#DisinfoChronicle. Kremlin disinformation about the military offensive in Ukraine

#DisinfoChronicle. Kremlin disinformation about the military offensive in Ukraine

25 Лютого 2022
18928

#DisinfoChronicle. Kremlin disinformation about the military offensive in Ukraine

18928
Detector Media collects and documents real-time chronicles of the Kremlin disinformation about the Russian invasion. Ukraine for decades has been suffering from Kremlin disinformation. Here we document all narratives, messages, and tactics, which Russia is using from February 17th, 2022. Reminder: the increasing of shelling and fighting by militants happened on the 17th of February 2022 on the territory of Ukraine. Russian propaganda blames Ukraine for these actions.
#DisinfoChronicle. Kremlin disinformation about the military offensive in Ukraine
#DisinfoChronicle. Kremlin disinformation about the military offensive in Ukraine
16.05.2022
Fake. Ukrainian nationalists are shelling Kherson.

Russian propaganda media spread information that after Kherson was occupied by Russian troops, the AFU began "continuously shelling" the city. Such reports add that Russian air defenses "protect" civilians. Kherson, and the shelling of Ukrainians is also carried out from the direction of Nikolaev, in particular, spread such information by the propaganda website Ukraina.ru and calls such actions the point of no return, saying that this is done to scare the region, which is ready to cooperate with the Russians.

However, the Ukrainian army is not shelling temporarily occupied Kherson. According to StopFake, information about heavy explosions in the city center on May 12 was not confirmed by local media, nor was any evidence provided by Russian journalists. At the same time, the Russian army continues shelling the Kherson region, particularly with phosphorus shells, as do convoys of civilians trying to leave the occupied territories. Read more.
16.05.2022
Fake. The UN confirmed that the Ukrainian military is destroying schools in Ukraine.

According to StopFake, Russian media have decided on a massive campaign to manipulate new United Nations data on the safety situation of Ukrainian children at war. "The pro-Kremlin media, distorting UN information, claimed that the organization allegedly "has in its possession data on the use by Ukrainian fighters of buildings of children's educational institutions for military purposes. The agitprop claims that "as a result of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" there are a huge number of destroyed schools in the country" In fact, the UN did not talk about the destruction of Ukrainian military schools. Read more.
15.05.2022
Fake. The Russians listen to the conversations of Ukrainians because of the antennas installed on the houses, so they need to be dismantled.

This information is spread by users of social networks. In particular, in Volyn groups and telegram channels. In such messages, Volyn residents are urged to report the antennas as in the photo to urgently dismantle them, because they seem to be communication retransmitters for the occupants, through which target instructions were transmitted to aircraft in Kiev at the beginning of the war. To such information they add photos of the devices, which should be destroyed. However, none of this is true. As the fact-checkers of the Brekhunets project write, citing data from the SBU of the Volyn region, such information is a fake. "This is a fake. Advise your neighbors and acquaintances to use official sources of information," the SBU noted.
15.05.2022
Message. Ukraine will never be accepted into the European Union.

Such a thesis is actively spread by Russian propagandists. In particular, one of the mouthpieces of the Kremlin, Vladimir Solovyov. "Ukraine will most likely never join the EU, the European "partners" have once again abandoned this country. Even if Ukraine becomes a candidate for EU membership, its chances of actually becoming a member of the union are very small. European leaders do not need Ukraine as part of the European Union," Solovyov stated. In these kinds of appeals, he quotes French President Macron at the conference on the future of Europe at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on May 9. Then Macron said that Ukraine's accession to the EU may take dozens of years, and therefore he suggested creating some new format of cooperation with the countries that are close to the European Union in spirit, but not part of it. As the fact checker of the Brekhunets project writes, Macron did make such a statement, but he also added that "by its struggle and its courage, Ukraine is already a member of Europe and the Union". And he sees the prospect of creating a new "European political community", including welcoming Ukraine, in particular in parallel with the procedure of accession to the EU, which could last "dozens of years". These words do not say that Ukraine is not wanted in the EU and will never get there, but Russian propaganda benefits from spreading this thesis once again, indicating that no one needs Ukraine except Russia, which seeks to "liberate" it from the awful. influence of the United States and European Union countries, which only use it.
15.05.2022
Fake. Eurovision spokeswoman Ida Novakowska "bent" during the live broadcast to announce the results.

Russian propagandists and various anonymous telegram channels spread information that Ida Novakowska, the spokeswoman for Eurovision from Poland, allegedly used a Nazi salute during the announcement of the evaluations by the Polish jury. In particular, information about Ida Novakovskaya's use of the so-called zig appeared on the channel of Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov. The Nazi salute in the Third Reich consisted of raising one's right hand and shouting "Long live Hitler!" (German: Heil Hitler!). The hand was raised at an angle of 45 degrees with the palm straightened: among the higher ranks - half-bent, ordinary and before the senior rank - fully straightened. However, Ida Novakovska did not use the Nazi salute, but raised her hand to show the V sign - Victoria, which symbolizes victory or peace, and shouted "Glory to Ukraine". The presenter also had a yellow and blue ribbon attached to her clothes, the permission to use which was previously agreed with the Eurovision spokesperson and spokespersons with the organizing committee of the contest. However, it is advantageous for Russian propagandists, and in particular Solovyov, to remind their audience once again that Ukrainians are Nazis, and that those countries that support Ukraine are Nazis.
15.05.2022
Message. Ukraine should have been disqualified for the performer's political statement, and Europe played along.

Russian propaganda levels Ukraine's victory in the Eurovision song contest and points to the bias of Europe. The words "Please help Mariupol, help Azovstal, right now!" said by the soloist of the band Kalush Orchestra are considered by the Russians as a political slogan, which, according to the rules of the contest, leads to the disqualification of the participant. At the same time, the organizers of the contest noted that the uncoordinated statement was more of a humanitarian nature; this decision was also preceded by a similar statement by "UA: Public service broadcasting". Slogans in support of Ukraine were also voiced by other artists, in particular representatives of Georgia and Iceland.
15.05.2022
Fake.The countries that did not vote at Eurovision 2022 will be excluded from NATO and the EU.

Propagandist Solovyov published such "news", referring to Bloomberg. Recall the performances of the artists from 25 countries were evaluated by the jury and the audience of 40 countries. The national jury evaluated the performances even before the final concert, after the last rehearsal of the artists. The maximum 12 points were given to Ukraine by the jury of only 5 countries and spectators from 28 countries. Among them, there are countries that are not members of the EU or NATO, such as Australia and Azerbaijan. The TV audience vote takes place after all the artists' performances; each committed vote costs the viewer money. Ukraine scored a record 439 viewer points, according to Bloomberg. And the publication referred to by the propagandist is not on the pages of the publication. Which countries voted for Ukraine you can read here.
14.05.2022
Manipulation. Britain deports Ukrainian refugees to Africa.

Russian media write that the British authorities, which is "the main beneficiary of the long and destructive confrontation with Russia for Ukraine," intend to deport all refugees from Ukraine to eastern Africa, to Rwanda.

"This possibility is linked to a new asylum policy that allows for the deportation of refugees to former British colonial countries like Rwanda (a country in East Africa - Ed.)," propagandists wrote.

The information that Ukrainian refugees arriving in Great Britain will be sent to Rwanda is a manipulation.

In order to suppress smuggling routes across the English Channel, the UK can expel to Rwanda people who arrived in the country illegally, failed to pass British security checks or made unnecessary secondary movements from countries that are considered safe. Currently, there are two safe and legal routes for refugees from Ukraine to enter the UK - the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Home for Ukraine Scheme. Read more.
14.05.2022
Fake. Zelensky's decree forcing women to "support by all means and forces the spirit of men deterring military aggression in Ukraine.

The fake "Decree on amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine and based on the interests of the state regarding the support of relations between men and women", which allegedly supplies all women living in Ukraine to yield to any principles, "to enter into intimacy" and meet the different needs of men deterring military aggression in Ukraine, is spreading in social networks.

Despite the absurdity of the wording, the document contains a number of gross errors in the text, writes StopFake.



This suggests that the document has not been verified and cannot be considered official. As the lawyer of the Institute of Mass Information Roman Golovenko notes, the official decrees of the President of Ukraine should always have a number (which is not present in this document). Also, the date of the decree indicated in the document (March 15, 2022) does not correspond to the date of the Law of Ukraine, to which it allegedly refers (March 18, 2022). That is, it appears that the Decree was signed before the Law came into force. The document also contains a reference to criminal liability for failure to comply with the Presidential Decree, which in fact does not exist. Additionally, Roman Golovenko notes that the term "adultery" is not mentioned in the Family Code of Ukraine at all.
14.05.2022
Disclosure. Fraudsters are trying to steal payment card data - through the resource "TSN" offer monetary aid from the UN.

The government emergency response team of Ukraine CERT-UA, which operates under the State Special Communications Agency, warns of a new fraudulent scheme. A fraudulent page was found in Facebook, which imitates the resource of the TV channel "TSN". On the page offers to take part in a survey. To do this, you have to click on the link and allegedly receive "monetary aid as part of the UN social program". Later the user will be asked to provide personal information and make an additional payment.

As a result, the payment card data will be compromised.

The State Special Communications Agency cautions:

1. Never enter payment card details on unfamiliar and suspicious websites. Set control over movements of funds (activate SMS-informing, set transaction limits).

2. If the data of payment card were entered erroneously on the fraudulent website, block the payment card immediately using mobile application, bank hotline (the phone number is indicated on the back of the card) or via internet-banking.

3. Remember to always follow the basic rules of cyber hygiene.

In April, fraudsters used a similar scheme. Then they pretended to be the popular TV channel Ukraine 24 and used the theme of financial aid from EU countries.
14.05.2022
Fake. 44 residents of Izyum, whose bodies were recently recovered from under the rubble of a house, died as a result of shelling by the AFU.

This is the lie spread by Russian propagandists. This was reported on Facebook by the deputy mayor of Izyum, Kharkiv region Volodymyr Matzokin.

"Advice to Russian propagandists: if you are already molding fakes, at least try not to use the recipe of g...na. According to the official data of the General Staff of the AFU, Izyum was occupied on April 1, 2022. Occupied by Rashist troops. So what's April 9? Let me give you a hint, the destruction of multi-story buildings on Khlebozavodskaya and Pervomaiskaya Streets took place on March 8-9, 2022. It was done by the barbarians of the Russian army during the capture of the city. About 60 people died and 44 were found. Attempts by such fake reports to destroy the truth will lead to nothing but punishment," Matzokin wrote.

In the story of Russian propagandists on camera speaks a resident of Izyum Serhiy Shtanko, born in 1989. The gray-haired 33-year-old man notes that windows and doors in the house flew out first after the shelling, and that on April 9 at 9 a.m. a tank seemed to have fired and hit the slab. When asked from behind the frame: "Whose side was the beating? From the side of the AFU or Russia?" Shtanko answers: "They were beating from the side of the hunting store, which is 200 meters away. I do not know who was beating them. Both of them could have done it. But ... it was our guys who were beating.

According to him, a total of seven people escaped from the house.

Izyum mayor's office believes that Shtanko was forced to give such an interview under the threat of death.

Beginning March 6, the Russians began intensive shelling and airstrikes on Izyum, destroying the entrances of multi-story buildings and destroying all infrastructure. Izyum has been under Russian occupation for a second month. On May 10, in the temporarily occupied city of Izyum, the bodies of 44 civilians were found dead in the rubble of a five-story building. Among the dead, there are two families of five and two others of three.
14.05.2022
Manipulation. Kyiv intends to mobilize 1 million people.

Pro-Kremlin media outlets, including Ria Novosti, have spread a commentary by the ambassador of the so-called "LNR" in Russia, Rodion Melnik, that Ukraine plans to mobilize 1 million people for war with Russia. Rodion Melnyk, former general director of the Luhansk regional state television and radio company, a Party of Regions regional council deputy and deputy head of the so-called "LNR," called Ukrainians "underdogs" back in 2012 after reading Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov's Facebook post that the war was entering a protracted phase and decided to show his talent as a "diplomat" by twisting words about Ukraine's alleged plan to mobilize 1 million people.

"The U.S. and allies raised the stakes in the agreement, Kiev needs to raise its share - 1 million soldiers! The agreement called 'war in Ukraine' was made from several sides - the US&UK and others. give weapons, ammunition and money for survival, while Ukraine invests in 'live goods' - will supply cannon fodder," Melnik's words were spread by a number of pro-Russian media outlets.

Oleksii Reznikov noted that tectonic changes have occurred since the beginning of the war and processes have been launched that, with the help of international partners, will ensure the increase of Ukraine's defense potential. In this context, his statement about one million military.

"This applies to both procurement and production of the necessary. We are focused on the need to provide one million people who will overcome the enemy," Reznikov shared Verkhovna Rada deputy Galina Tretyakova explained on Facebook that "we are not talking about mobilization, but about a strategic reserve."

"The state is oriented to the needs for one million troops. Oriented, not mobilized - postpone panic!", - commented a representative of the Odessa OVA Serhii Bratchuk. By the beginning of the war the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was about 250 thousand. According to Ukrainian law, it cannot exceed 261,000 people, including 215,000 servicemen. The law states that during a special period this number may be increased by reservists and mobilized soldiers. On February 25, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization. On 3 March, he signed the law on general mobilization adopted by the parliament. Roman Gorbach, head of the personnel department of the staff of the command of the Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that the mobilization in Ukraine will continue until May 24, now it is carried out at a slower pace, as its indicators are 100% fulfilled. "Mobilization was announced for three months, and its extension will depend only on the operational situation in the combat ranks. This applies to both officers and soldiers," he said..
14.05.2022
Manipulation. The ancestors of the French, Spaniards, Turks and Jews came from Ukraine, and the formation of the Ukrainian nation goes back 140,000 years.

On May 12, Vassily Nebenzya, permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and the UN Security Council, came to the meeting with a Ukrainian 8th grade geography textbook and gave a lesson in manipulation about "Nazi Ukraine," which was spread by the pro-Kremlin media. He allegedly read a passage from the textbook that "the ancestors of the French, Spanish, Portuguese, Turks and Jews came from Ukraine." "Since the ancestors of the French are Gauls , they came from Galicia in Ukraine, and you know that, according to the textbook author, Ukrainians and Poles have a Slavic origin, and Russians have an Ugro-Finnic origin?" said the Russian.

