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi allegedly staged a coup. They say this is due to the fact that citizens probably would not re-elect him.

Analysts from The Insider project drew attention to this message. They note that Filippot is the leader of a Eurosceptic party that has not done well in elections. He is already known for his speeches with anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, and his theses are actively disseminated by Russian media.

The very idea of a coup d’etat is that Zelenskyi adheres to Ukrainian laws prohibiting elections during martial law. Analysts of The Insider note that the chances of Zelenskyi’s hypothetical defeat in the elections are difficult to consider as a high one, since he remains the most popular politician in the country. For example, the results of a survey by the PolitiKum telegram channel indicate Zelenskyi’s electoral rating at 45%. According to data from the Razumkov Center published in October, the president's trust rating is now the highest in the country - 75%.

Propagandists spread such statements in order to personally discredit the President of Ukraine. Detector Media has repeatedly refuted other Russian accusations against Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

This thesis was spread on social networks in the Russian segment. Reports say that female doctors are leaving Ukraine en masse for the temporarily occupied territories. In support of this thesis, a video is cited: a recording of a telephone conversation with a so-called doctor, a woman, from the Lviv region, who allegedly wants to go to temporarily occupied Mariupol and is looking for an apartment to live in. The authors argued that the woman allegedly received a draft notice and therefore she wanted to leave.

Analysts from the VoxCheck project dealt with this case. They explained that female doctors and pharmacists should indeed register with the military from October 1, 2023, but registration with the military does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on traveling abroad. The Ministry of Health notes: registration is necessary only to summarize data on the existing reserve of doctors in the country. The travel of this category of women is unlimited.

Therefore, most likely, the video is staged. After all, women are not mobilized in Ukraine  although the heroine of the video, during a telephone conversation, used the argument about mobilization as one of the main reasons for her irresistible desire to “escape” from Ukraine. In addition, this video is distributed only in the Russian segment of social networks. Experts cited other points from the telephone conversation:

For example, a woman said that she was only interested in an apartment in a new building and thus hinted that Russia was rebuilding Mariupol - a city that the occupiers really destroyed to the ground. Read in our Newspeak section how Moscow actually “rebuilds”  captured and destroyed cities and villages, calling them “a piece of paradise”.

Of course, it is almost impossible to verify the authenticity of the recording of a telephone conversation, since we can only refute the facts listed during the conversation. And this information includes false facts that, most likely, the Kremlin can use for its own purposes. For example, spread panic among Ukrainian women.

This thesis was spread on social networks in the Russian segment. Reports say that in fact, all current wars are the result of the US aggressive policy in the world. And they explain that the reason for the Russian-Ukrainian war, as well as the Israeli war against Hamas, is the White House, which seeks to create “zones of instability” and sow discord.

Analysts from the EU vs Disinfo project took up the case and explained that this is a typical conspiracy theory of Russian propagandists. So they are trying to absolve themselves of responsibility for military aggression, explaining it by external influences. The authors convince us that most often, peaceful people who suffer from “external control” pay taxes “God knows where”, are zombied by “Western values” and have literally lost the right to be heard. That is, they show that such an “impact” is not good and leads to stagnation in all spheres of people’s lives. To strengthen their argument, they add information about Israel's war with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Accordingly, the war in Israel was caused by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Consequently, the Kremlin benefits from aggravation in the Middle East, because it distracts attention from what the Russian army is doing in Ukraine.

Let us recall that the Institute for the Study of War's statement as of October 7 said that the Kremlin is using the Hamas attack on Israel for information operations aimed at weakening support for Ukraine by the United States and other Western partners.

Pro-Kremlin media are disseminating information that the summit regarding the Ukrainian Peace Formula in Malta allegedly became a failure for Ukraine. Russian propaganda refers to an article by Bloomberg. It is not true.

The case was examined by the fact-checkers from the Center for Strategic Communications and the BezBrekhni (No Lies) project. In fact, at the summit held in Malta, working groups were created on practical issues. Moreover, thanks to the help of Qatar, several Ukrainian children have already been returned home.

