The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council analyzed the information space and identified Russian information influence campaigns against Ukrainian refugees. Despite the fact that most of the analyzed messages are neutral in nature, a significant part of them are manipulations and disinformation aimed at discrediting Ukraine and its citizens abroad, as well as the governments and populations of European countries that have received Ukrainians.

Based on the results of the analysis, the Center identified three areas of information influence that Russia uses in the context of Ukrainian refugees:

1. Demonization of Ukrainian refugees aimed at a European audience

As part of this direction, the Russian Federation seeks to distort the perception of European citizens about Ukrainians and create the image of a Ukrainian refugee as an “ungrateful vandal-criminal”. In general, the Kremlin has made a lot of efforts to “demonize” Ukrainian refugees in the eyes of European audiences. To achieve the above goal, the Russians created and distributed a number of fake materials regarding Ukrainian refugees, which were then distributed in the English, Polish, French, German and Spanish segments of the information space. For example, a fake about Ukrainian refugees who allegedly set fire to a pharmaceutical compound in Poland.

2. Demonization of EU countries in the issue of supporting Ukrainian refugees, aimed at Russian and Ukrainian audiences

Along with the demonization of Ukrainian refugees aimed at a European audience, the Russian Federation also uses the topic of Ukrainian refugees to discredit the countries and citizens of the European Union in the eyes of Russian and Ukrainian audiences. The main goal is to “demonize” EU countries and citizens by creating an image of “unreliable” and “self-serving adherents of immoral values”. In particular, within the framework of this direction, among others, a fake was documented that the EU Council decided to deport 830 thousand Ukrainians.

3. “Russia’s position as the best refuge for Ukrainian refugees”

In addition to “demonizing” Ukrainians abroad and influencing the policies of European countries, the Kremlin is actively using the topic of Ukrainian refugees to justify the goals of the so-called SVO (military operation), demonstrating the desire of Ukrainian citizens to combine their lives with the Russian Federation. The main task is to discredit the military-political leadership of Ukraine and justify the war crimes of the Russian army on Ukrainian lands. Thus, within the framework of this narrative, for example, they spread the message that “in Europe, no one needs Ukrainian refugees, but Russia accepts them and gives them citizenship”.

Also, as part of a large-scale campaign by the Russian Federation to discredit Ukrainian refugees, the Center noticed similarities in common narratives with what the Kremlin promoted during the active phase of the civil war in Syria.