The manipulation is that the textbook clearly states that this is one theory, not a statement. It assumes that the Indo-European language group may have originated in the modern territory of Ukraine and then dispersed to other territories. The textbook goes on to say that closeness of language does not always mean closeness of genetic origin of peoples or their races. What Nebendzya is silent on.

Vasily Nebenzya also read a 7th grade history textbook on Ukraine, which seems to say that "the formation of the Ukrainian people goes back 140,000 years." "History of Ukraine. From Ancient Times to the 15th Century" begins with the section "The Most Ancient People", where it is noted that "on the modern territory of Ukraine ancient man appeared about 150 thousand years ago" and further it goes on about the Stone, Copper Stone (Neolithic), Bronze and Iron periods.

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Sergey Kislitsa poked fun at Vasily Nebenzia. At the end of his speech he broke the news to the Russian delegation: "The evidence shows that all modern humans descended from the African population of Homo sapiens, which spread from Africa about 60,000 years ago. I am proud to be one of them.

13.05.2022
Fake. Ukraine infected people in the occupied part of Luhansk Region with tuberculosis using fake rubles.

The Russian Defense Ministry comes up with more and more series of series about "biological weapons" and "insidious" Ukrainians armed with biological weapons at briefings. This time, the Russian military took the old fake about "tuberculosis-infected leaflets" that were allegedly scattered by the Ukrainian military in 2020 over the Slavyanoserbsky district of Luhansk Region - and added new slides to it.

This fake was already refuted back in 2020: then a representative of the LNR Interior Ministry said that fake ruble banknotes were scattered near a district school, which people picked up, and during the day they became ill. The local laboratory seems to have found tuberculosis on these hundred dollar bills. The only real fact in these reports is that the Ukrainian volunteers did indeed spread the leaflets by drone - and did so regularly. The difference this time was that the texts were printed on paper that resembled ruble bills - and therefore attracted more attention from locals. Everything else is fiction: people could get sick for any reason, but tuberculosis is a disease that has a long incubation period of up to a month, so no one can catch it instantly and feel worsened within a day. You can read more refutation of this fake here. But the Radio Liberty article clearly was not read by the Defense Ministry - so they just repeated the fake about "deliberate contamination with counterfeit money" in the Luhansk region.

13.05.2022
Message. Ukraine is controlled by the West, which uses it in its own interests.

The narrative of a "weak" or "non-existent" state under foreign control has been used by Russian propagandists for many years, but these theses have been disseminated en masse since 2014. The same theses are also promoted during the war, but not only in the Russian media - they also penetrate the Western press. The VoxCheck project collected and refuted the most common theses in Italian and German publications.

Since the end of 2013, of the many messages about "external governance," there continue to be statements in the information space about a "coup d'état" in Ukraine, which the West, namely Victoria Nuland and the US State Department, has financed and artificially created. Also, conspiracy theories about "Pentagon biolaboratories" and "secret NATO bases" are promoted in the Western press, and it is constantly noted that the West is trying to "destroy the economy of Ukraine" - seemingly to prevent Ukraine from becoming a competitive state.

All of these fakes are easy to refute - for example, no one will "destroy" a competitor through its financial support, which the West constantly provides to Ukraine, and the non-existent NATO bases in Ukraine have still not been found, even by Russian propagandists who daily report on the "destruction of Ukrainian military infrastructure" while destroying schools, housing and hospitals. Read more about these fakes in VoxCheck and Detector's Mediabreakdown.

13.05.2022
Fake. Kadyrov's Foundation restored the hospital in Rubizhny.

The Kadyrovites continue to create senseless fakes. This time they "reported" that they had found and reconstructed the abandoned hospital in Rubezhnoye, which was supposedly empty due to "lack of funds and resources. They also claim to have rebuilt and staffed it with funds provided by Ramzan Kadyrov's mother's fund - and they thank her and Kadyrov for their "care." The video is being disseminated by the propaganda media and by telegram channels.



This fake was immediately refuted by Sergei Gaidai, head of the Luhansk OVA - he wrote that the video the Kadyrovites are boasting about is of the infectious disease regional department, which before the war was the best in the region. He also added that the Russian military is removing equipment from the department, although they promise to make a hospital there.

You don't have to be an investigator to see that this is just another staging: the department has been renovated in a way that cannot be done in two days, there are Ukrainian medicines everywhere, which clearly were not bought by the Kadyrov Foundation, and the invaders themselves pose against a board with a sign in Ukrainian saying that the hospital was restored with help from the UN and the Japanese government.

13.05.2022
Fake. Russia is at war against the descendants of the Nazis in Europe.

Russian propaganda has taken the narrative about "European politicians with Nazi descendants" out of the closet and is actively promoting it on social networks, mostly in European languages. Recent publications referred only to the grandfather of Polish President Andrzej Duda Michal, who was supposedly a friend and associate of Stepan Bandera (which would prove the Nazi connections of Duda) - but it is a ridiculous fake: propagandists could not even find the real name of the Polish president's grandfather - in fact his name was Aloise.



Now the same fakes are spread about the grandfathers of three key German politicians - but German fact-checkers from the Correctiv project proved, that all these claims are false: the grandfather of Chancellor Olaf Scholz was not Fritz von Scholz, Wehrmacht General Gerhard Lindner is not the grandfather of Finance Minister Christian Lind Obergruppenführer SS Hartmann Lauterbacher is not the grandfather of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. As the investigators write, the source of these fakes is a single person - "Putin's cook" Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose fictions were quoted by the press service of his company Concord.

All these fakes are part of a propaganda campaign against Ukraine and Europe to prove to Russians that the Russian army is liberating the world from Nazism.

13.05.2022
Manipulation. Ukrainian refugees beat a Pole to death.

Russian propaganda media and telegram channels spread claims that Ukrainian refugees killed a Pole. The Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council writes, that there is no mention of this case in the Polish media. However, the killing of a man in the center of Warsaw on May 8 was widely reported in the national and local Polish media. The man tried to fend off women and then killed in a group of people. A video of the murder, where the Russian and Ukrainian words of the person recording the video can be heard, is being circulated on social media.

Warsaw police are now investigating the case and are not releasing information, but prosecutors have already said, that at this point the investigation has no evidence that "any foreigners" were involved in the murder.

13.05.2022
Fake. Ukraine exports state grain reserves to Poland..

Once again, Russian propaganda media and telegram channels spread fakes about the "artificial creation of hunger" in Ukraine because of the actions of the West. This time they are using a fake spread by Ilya Kiva, a former Verkhovna Rada deputy: he claims that "Ukraine is exporting state grain reserves to Poland" supposedly because "Ukraine has been written off as a state.

In fact, about 25 million tons of grain to be sold for export are blocked at Ukrainian ports because of Russian aggression in the Black Sea. This is as much as Ukraine sold grain during 4 months of last year. The Europeans suggested a way out: to export grain by rail to Poland and transport it by ships from the Baltic Sea. So now the grain is simply exported for sale - no treason and "writing off the country". Strategic grain reserves remain in the country and the government of Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it is enough to meet the needs of Ukrainians.

Read more about the grain and export situation in Ukraine here.

13.05.2022
Manipulation. Senator Rand Paul blocked $40 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine because of the "humanitarian binge.

Telegram channels controlled by Russian intelligence are spreading the thesis that Kentucky Senator Paul Rand blocked a bill to allocate $40 billion to Ukraine, ostensibly because the West "sawed off" humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The thesis is also spreading that the West is tired of the war in Ukraine, so it has only started to pay lip service to the country - but will in fact block real aid to the Ukrainians.

This is manipulation. First, there is no doubt, that $40 billion will be allocated to Ukraine – Senator Rand did not block, but only delayed the vote for the bill. The U.S. media is confident, it will be voted on next week.

Secondly, Rand's proposal to amend the bill to create additional control over how that money is spent in Ukraine will not be accepted, political analysts and politicians in the US are sure: in general they consider such a mechanism useful, but it will take more time to develop, and Ukraine needs help as soon as possible. And one last thing: Rand has many times slowed down the adoption of any decisions in the Senate, adding his own amendments to the bills at the time. This has involved not only Ukraine, but also bills on sanctions against Russia, preventing a federal government shutdown, the U.S. defense budget, and enhancing the security of judges and their families. His position is related solely to the internal political struggle in the U.S.

12.05.2022
Fake. Ukrainian special services are preparing provocations in Dnipro.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, Russian propaganda again began actively spreading disinformation about alleged "provocations by the Ukrainian special services. "This time the enemy threw nonsense into the information field that in the Dnieper "the SBU obliged the chief doctors of regional medical institutions to take the bodies of women and children who died from accidents and diseases to the Mechnikov Hospital. Like, that they were planned to be taken to one of the city's social facilities, where a Russian air raid would be simulated. As we can see, the cynicism of enemy propaganda is off the charts.There is no point in seriously commenting on another fiction, because the reason for such statements is obvious - Russia is trying to absolve itself of responsibility for war crimes reported in the department.

The SBU adds that it is the Russian military that regularly shells peaceful Ukrainian towns, kills civilians, rapes women in the occupied territories, takes children to "filtration camps" and tortures men.
12.05.2022
Disclosure. Russian hackers are sending out dangerous emails with the subject line "About a revenge action in Kherson!".

As reported by the government response team to computer emergency events in Ukraine CERT-UA, a grouping associated with the Russian Federal Security Service UAC-0010 (Armageddon ) carries out a new cyber attack As stated in the message, the hackers are sending dangerous emails with the theme "About the action of revenge in Kherson!", which contain attachments in the form of a file "Plan Kherson.htm".

If a person opens the file, a new file is created on the victim's computer - "Herson.rar" with the shortcut "Plan of approach and laying explosives on critical infrastructure facilities in Kherson.lnk". And as an end result, the GammaLoad.PS1v2 malware is downloaded. The UAC-0010 (Armageddon) hacker group is among those that have been actively attacking our country's critical information infrastructure since the beginning of Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. During cyber attacks, hackers use topics that are painful for Ukrainians. There have also been cases of cyber attacks by this group against EU countries," the State Security Service reported.
12.05.2022
Fake. Germany has begun the procedure for filtering Ukrainian refugees.

Information about this began to spread actively in social networks. Such messages spread a video in which a man states that Germany has finally started filtering refugees from Ukraine, and that now they will have to report all of their property. And if, for example, the value of the car will exceed 7,500 euros, in which case it will have to sell it and live on these funds, or the Ukrainians will face criminal liability for concealing information.

According to StopFake, the video has already garnered millions of views from both Meta and TikTok. However, such a claim is not true. According to StopFake, Germany does not do any filtering of Ukrainian refugees. "Still Germany accepts all refugees from Ukraine. Ukrainians do not have to apply for asylum, but they are given temporary protection, which includes all social benefits under Article 24 of the Residence Act. After registration with the authorities, this protection will be valid for one year and can be extended up to three years," the fact checkers wrote.Read more
12.05.2022
Message. The generals of the Ukrainian army have British and American passports and receive salaries from the governments of these countries.

The other day the propaganda publication "Komsomolskaya Pravda" published an article with the title "What is the secret of the Ukrainian army". In the text the author Sergey Markov allegedly tries to analyze why the Ukrainian army gives a decent fight to the Russian - "one of the strongest in the world". That is, the Russian propaganda already admits that the Ukrainian military is able to resist Russia and tries to look for various explanations for this "phenomenon". In particular, calling the Ukrainian army an amazing and very strong combination of a Russian soldier, a fascist officer and an American general and claiming that almost the entire leadership of the Ukrainian army during 8 years of war was trained by Americans. American, British passports, as well as individual salaries that they receive there," the author of the text claims.

In fact, Ukrainian generals do not have dual citizenship and do not work for the Pentagon. In particular, General Valery Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of the AFU, a Ukrainian military officer who studied and served in Ukraine specifically, was Commander of Troops of Operational Command "North" (2019-2021), Chief of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - First Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces (2018), Chief of Staff - First Deputy Commander of Troops of Operational Command "West" (2017). Commander of the 51st separate mechanized brigade (2009-2012). In addition, the Ukrainian army has servicemen from different cities and regions of Ukraine, and they communicate both in Ukrainian and Russian. There is no reason to claim that Russian is the main language in the Ukrainian army. Thus, by claiming that Ukrainian generals are people trained and paid by the U.S., Russia tries to justify the defeat of its troops, saying that the Ukrainian army is strong only because of this.
12.05.2022
Fake. Zelensky refused to use the letters V and Z in his name.

Fake that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky refused to use two letters in the Latin transliteration of his name is spreading on the network. As proof of this fact, they add a cover of TIME magazine, in which the letter M looks like horns over a picture of the president, which was placed on the cover. Such posts add that these "horns" must be pointing to something. In fact, as Project Maldita writes, TIME magazine did not publish an issue with such a cover, and the media's editorial staff denies that they issued such an issue.

"The cover also has a title, from which it allegedly becomes clear that Vladimir Zelenski refused to use the letters V and Z in his first and last name, and the media is allegedly looking for an alternative to these letters. This fake started spreading after Lithuania, Latvia and Moldova banned using the image of letter Z in public places, because Russians use it to mark their military equipment and it is used as an element of military propaganda", fact checkers write. Read more
12.05.2022
Disclosure. Fraudsters are sending out a fake chatbot E-support.

According to the Center to Counteract Misinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, they spread a link to a fake bot online with the following text: "ATTENTION! The Center to Counteract Misinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine clarifies in which areas, according to the government decision, IDPs can receive state support". According to the Center, at the end of the message adds a link to a simulated chatbot leading to a fake "PrivatBank" page.

"We inform you, in all of its messages about payments, the Center did not provide a link to any chatbot, emphasizing that payments will be made only through the app "Action". In turn Action" no Telegram bots "Epitrumka_bot", explain in the Center.
12.05.2022
Disclosure. The Kremlin is trying to minimize the presence of the U.S.

According to StopFake, Russian media on the day of the signing of the historic decision to provide large-scale U.S. economic aid to Ukraine under the "Lend-Lease," produced only a few dry publications. Slightly more was expressed by pro-Kremlin telegram channels.