The Center for Countering Disinformation notes that the number of countries that took part in the summit in Malta increased from 15 (at the negotiations in Copenhagen) and 42 (in Jeddah) to 66 states and international organizations. The summit was attended by representatives of the USA, EU, UK, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil and India. That is, it destroys the Russian myth about Ukraine losing the support of the Global South.

Moreover, at the summit for the first time it was possible to adopt a document in which, as a result of these meetings, the intention to convene a Global Summit at the level of the leaders of the countries participating in the Peace Formula was confirmed. The global summit will be held to ensure that state leaders approve all the provisions of the Ukrainian peace formula.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to devalue the results of the Malta summit, discredit Western countries and promote the narrative that Ukraine needs negotiations with Putin for the sake of peace. As for Bloomberg journalists, they do not have enough information to correctly assess the results of the summit - this is what makes them advantageous for Russian propagandists.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media claim that EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell is holding an urgent European Congress in Kyiv at the end of October to “make empty promises” to the Ukrainian government. They say that he was chosen to be the caretaker of Europe, but he is not doing well in this role, since there is no unity among European leaders on the situation in Ukraine. He was allegedly appointed to this “position” at the last meeting of the Bilderberg Club, where it was determined that Europe would de facto become a US colony.

Analysts of the EUvsDisinfo project drew attention to this message. They note that it stems from conspiracy theories about the EU. In particular, the Bilderberg Club is a forum of annual meetings with a hidden agenda and list of participants. At the same time, Russian propaganda constantly portrays it as a secret world government that appeals to the theory of a “new world order”.

In response to accusations that the EU has allegedly lost sovereignty and become a vassal of the United States, project experts note that the United States is a strategic partner of the European Union in spreading peace and stability throughout the world. Together they are two of the world's greatest donors of humanitarian aid. In addition, the EU and the US have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship and the closest integration of their economies in the world.

By spreading such messages, propagandists want to divert attention from Russian aggression against Ukraine and crimes committed by Russians, as well as express their disagreement with the general position of EU countries regarding Russia’s actions. Detector Media also refuted other fakes, messages and manipulations of Russian propaganda directed against the EU.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media claim that a number of European countries, and especially Ukraine and the Baltic countries, are systematically destroying historical memory. They say that they have forgotten about the lessons of the Second World War, and they worship racist, neo-Nazi and extremist ideas.

Analysts of the EUvsDisinfo project drew attention to this message. They note that the Kremlin media repeatedly scares with the “rebirth of Nazism” in the West and “historical revanchism” against Russia. The myth of Nazi Ukraine is refuted by the fact that Nazi and communist ideologies were banned in Ukraine at the legislative level in 2015.

By spreading such messages, propagandists want to justify Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, providing a false need for “denazification”. By baselessly calling all Ukrainians Nazis, they deliberately portray Ukrainians in a negative light. Detector Media has refuted a number of fakes and manipulations using this message.

Pro-Kremlin resources claim that on the evening of October 29, mass riots at Makhachkala airport allegedly occurred as a result of information “stuffing” by telegram channels controlled from Ukraine. They allegedly announced the arrival of a flight with refugees - Israeli citizens - in Dagestan. In addition, propagandists claim that they have already established the probable involvement of Iliia Ponomariov, a former State Duma deputy under the control of the SBU, in the situation at the airport. One of their arguments is that Ponomariov even had an “interview on this topic” before.

Propagandists do not provide any evidence for their statements. They assume that a “provocation” was prepared, but for some reason their government allegedly deliberately did not notice the problem. At the same time, some opinion leaders in Russia do not condemn the actions of the Dagestanis, but rather dissociate themselves from the situation, which is another reputational blow for the Kremlin. For example, Russian blogger Yurii Podoliak says that activists behaved in a similar way on the Maidan in Kyiv. They say that everything happened according to the same method, and the participants in the riots seemed to be working for the “Kyiv regime”.

It should be noted that in this case, pro-Russian sources use one of the propaganda tactics called “scapegoat” - they make amends for the Dagestanis and shift responsibility for the events in Makhachkala to Ukraine. Previously, we wrote about how Russian propaganda uses anti-Semitic stereotypes against Ukraine.