Russian Telegram channels are spreading information that Ukrainians are allegedly risking their lives en masse and registering in the frontline Pokrovsk in Donetsk region. They are doing this in order to become Russian citizens after the city is occupied. In reporting this, the propagandists refer to the corresponding words of former Ukrainian MP Ihor Mosiichuk.

However, such statements are unfounded. This is written about in the VoxCheck project. Using keywords, the project's analysts found the original interview of former MP Mosiichuk, part of which was taken by the Russians. In the video, he really says that Ukrainians are allegedly registering in Pokrovsk because they want to become citizens of Russia. He calls them “waiters” waiting for Russia to come, so that they can then receive a Russian passport and payments. At the same time, Mosiichuk calls “friends who live in Kyiv but have connections in the occupied territories” the source of this information. That is, the former MP does not have any real statistical information, but only operates on guesses. In general, there is no official data regarding Ukrainians who are registering in Pokrovsk.

It is worth noting that in Ukraine there have been cases when the SBU exposed people who were expecting occupation by Russia and spreading Kremlin propaganda, but this is not a widespread phenomenon.

Before the full-scale invasion, Pokrovsk had a population of over 82,000. After Russia stepped up its offensive in Donetsk region and the threat of occupation of the city, people began to leave, and on August 19, 2024, local authorities announced the forced evacuation of families with children. As of September 6, 2024, there were fewer than 25,000 residents in Pokrovsk. On October 4, 2024, the city council reported that about 13,000 people remained in the city.

Ihor Mosiichuk is an unreliable source, he has repeatedly spread Russian propaganda. For example, he misinformed that the irretrievable losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly exceeded 500 thousand people.