"For Russian propaganda, the very fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces received additional weapons is almost the biggest irritant. But the Kremlin does not want to talk much about the lend-lease for Ukraine. Many Russian media practically ignored this event on the day the law was signed. RBC, TASS, RT, and other propaganda media mentioned only formally, without revealing details, that Joe Biden had granted the lend-lease to Ukraine on May 9, and Vladimir Zelensky called this decision "historic." But some Russian information resources, apart from drawing historical parallels with 1941, still decided to remind their audience of the disastrous economic and even military consequences of this decision for Ukraine and its army," the fact checkers write. Earlier, Russian propaganda had already spread the idea that many future generations of Ukrainians would pay for the weapons the U.S. would bring to Ukraine under lend-lease. More details
12.05.2022
Message. The United States seeks to organize a holodomor in Ukraine.

This was stated by the Russian propaganda media, citing the words of the speaker of the State Duma of Russia Volodin. This is not the first time the politician has accused the United States of "wanting to organize a famine in Ukraine." He claims that the famine in Ukraine will come because of the US intentions to return all the grain stored in Ukraine to the world markets. He argues that "instead of real help, the U.S. only wants to take back what it needs.

First, in this way Russia again seeks to discredit Ukraine's allies in helping to wage war and supply arms. Russian propaganda benefits from spreading the thesis that the U.S. and other countries do not help Ukraine and Ukrainians in any way, but instead make things worse. Secondly, problems with grain and other food in Ukraine may arise not because of the U.S. and intentions to sell Ukrainian grain, but because of the war that Russia unleashed by destroying Ukrainian infrastructure and occupying cities. As a reminder, it recently became known, that Russian Kafirs are removing stolen food from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on a large scale. Obviously, the food problem in Ukraine could arise as a result of the actions of the Russians, not the United States.
11.05.2022
Fake. A Polish-Lithuanian contingent was introduced in Ukraine.

Russian propaganda channels spread a letter about "the introduction of a Polish-Lithuanian contingent into Ukraine," which the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly sent to the head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. This fake is part of the narrative about Poland's alleged plans to seize Ukrainian territory.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine objected that they sent a similar letter to the Border Guard Service. The administration of the State Border Service of Ukraine also said, that it had not received such a letter. The agency specified that in Ukraine such correspondence is carried out only through electronic document flow. "In addition, in the letter propagandists made a number of both grammatical errors and concerning the Ukrainian border. It is possible that the text of the content of the letter in Ukrainian was translated with the help of an online translator, - said in the State Border Service. - We consider the appearance of the falsified document in the information space to be another dirty provocation of Russian propaganda."



11.05.2022
Disclosure. In Mariupol, the occupants use the name and logo of the newspaper Priazovsky Rabochiy to spread propaganda.

Olena Kalaitan, editor-in-chief of the Priazovsky Rabochiy newspaper, reported, that the publication had temporarily stopped coming out due to the Russian occupation. However, it recently became known that along with the "humanitarian aid" in Mariupol a fresh issue of the newspaper was distributed. "Well, our editorial board predicted in advance that the occupiers would use the trust of our readers gained over the years and the authority of the "Priazovsky Rabochiy" newspaper, which we have been carefully developing, cherishing and preserving. Dear readers - I ask you not to take everything that the collaborationist authorities are now passing off as our position - the Ukrainian editorial board of "Priazovsky Rabochiy" has no line of this new-found newspaper," Kalaitan said.

11.05.2022
Manipulation. Western countries export all the grain from Ukraine while Ukrainians spend more and more money on food.

This thesis is spread by telegram channels administered by Russian special services. Russian propaganda promotes the manipulative message that the Ukrainian political top brass is enriching themselves on agribusinesses while Ukrainians are forced to consume in short supply and spend a lot of money on food. At the same time, these propagandists do not mention the fact that Russia steals and exports food from Ukraine. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, stolen grain from Ukraine can be exported to Russia, occupied Crimea and Syria (from where it can be smuggled to other Middle Eastern countries).

In fact, back in March 2022 the government banned the export of oats, millet, buckwheat, sugar, salt, rye, cattle, meat and by-products from cattle, frozen brine, etc. because of Russia's war against Ukraine. This was done to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, market stability and meet the needs of the population in critical food products. Under certain conditions (with informing the government and issuing a free license) it is possible to export: wheat and a mixture of wheat and rye (meslin), corn, domestic chicken meat, domestic chicken eggs, sunflower oil.

11.05.2022
Fake. Andrzej Duda's grandfather was a friend of Stepan Banedra.

The Russian and pro-Kremlin media have spread an old fake about Polish President Andrzej Duda, whose grandfather was allegedly Michail Duda, a friend of Stepan Banedra. These reports are, expectedly, accompanied by accusations of Nazism against the Polish leader. Mythdetector fact checkers reminded us, that Duda himself refuted this fake back in 2015. Then he said that his grandfather's name was Alojz Duda. He was a fur expert who died in 1992.

11.05.2022
Fake. Ukraine has banned journalists from publishing footage of the aftermath of missile strikes in order to hide the truth.

The Russian media is spreading a fake that in Ukraine journalists, especially foreign journalists, are banned from filming and publishing the aftermath of Russian airstrikes to allegedly conceal the truth and "prevent the spread of accurate information about what is happening in Ukraine. Russian propagandists write that this "ban" is due to the fact that foreign media footage may confirm their thesis that "the Russian military only strikes military targets. In fact, there are thousands of photos and videos online, from Ukrainian and foreign media, confirming that Russia is striking civilian infrastructure.

As for journalists: they can publish photos and videos of civilian objects 3 hours after the end of hostilities, and of military objects 12 hours later. The Ministry of Defense did ask Ukrainians not to publish photos and videos of the movement of Ukrainian equipment, faces and other military data not to report on military equipment of the AFU with reference to settlements, and not to show the consequences of Russian airstrikes live on air. Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Malyar said, that Russia monitors Ukrainian social networks, press, official pages - 80% of intelligence information is taken by the Russians from open sources. It is then used to adjust fire or select new targets for attack. Read here what exactly should not be reported and shown in the media during the war and why. . Moreover, Russian propagandists manipulate the idea that the work of foreign journalists is more restrictive than that of Ukrainian journalists. In fact - on the contrary. Read more about this here.

11.05.2022
Fake. Russia has not engaged in cyber aggression.

The Russian media and pro-Kremlin telegram channels circulated a statement from the Russian Embassy in the United States stating that Russia "was not engaged in cyber aggression. With this statement, the Russian institution tried to argue that Russian hackers attacked the KA-SAT satellite network. Recall that the kink was known back in March 2022. In fact, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel reported, that Russia carried out a cyberattack on the KA-SAT satellite network operated by Viasat on February 24, an hour before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The attack, he said, caused disruptions in communications between several government agencies, businesses and users in Ukraine, as well as affecting several EU member states.

The Russian embassy's claims that Russia allegedly uses "information and communication technologies exclusively for the benefit of the development of the world community" are blatant lies. Just before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, according to Microsoft, at least six hacker groups affiliated with the Russian Federation carried out 237 cyber attacks against Ukrainian businesses and government institutions. And in the first month and a half since the full-scale war began, Ukraine has experienced 362 cyber attacks. The Security Service of Ukraine, in its turn, reported, that the Russian special services planned to destroy the entire cyber defense of Ukraine: the night of February 24 saw the largest number of hacker attacks on Ukrainian systems.

Russia's attempts to shift responsibility to the United States, saying that it is America that is "one of the main sources of global cyberthreats" is also a manipulation. After all, Canada's Communications Security Center previously reported, that Russia, China and Iran are responsible for the majority of cyber threats against democratic processes around the world.

11.05.2022
Fake. Ukrainian saboteurs burned a warehouse with humanitarian aid in Kremenna.

This fake was spread by the Russian media, in particular, the May 9 edition of Izvestia made a story about an allegedly burnt-out train that was in the building of a sports complex in Luhansk Oblast. Although the propagandists did not specify which sports complex they were talking about, StopFake managed to identify the building in the video. It turned out that this was the Luhansk regional sports center Olimp, which burned down back on March 18 as a result of artillery shelling of the city by the Russian military. Before the temporary occupation of Kreminna by the Russian military, humanitarian aid had indeed been stored in the building. However, it had been organized by local authorities, not by Russia and its controlled fighters, as early as March 22.

More details

10.05.2022
Fake. The graves of World War II veterans were replaced in Kharkiv.

This is the claim spread by the Russian propagandists in the media and social networks. The reports, which began to be spread on 7 January, say that the graves were replaced on the eve of 9 February, so that people could not go to the wake of their relatives. However, none of this is true. According to the Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center, the photos that were used in the signatures appeared in the media earlier than the propaganda message started to spread. Їh were published in the local publication "Redpost" to illustrate that Ukrainian soldiers find such "gifts" in the abandoned territories near Kharkiv.

More details
10.05.2022
Manipulation. Since the beginning of the war, China has supported the Kremlin's actions and opposed NATO's expansion into the East.

According to the Anti-Disinformation Center, the Russian propaganda actively spreads this thesis. The messages also say that Pekin is a fierce critic of the sanctions against Russia and does not condemn Moscow. "Indeed, the Kremlin only dreams of such a partnership as the basis of a new anti-Nazi bloc against the U.S. and NATO. There is no alliance between the countries. Since the early 1980s China has followed a diplomatic policy of independent self-sufficiency and lack of alliances. Reluctance to condemn the "special operation" Russia has strained relations between China and the United States, its allies. This disrupted the supply of goods from the PRC and led to the cancellation of export orders from Chinese companies. The underlying principle of the China-Ukraine Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation states that China supports Ukraine's policy aimed at the unity of the state and its territorial integrity", the Center's statement reads.

Back in March this year, almost at the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Bloomberg agency wrote that China will rely on Russia's attempts to involve it in the war against Ukraine and will not provide substantial military and material assistance. At the same time, the Chinese government does not want to pressure Russia to end the war. But there is no reason to call China an ally of Russia in this war.
10.05.2022
Fake. Ukrainian laboratories have created a hybrid of pigs and humans.

Social media are spreading the most common fake about what is being created in the so-called Ukrainian bio-laboratories, which are allegedly funded by the United States. Russian propaganda has already spread fakes about the fact that the laboratories are producing biological weapons, in particular, infecting mosquitoes and birds that will harm Russians. Now there is a widespread fake about the so-called experimental discovery of the human hybrid with pigs. These reports are supplemented by the image of a figure in the form of a nepivludini-napivsvine, which is allegedly the result of experiments in the laboratories of Ukraine. However, as the experts of the Maldita project write, it is not true, as the photo is a work by artist Liri Mahanuko.

More details
10.05.2022
Fake. Three Ukrainian banks will pay Ukrainians two thousand hryvnias each.

This information is distributed in local anonymous telegram channels. In particular, those in Volyn and Rivne. The messages say that each user of "PrivatBank", "Monobank" and "Oshchadbank" will be paid 2,000 hryvnia. As the factchecker of the project Brekhunets write, the text adds that the aid can be received as a lump sum, and to arrange only until May 10. "They add pictures with the logos of banks to the message, which immediately attract attention. In order to "register" for the money, you need to click on the name of the bank and, of course, follow a link to another telegram channel. On the official pages of the banks, we could not find information on payments to customers of 2,000 hryvnias until May 10. The press service of PrivatBank confirmed to us that this information was untrue. By the way, we also came across identical messages in the chats of all-Ukrainian telegram channels," the fact checkers wrote.

10.05.2022
Fake. The U.S. refused to accept Ukrainian refugees.

At the beginning of May, the Conservative Movement group, in particular, published information on Facebook that the United States allegedly refused to accept Ukrainian refugees and queues of Ukrainians were already gathering at the borders, whom Washington did not care about. The reports also added that Zelensky does not respond to such actions by the U.S. However, as Myth Detector Project fact checkers write, the claim that the United States has refused to accept Ukrainian refugees is false, and the manipulation is reinforced by the fact that since April 25, the United States changed the rules for accepting refugees from Ukraine, which caused a temporary delay at the border. "Ukrainian refugees need to fill out a special application, considered on a case-by-case basis, and find a sponsor to fund their stay," the fact checkers wrote. However, this is not a refusal to accept refugees from Ukraine. As a reminder, Russia has already repeatedly spread a similar thesis that Ukrainian refugees are refused to be accepted in EU countries. In particular, in Poland and Germany. Propagandists also spread fakes about Ukrainian refugees allegedly committing crimes in those countries. Thus, by reporting that the U.S. and other countries are refusing refugees from Ukraine, Russian propaganda seeks to discredit allies in the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more.

10.05.2022
Fake. The Russian army "entered the Luhansk Oblast frontier near Popasna.

This information is spread by Russian propaganda media with reference to the Russian Ministry of Defense. However, according to Luhansk OVA chairman Sergei Gaidai, this is not true. "The Russian ministry of assassins has again reported. This time in their fantasies they "went out to the Luhansk Oblast administrative border near Popasna." Also flew to Mars and captured it. There are no victories, and from the zombie TV you need something to tell your citizens, so imagination becomes a help. Our troops withdrew from Popasna to more fortified positions. The defense is strong. There are no breakthroughs," Sergei Gaidai wrote.

10.05.2022
Message. The West uses Ukraine as "cannon fodder" to weaken Russia.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, this is the thesis spread by Russian propagandists in the media. In particular, reports say that the U.S. and its allies are trying to prolong the war in Ukraine in order to dispose of obsolete weapons and try out modern weapons in real combat conditions. "With the start of the war, 14 partner countries are providing Ukraine with the latest weapons and equipment, past armed conflicts in Syria, Libya and Afghanistan. The supply of Western weapons has significantly changed the situation on the front: the occupiers have gone on the defensive in almost all positions, and in some directions the AFU has gone on the counteroffensive. Ukraine achieved a decisive advantage over the Russians thanks to the combat capability of the army and the courage of the people," the Center reported. In fact, the war in Ukraine is being dragged on not by NATO or the US, but by Russia, which does not stop fighting and destroys Ukrainian cities, kills civilians, and hits infrastructure and residential buildings every day. Previously, Russian propaganda has repeatedly stated in various terms that Ukraine is ruled by the West and is at war with Russia because of pressure from NATO and the United States.

