Propagandists claim on social networks that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi allegedly hid from the Russian army in bunkers for two days. They say it was impossible to reach him by phone. Russian propaganda is spreading this information with reference to a statement by former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. However, this is manipulation.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Security draws attention to it. Its specialists found out that Russian propaganda distorted Stoltenberg’s words in an interview with the FT, in which he actually spoke about communication difficulties and enhanced security measures that had to be resorted to in the first days of a full-scale invasion, when Russian troops were in close proximity to Kyiv. Commenting on Zelenskyi’s behavior after the start of the full-scale invasion, Stoltenberg admitted that he “completely underestimated” the Ukrainian president.

Propaganda is trying to present the Ukrainian president as a weak, indecisive leader who allegedly hides at critical moments rather than acts. Russian propaganda is also trying to deflect criticism of Volodymyr Putin, who is often called a bunker dictator due to his isolationist tendencies and fears for his own safety. The spread of fake information about Zelenskyi aims to remove this image from Putin and reduce the severity of criticism directed at him.