10.05.2022
Manipulation. Since May 9 was abolished in Ukraine, people were dispersed to their homes on that day.

Russian propaganda media once again manipulated the topic of Victory Day, which was celebrated there yesterday, May 9. According to StopFake, Russian propaganda media have once again spread a series of manipulative materials saying that the Ukrainian authorities "finally banned people from celebrating May 9," and in some regions "deliberately" imposed a curfew because of "fear" that "many people will get. May to honor the feat of the Soviet soldiers who defeated fascism." Such reports add that the Ukrainian authorities allegedly "officially cancel Victory Day and drive people home." In fact, there were no mass events in 2022 due to Russia's large-scale invasion and heightened danger of missile attacks in Ukraine. However, we are not talking about "banning Victory Day." Previously, the thesis of the abolition of May 9 was dispersed by Russian propagandists. In particular, Vladimir Solovyov reported in his telegram channel that in Ukraine they decided to cancel May 9, and in confirmation of this fact he added that the Verkhovna Rada allegedly registered a bill according to which May 8 is Memorial and Victory over Nazism Day, and May 9 is a working day. Apparently, we are talking about the bill "On amendments to some laws of Ukraine on the commemoration of the victory over Nazism in World War II," which MPs registered on April 18. The bill indeed proposes to commemorate the Day of Remembrance of all victims of Nazism during the Second World War on May 8, and to celebrate Europe Day on May 9 together with other EU countries. In fact, Ukraine is not cancelling May 9. However, this time in Ukraine, as in the past few years, they did not celebrate Victory Day, choosing to celebrate May 8 - Memorial Day.

10.05.2022
Manipulation. Poles support the introduction of troops into western Ukraine.

Russian propaganda media and telegram channels reported that many in Poland, and according to propagandists, over 50%, allegedly support the introduction of troops into Ukraine. However, only 33% are against this scenario. "It seems that Warsaw has finally decided on its intention to occupy the western part of Ukraine," the propagandists claim. However, such claims are manipulative, because the Russian media write about the introduction of troops to invade Ukraine, not about the possible participation of the Polish military in a NATO, UN or EU peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, as in fact, if, of course, such a decision is any. ever made. As StopFake writes, Polish officials have repeatedly stated that they respect Ukraine's sovereignty and support its integrity. Read more.

10.05.2022
Fake. In Ukraine, the synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was sentenced to death.

This information is disseminated by Russian propaganda media. The reports say that the entire synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was allegedly sentenced to death in Kiev. The reports also allegedly refer to a statement by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Kyrylo Budanov. However, this is not true. According to StopFake, Ukrainian intelligence released information about clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) who collaborate with Russian propagandists and occupiers, noting that all criminals will be brought to justice. However, no "death penalty" was mentioned, because the death penalty has long been abolished in Ukraine, and the maximum penalty for crimes against the territorial integrity and population of Ukraine is life imprisonment.

9.05.2022
Manipulation. An epidemic of tuberculosis has begun in the Ukrainian army.

This information is spread by the Russian media and pro-Kremlin telegram channels, citing anonymous sources who allegedly "have data" that "the level of sanitary losses from tuberculosis is more than 10% of the personnel. In 2020, Russian propagandists also spread a fake story about an epidemic among the Ukrainian military, but then the story was about COVID-19.

In fact, the Center of Public Health of the Ministry of Health does not record any increase in the number of tuberculosis cases in Ukraine in 2022. At the same time, advisor to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushenko said in early May that one case of tuberculosis had already been recorded in a filtration prison in the village of Bezimennoye, temporarily occupied by Russia. According to him, Mariupol authorities received a video from this Russian filtration prison: "People sleep on the floor. They are not provided with medical care, so the first case of tuberculosis has already been recorded among the detainees in Bezymyannyi school. One of the men held in the club in the village of Kazatskoye died because the Kafirs refused to call him an ambulance. Olexander Sluzhyvyi, head doctor of Vinnitsa regional clinical phthisiopulmonology center, told "20 Minutes" that an increase in the incidence of tuberculosis may indeed be recorded in Ukraine. According to him, there are two reasons for this: "First of all, there is a migration of population from regions where active military operations are taking place. And also during the coronavirus pandemic, less attention was paid to tuberculosis, people were isolated from being able to get to medical facilities, seek help and the like." The Counter Misinformation Center also noted that this information was not true and was created to demoralize and spread panic among the military.

9.05.2022
Manipulation. "Phoenix" and "Lugakom" received the Russian telephone code - this is a step towards integration with Russia.

This thesis was disseminated by the militant leaders Leonid Pasechnik and Denys Pushilin. The Center to Counter Disinformation reported that the codes of unrecognized mobile operators Phoenix and Lugakom, operating in the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, have indeed changed, but their subscribers cannot use their SIM cards in Russia. "Subscribers report that from "Phoenix" you can only call to Russian "MegaFon", and from "Lugakom" - only to Russian "MTS". "Phoenix and Lugakom are still unrecognized operators, with which no country, not even the Russian Federation, has signed a roaming agreement," the Center said and added that there is also no agreement between Phoenix and Lugakom.

9.05.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military is forced to fight on drugs.

Russian propaganda periodically makes news reports about Ukrainian politicians or military officers allegedly addicted to drugs. This time, the Russian media spread a fake that the Ukrainian military is allegedly forced to fight "under psychotropic drugs and narcotics," in particular to cope with fear. The Russian media's fake is based on information that pills were found at Ukrainian defenders' positions. As StopFake writes, in fact it is about a painkiller, which seems to all the military and, as doctors explain, has no narcotic effect. The head of the trauma department of the regional clinical hospital in the city of Chernivtsi Valentyn Vasilov said that in the medicine cabinet of every military man there are painkillers. "First of all, to inject such a drug and go into battle - a person does not adequately assess the situation, because he will not be able to accurately analyze and assess the situation. Soldiers would never do that, because they would not be able to recognize the danger in time, to hear the voice of the commander. Secondly, there are not many of these drugs in Ukraine and there is only one in the first aid kit. One ampoule is put in in case of very serious injuries," he explained. Read more

9.05.2022
Manipulation. NATO and Ukraine were preparing to invade Russian historical lands, so Russia gave a warning response to the aggression.

This is not the first time Russia has tried to engage NATO to "justify" its aggression against Ukraine, including civilians. This time the fake was spread by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the May 9 parade. He explained the war against Ukraine, which Russia still calls a "special operation," by saying that allegedly "NATO and Ukraine were preparing for a punitive operation in Donbass, for an invasion of Russian historical lands, including Crimea," and he mentioned "possible nuclear weapons. Ukraine." Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the Office of the President, refuted these statements: "The NATO countries were not planning to attack Russia. Ukraine was not planning to attack Crimea. The Russian military is dying, not defending its own country, but trying to occupy another. There were no rational reasons for this war other than the painful imperial ambitions of the Russian Federation."

It is noteworthy that Putin said nothing new in his speech, nor did he mention "denazification and demilitarization." Except for the parallels with World War II. The Ukrainian media recently wrote that according to Russian sociologists, most Russians do not understand the meaning of the word "denazification. According to TSN, this information is confirmed by the broadcasts of propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov: in the first program, after the start of the full-scale war, he spent about seven minutes explaining the meaning of "denazification," but in the April broadcasts Kiselyov either did not use the term at all or did it once during the program.

9.05.2022
Fake. The temple in Dubyshche was forcibly transferred to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU).

The Russian Orthodox Church spread a fake about the alleged "forced transfer" of the church in Dubyshche to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. According to the Liar Project, "Russian church propaganda calls the PCU a schismatic structure, and the legal will of the religious community is a forced transfer. In fact, the PCU is canonical and is recognized by the Orthodox Church. And the parish of the village Dubyshche decided to join the PCU on May 30 - 284 people voted "for" and 59 "against." "In addition, the text manipulates that the decision was made by the residents of the village, not the church community. Thus, Russian church propaganda denies the right to the will of the church founders - the people who through their donations have joined in the construction of the church and its functioning, who have the right to use the services of the church," writes "Liar".

Read more about the role of the Russian church on the occupation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine here. Recall, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate Kirill supports the war against Ukraine. Previously, he had already spread a fake that Russia "never attacked anyone." By the way, for such statements Instagram marked the fake post of a supporter of Russian aggression against Ukraine, singer Nikolai Baskov.

9.05.2022
Manipulation. Russia cancelled the aerial portion of the May 9 parade because of weather conditions.

This is the claim that Russian propagandists go around to explain that there was no air part of the parade on May 9 in 2022. In fact, there were bad "weather conditions" on May 9 before, but Russia made up its mind by "airing" thousands of millions of rubles. The Center to Counter Misinformation reminded that in 2020 Russia spent more than 540 million rubles on cloud dispersal for the safety of military aviation flights, and in 2021 - 417 million rubles. "Therefore, the story about "bad weather" is just a manipulation, because for Russia to spend 500 million rubles on Putin's sacred date is not a problem. Especially since, according to various estimates, the Russian Federation spends between $500 million and $20 billion daily on 'special operations' with Ukraine," the Center noted. According to InformNapalm, the reason for the cancellation of the aviation part of the parade could have been a malfunction of the Il-80 aircraft. The command of the Air Force of the AFU reported that as of May 9, Russia's estimated losses were 199 aircraft and 158 helicopters.

9.05.2022
Fake. A platoon of "cannibals" was found in the village of Novoselovka, eating canned food "with the relics of Motorola.

Russian propagandists spread a fake that found a platoon of alleged "cannibals" in the village of Novoselivka The Russian newspaper Izvestia even published a story dedicated to this "find. The "No Lie" project writes: "As proof of the terrible accusation and theft, the propagandist shows a can of canned food with the inscription - Separ of Donetsk. Tired. With relics of Motorola (a Russian militant killed in occupied Donetsk - DM). Does not contain any remnants of staples. Date of manufacture: 06.10.1942"". In fact, these canned foods are ordinary meat products, and the wrappers were invented by an ATO veteran from Vinnitsa Oleksandr Gramarchuk. In his creative arsenal of canned goods with such names: "Separer in Sour Cream", "Separer in Butter", "Snegirny Orthodox (with Kobzon's relics)" and many others.

9.05.2022
Manipulation. "No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten".

This slogan, supposedly commemorating all those who died in World War II, became popular in the post-war times in the USSR. However, it is a myth. The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance noted that how many people actually died during World War II was not counted in the USSR or later in Russia. The official list of war victims is not complete: the USSR did not recognize the events before June 22, 1941, so participants in the so-called "border conflicts" were "forgotten"; the defeats of 1941-early 1942 were "forgotten" and not mentioned; prisoners of war, Holocaust victims, and the remaining workers were not mentioned either; disabled war veterans were purposely removed to boarding camps away from sight.

"How many people really died during World War II was not counted in the Soviet Union or later in Russia. After all, only those families who received death certificates received payments for the dead. There were no families of the missing. The authorities simply saved on these families. It is noteworthy that today Russia's attitude toward its dead has not changed. In the war with Ukraine, too, they are keeping the casualties quiet. Many soldiers will remain missing, it's more convenient and cheaper for Russia to do so," said the UINP.

08.05.2022
Fake. After Donbass, the "mess" will move toward Mykolaiv and Odesa.

Telegram channels, which are administered from Russia by employees of information and psychological special operations structures, are spreading lies about an alleged offensive toward Odesa and Mykolaiv. The speaker of the Odesa regional military administration, Sergei Bratchuk, said this on Facebook.

"So, everything goes to the fact that after the Donbass it will move towards Mykolaiv-Odesa. And then there will be a mess..." - promise the authors of the fake. Bratchuk notes that the purpose of another "throwing in" of the Russians about the alleged Russian offensive on South Palmyra after the fighting in the Donetsk and Lugansk direction is nothing but an attempt to disorient Ukrainians, sow panic, dissuade citizens and cover their own defeats from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"As you know, in the East of our state, the Armed Forces of Ukraine rejected the enemies in the Kharkiv direction, conduct successful combat operations in the Zaporozhye direction, deter the Rashists in the Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Luhansk directions. The enemy simply does not have the forces and opportunities for active operations in the south," says Serhiy Bratchuk.

08.05.2022
Message. A real Victory Day returns to Mariupol, Kherson and Melitopol. The St. George Ribbon is gaining popularity.

Pro-Kremlin media actively spread the opinion that the temporarily occupied cities of Ukraine are preparing to celebrate Victory Day openly for the first time in many years and that the St. George Ribbon is becoming increasingly popular among the local population, especially among children. A video circulated on social networks shows a Victory volunteer in Mariupol tying a St. George's ribbon to children's clothes and asking what it means. The girl replies: "It's beautiful" and says that she has never worn such ribbons before.

The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmila Denisova reported that in Melitopol, temporarily occupied by Russian troops in Zaporizhzhia, children are forced to wear St. George ribbons and learn poems about the war. "From the media it became known that in the occupied Melitopol of Zaporozhye region forced children to wear St. George ribbons and learn poems about the war. Such actions are committed by school principals cooperating with the occupation troops," she stressed. According to Denisova, teachers distribute children's thematic drawings and videos of schoolchildren reciting poems about the war with St. George ribbons on their chests online. There is information that this is happening without parental consent. The ombudsman stressed that school is one of the means of educating a child, the formation of the worldview, which is continuously connected with the upbringing in the family. According to her, "this imposition of the racist ideology in educational institutions is aimed at destroying the Ukrainian identity in the minds of children". Denisova stressed that these actions of the Russian invaders are a violation of Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This document stipulates that the education of a child should be aimed at fostering respect for the child's parents, cultural identity, language and national values of the country in which the child resides, his country of origin. The above is direct evidence of genocide against the Ukrainian people.

According to the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, the "St. George's Ribbon" is an element of Russian propaganda. The formation of the symbol "St. George's Ribbon" has a long and complicated history. It first appeared on the Order of St. George, founded in 1769 by Empress Ekaterina II. The Order became the highest military award of the Russian Empire and was given to officers for special courage in battle. Later, a whole set of awards associated with St. George was formed: the Order, the medal, the cross and the flag. They were accompanied by the St. George ribbon, which, according to official statutes, consisted of three black and two yellow stripes. It was also allowed to use orange instead of yellow.

The most likely version is that the gamma of the ribbon was taken from the black-yellow-white flag of the Russian Empire. Another version is that the color symbolizes the fire and smoke, which emphasizes its military nature. Read more here.

In 2015, instead of the "St. George's Ribbon" as a symbol of remembrance of victory and honoring the victims of World War II, Ukrainians were suggested to use the red poppy flower. Striped black and yellow ribbon in the perception of Ukrainians became a negative symbol, which is associated with danger and terrorism. Since 2015. On May 8 and 9, Ukraine celebrates Memorial and Reconciliation Day and Victory Day over Nazism in World War II. The traditional slogan of these commemorative days "We Remember - We Win!" this year is somewhat modified at the state level and sounds like "We defeated the Nazis - let's defeat the Rashists too!.

08.05.2022
Fake. The "Kiev regime" is planning to hit Lviv and Volyn oblasts with missiles and blame Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced provocations from Ukraine on May 8 that the "Kiev regime" was allegedly preparing to fire Tochka-U missiles at crowds of people in the Lviv and Volyn regions. This "announcement" was disseminated by the Russian media, in particular the propaganda publication RIA Novosti. Of course, according to the Russian version, Kiev "plans to carry out another sophisticated provocation with the deaths of civilians to further accuse the Russian armed forces of indiscriminate missile strikes," and they add that "as it was at the train station in Kramatorsk.".

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyy urges residents not to succumb to Russian provocations and not to leave the city. "Never trust Muscovite news, reports and telegram channels. Let's agree that for us there are none," Sadovy stressed. "There is no need to leave the city anywhere. Don't waste fuel. Better take care of shelter in case of an alarm," he added. Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President, stressed that Ukrainians should be very careful on May 9 because of the threat of shelling and provocations by the Russian occupiers. "I do not expect such unconventional, which can create certain panic moods. I expect the behavior of a classic Russian. It is to stab one in the back. In this case, to throw another extra missile on some peaceful city of ours," he said in an interview for Radio NV.

Read more here about how Russian propaganda applies the methods, tested after the 2014 downing of the Malaysian Boeing to the story of the shelling of the Kramatorsk train station.

08.05.2022
Fake. Mariupol defenders came out to the Russians with a white flag and surrendered.

Russian propagandists claimed that Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol allegedly surrendered. "Azov" fighters explained that the white flag near the Azovstal plant is used to evacuate citizens , that the defenders surrendered into captivity, the Telegram reported.

"Attention!" information is spreading from some Internet sources that the defenders of Mariupol came out to the Russian military with a white flag. In reality, white flags are used by both groups to implement the plan to evacuate civilians. This time, both groups used such flags to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal plant. We would like to note that this procedure has been carried out for the fourth time," Azov fighters said. As reported, on May 6, during the ceasefire on the territory of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, the Russian invaders used an anti-tank missile system and drove up a vehicle moving towards civilians. As a result of the shelling, one fighter was killed and six were wounded.

On May 6, the operation to evacuate people from the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works continued - 50 people managed to be evacuated. Today, May 7, the evacuation continues. Russia's aggression has caused one of the greatest humanitarian disasters in Mariupol. The invaders are bombing unarmed residents and blocking humanitarian aid. The Azov Regiment, National Guard, Ukrainian Marines, and motorized riflemen continue to defend Mariupol.

08.05.2022
Manipulation. The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture plans to withdraw Russian literature from libraries.

Pro-Kremlin media and Telegram channels spread information that "the Kiev government is once again engaged in a 'culture of cancellation,'" as the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture allegedly plans to withdraw Russian literature from Ukraine's library collections. In particular, the propaganda publication RIA Novosti reported that "works of Russian literature, which is considered propaganda," will be withdrawn. In fact, these statements are manipulation, reports StopFake.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information Policy said that Ukraine will launch a process of removing Russian books from libraries, but it is not talking about all works of Russian literature, but only those that promote war and the elimination of Ukrainian statehood. The Council for the Development of Librarianship under the Ministry developed criteria, according to which books will be withdrawn. First of all, the works that meet one of these criteria will be withdrawn:

• whose content is aimed at eliminating the independence of Ukraine, propaganda of violence, inciting interethnic, racial, religious enmity, committing terrorist acts, encroaching on human rights and freedoms;

• propaganda of war, national and religious discord, changing the constitutional system or the territorial integrity of Ukraine by violence; contain justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including by presenting the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine as an internal conflict, civil conflict, civil war, denial of temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine; glorify persons committing armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, present;

• publishers, as well as authors to whom restrictive measures (sanctions) have been applied in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Sanctions";

• authors who publicly supported the aggression against Ukraine, information about which is publicly available on the Internet.

Apparently, the Russian language of the work is not a criterion according to which the Ministry of Culture will withdraw literature from library collections.The Council for Library Development, founded in April 2022, is engaged in the process of developing the criteria according to which literature will be withdrawn. They regularly publish information about their meetings on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian Library Association. According to the press service of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, libraries can create advisory bodies, which will give recommendations on how to update the library collection in the conditions of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Library Association says that the issue of removing propaganda literature from the libraries of Ukraine will be approached carefully and in a balanced way. Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy Larysa Petasyuk confirms this: "Propaganda is a dangerous weapon. Today Russian lies poison everything around us. We have all the means to fight this phenomenon. The Ministry has defined clear criteria according to which Russian literature will be withdrawn from Ukrainian library collections. We approach this question carefully and in a balanced way. We hope that all this will have a positive effect on the development of Ukrainian book publishing.The Ministry of Culture reports that the withdrawn books will be replaced by Ukrainian works and books of Ukrainian publishers.

07.05.2022
Manipulation. There will no longer be a border between Poland and Ukraine. Poland's president hinted at a takeover of Ukraine.

After Polish President Andrzej Duda's speech, the pro-Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper spread information that Poland "hinted at a takeover of Ukraine. "Threats of global terrorism, the flow of refugees from Africa and the Middle East, the COVID-19 pandemic have brought most of the border attributes in Europe back to reality. Therefore, Duda, most likely, while proclaiming the speech, consoled himself with the idea that Poland will be able to absorb the Ukrainian territory in one way or another, motivated by concern for the future of Ukrainians," writes "Komsomolskaya Pravda". Russian officials also shared their interpretation of what Duda said in the information space. The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitriy Peskov, said that these are "obvious facts" - that there may be a threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine from Poland. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, believes that Andrzej Duda has officially acknowledged territorial claims against Ukraine and allegedly said that "there will be no more border between Poland and Ukraine for a decade or even a century."

In fact, Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke about brotherhood and friendship of neighboring countries, but did not say anything about absorption or unification of the countries into one. Also the Polish head repeatedly mentioned Ukraine in his speech as a sovereign and independent state. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke about the absence of borders as a metaphor for the disappearance of misunderstandings between peoples and readiness to help in trouble.

07.05.2022
Disclosure. Russia distributed a fake video of survivors of the Moskva cruiser. It was taken before the sinking.

Journalists of Radio Liberty exposed the lies of the Russian command about the sunken missile cruiser Moskva. The reason for this was the published photo of conscript Sergei Grudinin, who "disappeared" after the destruction of the ship.

Despite the fact that members of the soldier's family still know nothing about his whereabouts, the command published a video of the "Moscow" sailors who allegedly survived the sinking of the warship.

The video raised doubts about its authenticity. At the same time, members of Grudinin's family say they still know nothing about his whereabouts."It seems to be a shot from the same video, but the sailor depicted in it has not returned to his family, and his mother, after first being told that he survived, was later told that he was missing, and even later that he was dead," Radio Liberty writes.

Grudinin's aunt, Tatiana Grudinina, told the radio station in late April that her nephew was still missing. She said that his mother Tamara Grudinina had been told by the Defense Ministry hotline that her son was alive, but later she received a telephone call from a man who called himself Vakula (the last name of the deputy captain of the Moskva) and said that Grudinin had disappeared. Some time later, another representative of the Russian Navy called the woman and told her that her son had "drowned with the ship. Radio Liberty's Krym.Realii contacted Grudinin's parents in Amur Region in the Russian Far East and asked them to confirm that the man in the photo was their son. They said they did not want to talk to journalists, citing psychological trauma.

"Grudinin was an enlisted man, which means by law he should not have been sent to a war zone. At a time when Russia is waging war against Ukraine, with some fighting taking place on the Ukrainian coast of the Black and Azov Seas, the Defense Ministry said that the ship did not take part in hostilities," the publication reported. As a reminder, on April 13, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck two Neptun missiles at the Moskva missile cruiser. As a result of the strike, a large fire broke out on the flagship of the Russian Navy and its ammunition detonated. The very next day Russia had to admit that the cruiser sank. It later became known that the crew of the Moskva cruiser, which had sunk, had not been evacuated. It was reported that more than 500 crew members could have been on board.

07.05.2022
Manipulation. Ukraine will sign a peace treaty with Russia if Russia's territory is divided.

Kremlin media spread misinformation that "Kyiv will sign a peace treaty with Russia only if Russia agrees to fully or partially divide its own territory. According to their version, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said this in an interview with the Ukrainian publication NV.

As StopFake reports, in fact, Kyrylo Budanov spoke only about two possible consequences of the war for Russia and not about the conditions of signing a peace treaty. The very title of the "NV" interview states that it is about the future of Russia - "The Chief Military Intelligence Officer of Ukraine - about the future of the dictator and Moscow's plans.In the interview itself, in the commentary used by the propagandists, there is a phrase: "This war will end. There are only two ways it can end."

Kyrylo Budanov goes on to elaborate: "The first is the division of Russia into three or more parts. And the second is the relative preservation of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation with a change in the country's leadership. In the latter case, the new leader will say that Russia has nothing to do with all these processes, it was a sick dictator, and the country has nothing to do with it. In this case, Russia will give up all its occupied territories - from the Japanese islands to Königsberg, which belongs to Germany. Previously, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already repeatedly stated the position of Ukraine in any agreements with Russia. In particular, in an interview with the Associated Press, he noted that "Russia's war against Ukraine should be ended by a treaty, but not at the cost of surrendering its independence or national interests." First and foremost, the Ukrainian president notes that the agreement should be signed on the "terms of Ukraine's independence."

On April 16, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a peace treaty with Russia could consist of two documents, one of which would be a treaty on security guarantees for Ukraine, and the other would be a bilateral agreement on Ukraine-Russia relations. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the presidential office and a member of Ukraine's delegation to talks with Russia, added in an interview with Radio Liberty on April 29 that it is not a "treaty of friendship and peace" with Russia, but "red lines" for that country. "We need to fix positions that will be red lines for Russia, that at no time will this country be able to enter the territory of Ukraine again," Mykhaylo Podolyak said.

One of the key aspects of the peace agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, which will be concluded after the negotiation process, according to Mykhaylo Podolyak, is an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Consequently, none of the representatives of the Ukrainian authorities consider the partition of Russian territory as a condition for a peace treaty. The primary goal of the agreements with Russia is the preservation of Ukrainian independence and sovereignty.

07.05.2022
Disclosure. Cybercriminals are sending out new dangerous emails in droves to steal data and "scare" of a chemical attack.

CERT-UA, a Ukrainian government emergency response team under the State Customs Service of Ukraine, revealed a mass distribution of "chemical attack" emails. The e-mails contain a link to an XLS-document with a macro, the opening of which will result in the computer being infected by the malicious program JesterStealer. CERT-UA specialists note that files are downloaded from compromised web resources. The JesterStealer program steals authentication and other data from Internet browsers, MAIL/FTP/VPN-clients, cryptocurrency wallets, password managers, messengers and game programs. Stolen data is sent to attacker in Telegram. After stopping the program is deleted.

7.05.2022
Fake. AFU "staged assault on unoccupied" Stariy Saltiv near Kharkiv.

On May 4, the pro-Kremlin media reported that "black clouds of smoke" could be seen over Stariy Saltov in Kharkiv Oblast, which appeared after "Ukrainian units staged a showy assault on an unoccupied peaceful settlement. According to the Russian media, the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly "staged" an attack on Stary Saltov and "a battalion of amnestied criminals, Kraken, entered the village and carried out terror in the village," StopFake wrote. The Russian military occupied the village of Stariy Salty immediately after the invasion on February 24, 2022.

Reports that Ukrainian troops were conducting an offensive operation near Stariy Saltov near Kharkiv appeared in early May. On May 4, the head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, Oleg Sinegubov, reported that fighting continued around the settlements in the direction of Stariy Saltiv. Two ambulance workers came under fire. "To dismiss the settlement is 30%. 70% - our guys are trying to hold it and consolidate their positions there. We can't say right now whether it's our settlement or not," Sinegubov said.

In the evening summary for May 5, the General Staff of the AFU reported that Russian troops in the Slobozhansky direction "tried to regain lost positions near the city of Kharkiv, conducted an unsuccessful offensive attempt near the settlement of Stary Saltov." After losing Stariy Saltiv, the Russians began to actively terrorize the civilian population of the settlement and nearby settlements. Due to the huge losses of manpower, Russia has massively used indiscriminate shelling of liberated Kharkov villages from multiple rocket launchers and artillery. The information was confirmed by fighters of the Kraken special unit, a separate reconnaissance and sabotage unit within one of the military units of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Kraken had nothing in common with the "criminals": one of the main requirements for recruiting to the unit is the absence of a criminal record of the candidate. The Russian media assert that the assault by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Stariy Saltiv was a "demonstration," since the village was supposedly "a peaceful settlement that no one had occupied. It is noteworthy that as early as May 3, the Russian media themselves actively distributed a video with the hashtag "we do not abandon our own," which showed the distribution of humanitarian aid in the temporarily occupied Stary Salty.

The Russian thesis that Stariy Saltiv is "occupied by no one" is also refuted by the daily updated online maps of the war zones. Moreover, both Ukrainian and Russian propaganda maps. If we compare data from the Ukrainian Liveuamap resource, which allows real-time monitoring of the war in Ukraine, the map perfectly shows that Stariy Saltiv was still under Russian occupation on May 1 (red color). This can also be seen on the Russian map of the invasion of Ukraine from the Readovka resource.







However, as early as May 5, according to the Ukrainian online map Liveuamap, the Ukrainian Armed Forces drove the Russian invaders from the territory of Staryi Saltiv - the settlement was sacked. A "fighting" sign appeared on the Russian map on the same day in the area of Stariy Saltivka.

7.05.2022
Fake. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is planning a provocation using chemical weapons in Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Security Service of Ukraine was preparing provocations using chemical weapons. Another Russian fake is reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council in Telegram.

"The Russian Defense Ministry said that "according to available information, the SBU is planning chemical weapons provocations in a number of settlements in the Kherson and Dnepropetrovsk regions for further accusations from Russia. We warn you: this is a fake!", the report reads.

The Center specifies that the Russian Defense Ministry's statement that "on the instructions of the US and UK handlers, units of the AFU and the National Security Forces are setting up fortifications at the Luhansk chemical enterprises is yet another fake. At the same time, neo-Nazis were replacing chemical tanks to destroy them when leaving their positions.

This is not the first Russian lie about the use of chemical weapons by the Ukrainian security service. In April, the Russian Ministry of Defense already reported that "the SBU is planning chemical agent provocations near the Yuzhny port in Odessa to accuse Russia of allegedly targeting civilian infrastructure.

In March, Russia spread a fake that the SBU was allegedly "preparing, with the support of Western countries, a provocation using toxic substances against civilians."

Officially noted: The SBU cannot even in theory prepare any provocations with poisonous substances. Because we do not act by the methods of kafirs! Our task is to protect Ukraine. And we carry it out successfully together with all the people. And the invaders and kafirs will surely answer for their atrocities!", - stated in the SBU.

The Ukrainian service pointed out that theses about "SBU provocation" appeared in March after the Russians shelled a peaceful convoy near Mariupol and dropped a bomb on the building of the city drama theater, where hundreds of women and children were hiding. The SBU notes that such statements are only an attempt to distract attention from yet another war crime committed by the Russians.

7.05.2022
Fake. The commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were forbidden to take away the bodies of killed soldiers.

In Zaporizhzhia region, the Russians are spreading information as if the commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been forbidden to take the bodies of the killed Ukrainian soldiers from the battlefield. This is allegedly done in order to conceal losses.

This lie was debunked by representatives of the Zaporizhzhya regional military administration (OVA) in the official Telegram channel. "The occupiers are trying to spread information that allegedly Ukrainian commanders were forbidden to take the bodies of their dead fighters from the battlefield. They say that in this way Ukraine is trying to hide its military losses. In fact, everything is the opposite," the OVA stated.

The administration stressed that sometimes it really is not possible to take the wounded and killed Ukrainian soldiers from the battlefield. However, it is the Russians who do not allow this to be done. By their actions they violate all international norms of humanitarian law.

Representatives of the OVA described the shelling by the Russians. In the Zaporozhye direction, the Russian enemy is trying to destroy the artillery units of the AFU and restrain the actions of the Ukrainian defenders with constant fire.

Bombardment hit the town of Orekhov, where four warehouses of Optimusagro Trade LLC, the roof of a multi-storey building and a utility building were on fire due to the strikes. All fires were extinguished.

6.05.2022
Fake. Azov battalion demands exchange of "15 hostages for a ton of humanitarian aid.

On May 5, Russian propaganda media, including RIA Novosti, RT, Vesti.ru, gazeta.ru, iz.ru, Sputnik Latvia, and others, as well as telegram channels, spread a new fake about Azov fighters: propagandists write that allegedly Ukrainian fighters demand to exchange Azovstal civilians hiding in the Maripuol for humanitarian aid - 15 people for one ton. No proof of this assertion was provided.

At the same time, Azov leaders repeatedly appealed to the international community and politicians to help evacuate civilians from Azovstal. Today, May 6, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said that during about another stage of the evacuation with the participation of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, 500 Mariupol residents were able to be removed from the territory of the plant.

Propagandists conduct a systematic disinformation campaign against Mariupol defenders and regularly spread false reports about Azov.

6.05.2022
Manipulation. Putin's denazification of Ukraine is a deliberate plan.

Interesting explanations for the fact that the war in Ukraine did not end in 48 hours, as the propagandists promised, and clearly did not go as planned are provided by the Russian intelligence-controlled telegram channels that pretend to be Ukrainian. And they come up with all new means to convince those who began to doubt the existence of even any plan other than the total destruction of Ukraine and Ukrainians.

That's why the Legitimny channel today spread the message that "Putin's denazification" of Ukraine is not a fiction of the propagandists, but a real plan. Which now, writes "Legitimny", will be obvious to everyone, as Russian missiles, aviation, DRGs and drones will be destroying monuments to Stepan Bandera.

According to Wikipedia, monuments to Bandera are located only in 5 regions of Ukraine - Ternopil, Lviv, Khmelnytsky, Rivne and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. None of them were damaged. So far Russian intelligence has not provided an explanation for this and has not figured out why the detailed "denazification plan" began with the destruction of Kharkiv, Mariupol, Volnovakha and other Russian-speaking cities, and on the 70th day of the war they remembered the monuments to Stepan Bandera.

Recently, the Russian press wrote that polls requested by the Kremlin showed that Russians do not understand the term "denazification" and the "denazification" plan itself.

5.05.2022
Fake. According to the BBC, less than two thousand Russian soldiers died in Ukraine.

This thesis was spread by the Georgian politician Demur Giorkhelidze. In his report, he claims that the total number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine after February 24 and by the end of April is 1,899. According to him, this is a reliable figure, because this is the data allegedly provided by the BBC. The report also mentions that a group of BBC volunteers have been counting the number of dead Russian servicemen since the day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while Georgian television has been spreading incorrect statistics. In fact, as fact checkers at Mythdetector found out, the post distributed on social media is untrue. "The data published by the BBC does not reflect the total number of Russian servicemen killed in Ukraine, but the number of servicemen that the Russian Air Force team was able to identify from open sources," the fact checkers wrote.

As a reminder, the pro-Kremlin media outlet Readovka earlier published a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry on combat losses: 13,414 killed and 7,000 Russian soldiers "missing." Of the Moskva cruiser, 116 were killed and 100 were missing sailors. Moscow published this statement and removed it. The total number of lost Russian fighters is close to 20,000, and this is exactly the data that the Ukrainian command claims. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that from February 24 to April 23, the enemy's total combat losses were estimated at 21,600 soldiers.
5.05.2022
Message. Russia defeats Western sanctions.

According to the Center to Counter Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, Russian propaganda spreads this thesis, confirming it by saying that Hungary will veto the embargo on the import of Russian oil, which the European Union plans to include in the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. The veto of the embargo was announced by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on May 3. Since 65% of Hungary's oil consumption comes through the Druzhba pipeline, and there are no alternative lines to the country, the draft sixth sanctions package includes exceptions for Hungary and Slovakia, which are allowed to extend imports until the end of 2023. ""But due to the prohibition of transit through the Hungarian territory of military aid to Ukraine, the EU has launched a legal process, the result of which could be the termination of Euro-donations for Hungary. The reaction of EU countries prompts the Hungarian leadership to withdraw its veto of the EU oil embargo against Russia," the Center said in a statement.
5.05.2022
Fake. Zelensky's daughter called her father a Nazi.

This is the information spread by users of social networks. Posts that Olpeksandra Zelenska allegedly considers her father a Nazi and murderer of the people were published in two languages - Russian and Georgian. The posts say that President Zelensky's daughter fled to Poland because she considers her father a Nazi and a murderer of Ukrainians. The posts are accompanied by a photo of a young woman who is sitting in a car crying. However, as Mythdetector's fact checker found out, the person in the photo is not Oleksandra Zelenska, but a frame cut from a video published in 2017, in which a Russian-speaking woman is crying because her husband did not buy her a new iPhone. The Russian website 9111.ru is probably the original source of the information that Oleksandra Zelenska thinks her father is a Nazi. As the fact checker writes, the fact that the photo is not Zelensky's daughter is clearly visible if you compare the photo with that of the real Olexandra.

Read more.
5.05.2022
Manipulation. Allied countries transfer obsolete weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.

Russian propaganda media and anonymous telegram channels occasionally report that the weapons that Ukraine receives from allied countries are outdated and bad and do not meet modern characteristics: this thesis benefits Russia, because by showing that Ukraine allegedly has old weapons that were provided to it by EU countries and the US, propagandists seek to discredit Ukraine's allies and devalue their support and assistance to Ukraine in this war.

Also in this way Russia wants to create the appearance that even with weapons from allies Ukraine will be weak, because the equipment is supposedly not suitable for fighting in modern warfare, however, according to the Center to Counteract Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, there are samples of artillery transferred by Ukrainian allies. As an example, experts of the Center compare characteristics of two howitzers - Soviet-Russian Msta-B and American M777, which are transferred according to the lend-lease from the USA. "Msta-B versus M777: caliber 152 mm versus 155 mm; barrel length - 47 caliber versus 39 caliber (52 newest); range - 3VOF45/ERFB shell: 24.7 km versus 30 km (40 km with 52 caliber barrel)," the Center reports. On the basis of these characteristics it is clear that the new American howitzer hits 5 km further than the Soviet-Russian one. Consequently, this weapon is not obsolete and unsuitable for military operations, on the contrary, it will have a counter-battery advantage. The M777 also has a digital fire control system for M982 Excalibur ammunition with GPS targeting.
5.05.2022
Manipulation.In Ukraine and, in particular, in Transcarpathia, the rights of ethnic minorities are being infringed.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, this thesis is spread by Russian propaganda through the head of the Guild of Interethnic Journalism of Russia, a member of the commission on patriotic and spiritual and moral education of children and Margarita Lyange, who promotes a narrative about "the oppression of national minorities in Ukraine".

In particular, the propagandist claims that Ukrainian state policy does not allow Ruthenians in Transcarpathia to use their native language, Russian, and that Ruthenians themselves are allegedly persecuted for refusing to call themselves Ukrainians. The Center reports that according to the 2001 census, only 10,000 Transcarpathians, or less than one percent of the region's population, called themselves Ruthenians. In addition, Ruthenians do not communicate with each other in Russian, but refer to their language as so-called Ruthenian. Ukrainian scientists are inclined to believe that the so-called Ruthenian language is one of the many dialects of Ukrainian and not a separate language. In everyday life, Transcarpathians and, in particular, Ruthenians can communicate in a comfortable dialect .
5.05.2022
Manipulation. U.S. residents do not agree with Biden's policy towards Ukraine.

This is the thesis spread by the Russian propagandist media allegedly referring to The Washington Post. The reports claim that most Americans are "dissatisfied with Biden's policy toward Ukraine." As fact checkers at StopFake write, for example, propaganda resources presented the results of a poll conducted among Americans in late April 2022. The propagandists claim that Americans are dissatisfied with both the sanctions imposed against Russia and the amount of military aid to Ukraine. According to StopFake poll by The Washington Post-ABC News, the number of Americans who support Biden's activities related to the war in Ukraine has increased. The percentage of those who do not support the policy, however, has not changed. "This survey showed that a majority of Americans, despite concerns about the war, agree that Ukraine needs even more help. Other surveys conducted at different times and by other organizations also show broad support for Ukraine among Americans and assistance," - the fact checkers write.
5.05.2022
Fake. All foreigners fighting in Ukraine are mercenaries.

This information is spread by the Russian propaganda media. The reports assure that the fighters of the International Legion of Volunteers are mercenaries, and their goal is to get "easy money" from the war in Ukraine. However, this is not true. Foreigners fighting for Ukraine are not mercenaries. As StopFake writes, unlike mercenaries, legionnaires enlist in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and are subordinate to its command. "Foreigners who perform military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine receive the same salary as Ukrainian citizens. Foreign citizens who did not wish to sign a contract with the AFU join volunteer battalions. They do not get material benefit - the majority of them have personal, ideological reasons to defend justice and rights of Ukrainians," the fact checkers write.

More details
4.05.2022
Manipulation. The Russian military observes the "silence regime" while the Ukrainian military shells humanitarian corridors.

The Russian media, followed by the state-run Belarusian media, disseminated a statement by Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Defense Control Center, that the Russian military allegedly "observes the silence regime," while "Ukrainian nationalists" allegedly "shell humanitarian corridors. In fact, there have been numerous recent instances of Russian troops shelling convoys of civilians, in particular, a convoy of volunteer vehicles that on May 2 evacuated people from the village of Russkaya Lozovaya in the northern suburbs of Kharkivwas hit by mortar fire. In addition, Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko said, on May 3 that Russia had blocked the evacuation of 2,000 Mariupol residents from seized Berdyansk for two weeks. Oleksandr Starukh, head of the Zaporizhzhya regional military administration, also said that Russian kafirs blocked the evacuation of people from other places in Zaporizhzhya Region upon the arrival of convoys of civilians from the Azovstal plant.

4.05.2022
Manipulation. Germans have to collect rainwater for the toilet because of anti-Russian sanctions.

This manipulative thesis is spreading on social networks along with part of the material of the German publication Redaktions Netzwerk Deutschland (RND). This is not the first attempt by Russian propaganda to show that anti-Russian sanctions hit the countries that imposed them more than Russia itself. In fact, as StopFake points out, the RND material tells of ways to save money, in particular listing ways to save water due to the country's rising inflation. The article also gives tips on how to use water sparingly when showering, washing vegetables and dishes, and doing laundry. There is no mention in the article that Germans suffer from "anti-Russian sanctions. Regarding inflation in Germany, it started rising long before Russia's war against Ukraine.

More details

4.05.2022
Message. It is impossible to rejoice, post photos from cafes or vacations during war.

This thesis is actively disseminated in the Ukrainian segment of social networks, convincing users to give up all leisure and joy. This topic often becomes the subject of quarrels and accusations, which only serves Russia's plans. Its goal is to divide Ukrainians among themselves in order to undermine the situation inside the country, redirect aggression from Russians, and demobilize the society that has united against the aggressor. By the way, Russian propaganda also spread the theses about "bad refugees from Ukraine" for a similar purpose. A military psychologist and expert in the field of information and psychological operations Oleg Pokalchuk explained that you can and should laugh and rejoice during war.

In fact, when you spend your leisure time outside your own homes - it has a double positive impact: first, you unload and help your mental health; second, you support the country's economy when you go to a cafe, for example. So do not give in to Russian provocations, because any mutual accusations and quarrels only play to the advantage of the occupants. Of course, Ukrainians who are relatively safe or abroad should not forget that other citizens, especially those close to the war zone, may be sensitive to certain content. However, propagandists play on Ukrainians' feelings of guilt in the so-called home front. Why Ukrainians should get rid of the "survivor" syndrome read here.

4.05.2022
Manipulation. The General Staff decided to collect civilians in Severodonetsk in the basement of the Azot plant.

Anonymous telegram channels controlled by Russian special services spread a manipulative thesis that the AFU General Staff allegedly decided to collect civilians in Severodonetsk in the basement of the Azot plant, where the AFU is located. In particular, "Legitimny" spreads this, comparing it to the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. This manipulation is part of the narrative that the Ukrainian military "uses civilians as human shields. Similar manipulations were spread about Kramatorsk, where the train station, from which civilians were being evacuated, was hit by the Russian military; as well as about foreigners and Mariupol. Regarding Azovstal, by the way, the Russian media spread fakes, assuring that there were no civilians at all at the plant in Mariupol. In general, Russian propaganda and official agencies then use these reports to justify strikes on civilian objects and civilian casualties. In fact, the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Serhii Haidai, had previously warned, that Russia would try to encircle Severodonetsk. At that time, he said that the civilians had better evacuate the city.

4.05.2022
Fake. The commander of the Polish Armed Forces ordered preparations for an offensive in Lviv and Volyn.

This is not the first time that the Russian media and pro-Kremlin telegram channels have spread a fake story about Poland's alleged plans to "seize the western regions of Ukraine". This time, Russian propagandists along with this thesis disseminated a document with the alleged order of the commander general of the Polish Armed Forces, General Jarosław Mika, which allegedly implied that "information about the readiness to take control of strategic facilities in two regions - Lviv and Volyn - should be communicated to the personnel of certain units".

Project BezBrekhni writes that the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine immediately stated that this was a fabrication. Factcheckers note that the document refers to the existing 6th airborne brigade named after Brigadier General Stanislaw Frantisek Sosabowski. "The falsified document lists all three combat units of the brigade - 6, 16, 18 battalion. That is, the document wants to assure us that the entire brigade will be involved in the deal. But there's a but here! The brigade has two more units - the 6th Management Battalion, and the 6th Support Battalion. We understand that the Moscal army fights as a horde without supplies and feeds on what they steal from the occupied territory. Yes, and management is a superfluous element for them. However, in modern Western armies and in modern warfare, supply and control are among the key elements of successful combat operations. "In the falsified order the control and support units were 'forgotten,'" reported BezBrekhni.

The narrative about the division between Poland and Russia of Ukraine has been actively promoted by Russian propaganda since at least 2014. In particular, in 2022, Russian propagandists replicated the statement of Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russian foreign intelligence, that "Poland is preparing to introduce peacekeepers into Ukraine to seize part of Ukrainian territories," and that "the western regions of Ukraine may fall back to Poland, Romania, Slovakia or Hungary."

Read more

4.05.2022
Fake. The servicemen of the 93rd Brigade "Kholodny Yar" refused to fight the Russian military.

Russian media spread a fake that soldiers of the 93rd "Kholodny Yar" Brigade refused to continue serving and fighting the Russian military. Russian media spread a fake that soldiers of the 93rd "Kholodny Yar" Brigade refused to continue to fight the Russian military." The news was spread with reference to a telegram channel called Nolodniy Yar, which masquerades as the 93rd Brigade's alleged communications channel. In reality, the 93rd Brigade "Kholodny Yar" does not have a telegram channel - it was not created due to the Russian origin of the social network. At the same time, it is possible to follow the brigade's news on their Facebook page. Representatives of the 93rd Brigade noted, that the telegram channel "Kholodny Yar" was created by Russians in order to try to demoralize Brigade servicemen and their families and to conduct information and psychological operations against the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, this channel often publishes documents found on the battlefield, gaps to the territory of the unit or patches with the names of our fighters, and pass them off as dead.

"This is done in order to sow panic among relatives and friends. Also, the enemy lays out lists of soldiers, as if they were in captivity. They post written complaints of soldiers who refuse to go to the front lines. Of course, in conditions of intense fighting in the many thousands of troops are the following. However, the Russians are trying to pass off individual isolated cases as a mass phenomenon, which is certainly false," said the 93rd Brigade.

3.05.2022
Manipulation. One of the world's leading market research companies has proven that the world doesn't care about the war in Ukraine.

Citing the results of an Ipsos study called "Worrying the World," anonymous telegram feeds write that the problem of war in Ukraine is only 11th in the rankings, with war-induced inflation at the top. The manipulation is based on several points.

First, the study, which has been conducted for years using the same methodology in 27 countries, reports that the item "War Between the Nations" did not exist before and was introduced because of the war in Ukraine.

Second, countries in Europe and the U.S. are in the top 50 of those who care about the war in Ukraine. South American and African countries express 1-2% concern, which is natural given the geopolitical features of the world. "Concern is greatest in Europe. Poland has the highest level of worry, with four in ten (38%) saying it is one of the biggest problems in the country. Other countries show high levels of worry: Germany (35%), Sweden (30%), Britain (28%), and Italy (26%). There is less anxiety in Latin America," the study said. It also noted that in none of the countries respondents named war as their main concern, but in Germany the figure is only 2 points behind inflation, which was among the biggest worries. Instead, according to a local Ipsos survey in Denmark, which is not part of the Worrying World rating, in March, war in Ukraine was second with 30 percent, and climate change was first. In April, both problems topped the rating; only the numbers changed. Instead, according to a local Ipsos survey in Denmark, which is not part of the Worrying World rating, in March, war in Ukraine was second with 30 percent, and climate change was first. In April, both problems topped the rating; only the numbers changed.

Third, according to the study, inflation was among the top five global concerns in March for the first time since January 2013. The global rate in March was 32%, although at the beginning of the year it was 20%. Argentina takes it the most - 64%, where the war in Ukraine worries 1%.



3.05.2022
Manipulation. The Russian ruble rose in April and became the only currency that rose against the dollar.

Social networks are spreading data that the Russian ruble has become the second fastest-growing currency among developing countries, and the reason for this strengthening is exports. Mesegee - sanctions are inactive or working in the opposite direction.

Since late March, the ruble has really begun to recover from the collapse caused by the outbreak of war and sanctions, says Yurii Haidai, senior economist at the Center for Economic Strategy, in a commentary for the DM. Although now its official exchange rate for world currencies corresponds to the pre-war values, and the rate on the black market is somewhat lower, in the long term artificial holding of the exchange rate will harm the Russian economy, the expert added. "The first reason for the paradoxical persistence of the ruble is the trade balance. 60% of Russia's foreign exchange earnings come from oil and gas exports, which have largely persisted. The EU cannot quickly bring these purchases down to zero, and the decrease in demand from the EU is offset by high prices and attempts to redirect some exports to other countries.

In the first two months of the war, Russia received 62 billion euros in energy exports alone, of which 44 billion came from EU countries. At the same time, against the backdrop of sanctions and declining consumption, imports to Russia collapsed, which means that Russia spends much less currency than before the war. The trade surplus in the first quarter of 2022 was 55 billion euros, twice as much as in the past.

Combined with other steps, such as the obligation for exporters to sell 80% of foreign currency earnings, a sharp increase in the discount rate of the Central Bank of Russia, and a de facto ban on foreign investors exiting assets in Russia, this has created a significant demand for the ruble, leading to its appreciation.

Artificial keeping of the ruble exchange rate on the medium and long term will additionally damage the budget revenues and the economy of Russia, as it was admitted publicly by Elvira Nabiullina, the head of the Central Bank of Russia. But until the Western countries introduce a full-fledged oil embargo, one should not expect a significant depreciation of the ruble," explained Yurii Haidai.
3.05.2022
Mesage. The SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) is preparing provocations in the Odessa region in order to accuse the Russians and start a military campaign in Transnistria.

Propaganda telegram channels are spreading anonymous "revelations", allegedly the SBU has already prepared firing points to accuse Russian peacekeepers, and then a retaliatory rocket attack will follow. It should be recalled that the method of accusing Ukraine of attacking its own territories has already become a classic Russian propaganda technique. This is how they are trying to transfer responsibility for their plans. The same scenario was used after the shelling of Odessa and Kramatorsk; this has been going on in the ORDLO for eight years.

3.05.2022
Message. World War III is going on in Ukraine.

Russia is trying to legitimize this narrative in the information space, because it is becoming increasingly difficult to explain the protracted nature of hostilities to Russians, writes the Center for Countering Disinformation. The point is that one of the first theses that Russia is at war with the whole world was voiced by Major General of the Russian Federation Minnekaev at the end of April. He compared the "special operation" to World War II, noting that "both then and now the whole world has turned against Russia." Later, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that "NATO has entered into a proxy war with Russia," while Russian State Duma Speaker Volodin suggested that the leaders of the countries supplying weapons to Ukraine should be prosecuted as war criminals.

2.05.2022
Manipulation. Russia has full control over the course of hostilities on Ukrainian territory.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, this thesis is promoted by Russian propaganda. In particular, according to Russian State Duma deputy Matveichev, "Putin deliberately creates for Ukraine and the West a sense of their imminent victory. The latter will not strike decisive blows yet, but will continue to create the illusion as if a little more and Russia is defeated." "According to the "expert", such a strategy will force the measure to provide all possible weapons to Ukraine. After that, Russia will "dispose of all NATO weapons" and "deliver a decisive blow." The population of Russia "should understand this and fully trust the commander-in-chief. But in reality, these theses are only used by Russian propaganda to try to justify military defeats with the Russian Federation in front of its own population, first of all in the North of our country, from which the enemy has disgracefully retreated," reported in the Сenter. Thus, Russia is also trying to create the illusion of controlling the situation, and by reporting that Russia still has not delivered a decisive blow, propaganda is trying to justify the defeat of the Russian army.

2.05.2022
Disclosure. Russian bots, which pretend to be fans of Ukraine, operate on social networks.

Comments issued by pro-Ukrainian ones appear by the dozens under posts on public platforms, particularly Facebook. In fact, a significant portion of them may be spread by Russian bots. As can be seen from the screenshot, the same bots can express extremely different positions. For example, they can simultaneously support Russia's aggression against Ukraine, hate Russia, and wish Ukraine victory. This is a vivid example of how the Russian propaganda machine works, whose goal is not only to increase the number of Russian supporters and distort reality, but also to sow discord in Ukrainian society. Thus, thanks to scandals in social networks that may arise as a reaction to bot comments, Ukrainians are turned against each other, increasing the level of aggression and misunderstanding in society. Read MediaSapiens' text to find out how the botform works from the inside.

2.05.2022
Fake. Three Ukrainian banks, Privat, Mono and Sber, charge each customer 3,000 hryvnias.

According to the Slavyansk City Military and Civil Administration, residents of the community receive a notice that Privatbank, Monobank, and Oschadbank will allegedly charge each user 3,000 UAH in connection with Russia's military aggression. However, this is a fake. The civil-military administration urges people not to click on the links that come in such messages, so as not to get hooked by fraudsters.

2.05.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military was replacing the dam in Marganets and plans to blow it up.

This information is spread by Russian propaganda media. In particular, the resource RIA-news. The reports say that the Ukrainian military are planning to blow up the dam in the city of Marganets in Dnipropetrovsk region and have already replaced it accordingly. In its statements, the publication refers to the notification of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The head of the Nikopol regional state administration Yevhen Yevtushenko reacted to the information about the mining of the dam in Marganets.

In his Facebook, the official called it Russian disinformation and noted that in addition to military action, Russia is waging an information war. "The news of the aggressor country is sharpened for disinformation, creating panic moods and increasing social tension on the territory of Ukraine. Use verified sources. If in doubt, seek clarification from local authorities and the district military administration," he said.
2.05.2022
Fake. Kadyrovites captured the leader of Azov Andriy Biletsky.

This is the information spread by users in social networks. As Mythdetector fact checker writes, the fake started spreading in late April by Russian-speaking users of social networks. The messages said that Kadyrov had allegedly arrested Azov battalion co-founder Andriy Biletsky. Facebook users claimed that Biletsky tried to escape in a helicopter, but was caught, and Kadyrov's men filmed his final video. The publications mention that in a 2-minute video Biletsky apologizes and blames Zelenskyy for everything and adds a screenshot allegedly from that video. However, the claim that Andriy Biletsky was captured by the Kadyrovites is a fake. In fact, the widespread video is an excerpt from an interview with the Ukrainian media.

More details
2.05.2022
Fake. Residents of the western regions of the country do not need to pay for utilities, because when the territory is annexed to Poland or Romania, the debts will be written off.

Anonymous telegram channels spread information that in the temporarily occupied territories the Russian authorities allegedly write off debts for public utilities. The authors of such reports also claim that with the spread of rumors that the western regions of Ukraine may be ceded to Poland, Romania, Slovakia or Hungary, people living in these regions are also allegedly not allowed to pay utility bills, because then the debts will be written off, as Russia does.

First of all, there is no question of the annexation of the western regions to any other country. It is only Russia that has attacked Ukraine with a war and seeks to seize our territory. Second, Russia may be writing off debts in the temporarily occupied territories, but in cities where Russian troops were already present, there are significant problems with communications, because Russia is purposefully destroying Ukrainian infrastructure. In particular, it blows up water and sewage pipelines, etc., and electricity and gas disappear in cities due to rocket and other shelling. In addition, such a message is dangerous because it seems to tell Ukrainians that it is advantageous to surrender to Russia because they will not have to pay for utilities and will be able to save money.
2.05.2022
Disclosure. Russia is using a troll factory on social networks to spread fakes about the war in Ukraine.

This is revealed by the British Foreign Office An expert study funded by Britain has shown exactly how Russia has developed a disinformation campaign designed to manipulate international public opinion about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, build support for the war, and recruit new sympathizers. This study has not yet been published. According to MediaSapiens, the British Foreign Office, citing this study, reported that in addition to Ukraine, Russia had targeted British ministers and world leaders from a number of countries. Traces of the deal were found on eight platforms, including Telegram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. In particular, according to the British Foreign Office, Russia's "troll factory" used Telegram to recruit and coordinate new fans, who then attacked the social media profiles of Kremlin critics, sending comments in favor of Vladimir Putin and Russia's war against Ukraine. Read more.
2.05.2022
Message. Ukrainian propaganda is winding down, and residents of Ukraine's western regions are protesting the fact that men are being taken to the front.

This statement appeared in the Russian propaganda media after the events that took place in Khust, Transcarpathia, on Saturday, April 30. Women in the town picketed the local military registration and enlistment office and demanded an explanation as to why their men, allegedly serving in territorial defense, were being sent to the war zone without proper equipment. Video of the picket appeared in both the Ukrainian and Russian media. However, the latter first and foremost began to call Khust a Nazi town, because it was for a time the capital of Carpathian Ukraine. and claim that more and more people in Ukraine do not believe in the victory of Ukraine and are discouraged by the actions of the authorities. And also allegedly women are constantly protesting against the fact that their men are being taken to war, and even in the western regions, where there is no fighting, "there is already beginning to be unrest." In fact, there are few such cases. So far, such protests have only taken place in Khust, and no other cities in Ukraine have been recorded so far. At the same time, residents of the western regions are agitated not because of distrust of the authorities, but because Russia has unleashed a bloody war in Ukraine and is hitting not only the eastern or southern regions, but the western regions as well. In addition, according to a sociological survey conducted by the research panel "Own opinion" with the support of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences, as of mid-April about 79% of Ukrainians answered the question "How much do you believe in Ukraine's victory in the war with Russia?" "I fully believe". More than 14% said that they "rather believe", 2% of respondents answered "rather do not believe" and "do not believe at all"; 4,3% consider that they "find it difficult to answer" this question.
2.05.2022
Manipulation. NATO has always wanted to encircle Russia and China.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, this thesis is spread in the media by Russian propagandists and, in particular, by foreign ex-officials, not for the first time supporting Russia and its aggressive policies. For example, former New Zealand Foreign Minister Matt Robson thanked Russia for standing up to NATO. According to the Center, an "expert" from New Zealand in the English-language news segment spreads the propaganda thesis of Russia that "NATO has always wanted to encircle Russia and China." "On April 29, a number of New Zealand media outlets published a commentary by M. Robson in which he expresses gratitude to Russia for the war with NATO in Ukraine in a manipulative manner. Since the beginning of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, M. Robson has regularly made such statements, completely repeating the disinformation narratives of Russia's leaders. In February and March, the former Foreign Minister of New Zealand stated that "NATO provoked the Putin. In April, Robson repeatedly stated that "NATO had promised not to expand its geographic presence. In reality, only Russia unleashed the war on the territory of Ukraine and NATO had nothing to do with it.
1.05.2022
Disclosure. A Russian military correspondent filmed a staged story about fighting a Ukrainian drone.

Semyon Pegov, a Russian journalist and war correspondent, filmed a story seemingly near Avdeevka, where a Russian soldier shoots down a Ukrainian drone with an anti-aircraft gun. The journalist talks about the successes of the Russian army against the background of the shots. This information could have been believed were it not for the beginning of the story, which Pegov apparently forgot to cut. He returns to the military man and signals that he is ready to turn on.
1.05.2022
Disclosure. A newspaper with appeals to Putin to "protect from an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine" was prepared in Transnistria."

Russia printed an "urgent issue" of a newspaper in Transnistria, which talks about terrorist attacks and an allegedly official appeal of the region's residents to Russian President Vladimir Putin for help. This was reported by the "South" operational command.

"Operative way received information about sabotage - circulation of newspaper "Pridnestrovie" dated May 2, 2022 with allegedly official appeal of Transnistrian residents to Putin with a request for protection from attack of Ukrainian Armed Forces. By announcing this provocation, the actions of hostile forces are discredited," reported UC Yug. On April 30, the Telegram channel Nexta Live allegedly published a page of a special edition of the newspaper Pridnestrovie, dated May 2, 2022. Among the materials were an "appeal" by local residents to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a report of "numerous attacks" on the region.

It also referred to "dozens of people killed. In the "appeal," locals allegedly asked him "to activate the Russian army" in Transnistria.

Editor-in-chief of Pridnestrovie Alexander Karasev denied the authenticity of this page, saying that it was a fake and that the publication had not prepared such a special edition, writes the Moldovan edition NewsMaker.

Russian provocations in Transnistria, the occupied region of Moldova, have intensified in recent days. A few days earlier, the Russian military stated that their goal was to take over the south of Ukraine in order to have another exit to Transnistria.
1.05.2022
Fake. Crimean Tatars unanimously supported the special operation in Ukraine".

On April 30, pro-Kremlin media circulated materials stating that Crimean Tatars declared "full support for Russia's foreign policy course" and "unanimously" supported Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. How Crimean Tatars are "ready to participate in the special operation in Ukraine."

According to Stopfake, the Kremlin-controlled occupation "authorities" of seized Crimea held an ostensible "congress" on the peninsula on April 30, at which Crimean Tatars allegedly "supported" Russian aggression against Ukraine.

According to the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov, to create a "beautiful picture" and mythical "mass" Russia forcibly summoned students of the Crimean Engineering and Pedagogical University, as well as employees of budgetary organizations, including teachers, to the meeting. Chubarov notes that this measure has no political weight and does not reflect the real pro-Ukrainian position of the indigenous people of Ukraine, the Crimean Tatars.

"The only purpose for which the FSB of the Russian Federation organizes such a "congress" is to imitate the support of the Crimean Tatars for "Putin's policy and a special military operation" against Ukraine. In fact, by holding a "congress" today, the Russian special services will once again, but completely unsuccessfully, try to deceive the world that, they say, the Crimean Tatars demonstrate loyalty to the policy of the occupying country and its president Putin," Chubarov said on his Facebook page.

The Crimean Tatars are an indigenous people of Ukraine who support the territorial integrity of the country and strongly oppose the war that Russia started. Read more.
1.05.2022
Disclosure. 20 people were evacuated from Mariupol on April 30, not 46, and to Zaporizhia, not Russia.

Kremlin propagandists are spreading information that on Saturday, April 30, the Russian side reported the "evacuation" of 46 people from Mariupol.

"The Russian Defense Ministry reports that two groups of civilians, a total of 46 people, left the residential buildings adjacent to Azovstal on April 30 and were provided with lodging and food," RIA Novosti reported.

Later, Kremlin media outlets and channels telegraphed the evacuation of two groups of people, and one of them wanted to leave for Russia. After that, Russian media began to circulate videos of one of the evacuees complaining that the Ukrainian military, which she called "militants," "were not letting people out of Azovstal. Another allegedly evacuated man says that mines flew "only from the direction of the Azovstal plant," and was wounded as a result.

The pro-Kremlin channel of TV host Vladimir Solovyov distributed an exclusive video of the Azovstal evacuation on the morning of May 1, where a Red Cross representative says that there were 21 people in the party, among them several children and one woman with a bandaged arm. According to their information, the people were supposed to spend the night in a Russian filtration camp for refugees in the village of Bezimennoye and go to Zaporizhia.

Captain Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov regiment, confirmed that it was possible to evacuate civilians from Azovstal. A total of 20 people were evacuated, including women and children. There is no confirmation of the rest of the evacuated people either by the Azov Regiment or the Red Cross.
1.05.2022
Message. Before 1939, the world did not know about Ukrainians in Transcarpathia.

This is the thesis spread by Russian propagandists, claiming that Carpathian Ukraine was "a small pro-Nazi state" and no one had heard of the Ukrainians of Transcarpathia before 1939. In Russia, the opinion "the Carpathian Sich was a Nazi Ukrainian organization" had spread before. In her study "Revision of History: Russian Historical Propaganda and Ukraine," Olena Sorotsynska analyzed this narrative of Russian historical propaganda: "Secrets" of Carpathian Ukraine: how the Nazi murtads built their 'state'", "In Ukraine another invented Ukrainian 'holiday of independence' is widely celebrated - the 80th anniversary of the proclamation of independence of Carpathian Ukraine" - these are some of the headlines of Russian media about Carpathian Ukraine. Some Russian media identify the OUN with Carpathian Ukraine and claim that this state is a product of the Abwehr. "On September 4, 1938, a meeting was held in Uzhgorod on the initiative of members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists at which the Ukrainian National Defense (UNO) was created. This was the Nazi center that later created the so-called Carpathian Ukraine," writes Novorossiya Information Agency. The occupation of Carpathian Ukraine by Hungarians is explained by the fact that Hungarians were more valuable allies for Hitler than the UUN, so he gave permission for Hungary to seize these territories. "The country of the victorious Euromaidan," which is known to have "no fascism," continues to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the pro-German Carpathian Ukraine declaration of independence," according to the Rus' Unity resource. This is meant to demonstrate "the gravitas of the Ukrainian fascist idea," which, they say, is flourishing today."

The electronic version of the publication is available at the link.

The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance has prepared information materials about Carpathian Ukraine. Read more about Carpathian Ukraine.
1.05.2022
Manipulation. Kyiv has cut off mobile communications and the Internet in the south of Ukraine, including parts of Zaporizhzhia Region.

This is the information spread by the Russian media. Their message says that by this cutoff, Ukraine gave up part of the territory that was temporarily occupied by the Russians. This is a lie. In fact, it was the Russians who cut off communications and the Internet in the Kherson and part of the Zaporozhye regions, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine said in a telegram.

On April 30, residents of Kherson and part of Zaporizhzhia regions first felt interruptions with the Internet and mobile communications, then these services disappeared in significant areas. It became known that the reasons for the lack of communication were fiber-optic trunk lines breaking and the blackout of operators' equipment in these regions. "The problems that occurred simultaneously at all mobile operators, as well as providers of fixed Internet services, are nothing but another attempt by the occupant to leave Ukrainians without access to truthful information about the course of the war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine; and to make its false propaganda a source of information without alternative, as it is done in Russia itself," the State Service for Special Communications said in a statement.

Ukrainian authorities have always advocated maximum access to means of communication for Ukrainians. And the National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks (NCM) at tate Service for Special Communications both before the war and at the beginning of the invasion expressed an unambiguous position of the state - operators must provide Ukrainians with communication and access to information.

"Cutting off Ukrainian communications, as well as the introduction of the aggressor country's currency and the forced payment of taxes by businesses to the occupation entity, should create at least the appearance of the existence of a new quasi-establishment for domestic Russian consumption. And against this background to feed the Russians with fake results of a likely fake referendum, - noted in the tate Service for Special Communications . - Ukraine will never abandon its citizens to the mercy of fate. Our defenders drove the enemy troops out of Kyiv region, Sumy region and Chernihiv region, they will drive them out of other regions. All occupied territories within the internationally recognized borders of our country will be sacked."

All Ukrainians who are in the occupied areas are asked to move to other regions if possible. They urge everyone to be careful and not to put themselves in danger. In case the Russians have disabled Ukrainian broadcasting, communications and the Internet, it is possible to listen to Ukrainian radio on medium waves (1278, 1404, 873, 657 kHz) using old receivers. Also Ukrainian channels are decoded on satellite: Satellite: Hotbird 13; Frequency: 11219 MHz; Polarization: H(horizontal); Symbol Rate: 29900; Error Correction: FEC 3/5.
30.04.2022
Disclosure. Russians began to use looted museum exhibits for fake news.

This was reported in a telegram by the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andriushchenko.

"Today this photo went massively on Russian sub-publics, as if a trophy obtained in battle from the Ukrainian military. In fact, this medal is one of the exhibits of the Mariupol local history museum. Which was stolen the other day, along with paintings by Quindzhi and a unique library.

We are waiting for the appearance of "wheelbarrow", machine gun "Maxim" or German MP40 as a proof of Nazism in Mariupol. Feycomets are looters...", - he noted.
30.04.2022
Disclosure. The Russians failed to organize a referendum in temporarily occupied Kherson, after which they started saying that they had no intention to hold it.

The head of the Kherson regional organization of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, Dementii Bilyi, said that in temporarily occupied Kherson, the collaborators spread the message that they were not going to hold a referendum. This began after the Russians failed to organize a referendum on the creation of a pseudo-republic of the "Kherson People's Republic" ("KPR") and recognition of the occupied government.

According to him, in addition to the desire of the Russians, it takes a lot of people to hold a "referendum."

"Ballots can be printed and distributed on APCs or Tigers guarded by machine guns. But commissions are needed to organize the voting. Lots of commissions. And someone has to send people to these commissions. Some party or public organization or council of deputies. A small group of traitors, which the occupants managed to recruit during two months of occupation, is clearly not enough for this complex process," wrote Belyy in Facebook.

According to him, without members of the commissions, without officials with at least some lists of voters, without agitators who will tell them that "it is necessary to participate in the voting," without the media, posters of information posters - it is impossible to organize at least some "semblance " voting.

"Thousands of military personnel with machine guns and in balaclavas will not be able to tear the Kafirs away from the fighting so that they would spend the whole day in all the villages and towns in the region handing out ballots and then counting the votes. And, most importantly, there are not that many willing voters in Kherson oblast to at least hold that "referendum. The absolute majority of the region's residents are hostile to the idea from the KNR," explains the political scientist.

On April 16, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova reported that the Russian military is planning to hold a pseudo-referendum in the Kherson region in early May. On 25 April, the Russian military seized the building of Kherson city council.
30.04.2022
Manipulation. More than 1 million people have been evacuated from Ukraine to Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Xinhua news agency that 1.02 million people have been evacuated from Ukraine to Russia since February 24, including more than 120,000 third-country nationals, including more than 300 Chinese citizens.

He said the hotline of the Russian Federation's Interagency Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response had received a request for assistance to evacuate 2.8 million people to Russia, 16,000 of whom were foreign nationals and personnel of international UN and OSCE missions.

His statement was disseminated by a number of foreign media outlets, including Reuters. In fact, Lavrov isn't telling the truth.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 5.3 million refugees left Ukraine after Russia invaded. Most of them went to Poland - more than 2.9 million. More than 801,000 people left for Romania, more than 647,000 for Russia, 507,000 for Hungary, more than 439,000 for Moldova, more than 363,000 for Slovakia and more than 24,000 for Belarus.

Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Serhii Kyslytsia, said that more than 500,000 Ukrainians, of whom 121,000 were children, were forcibly removed to Russia from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. He noted that about 20,000 Ukrainians are being held in filtration camps on the Mangush - Nikolskoye - Yalta line and about 5,000-7,000 in Bezimenne in the Donetsk region.

Liudmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, said that after the camps, Ukrainians are taken by bus to Taganrog, Russia, and from there they are transported by train to Omsk and Tomsk regions and the Perm region of Russia. There are cases of Ukrainians being taken to Sakhalin.

"Unfortunately, we have no lists of these people. There are only individual testimonies of relatives or people themselves who called our hotline and told us that they were forcibly removed and they are there in some kindergarten in the city of Taganrog, sleeping on the floor... Well all these horrors of their movements as long as they have communication," Denisova said, responding to a question from Radio Liberty about the availability of lists of Ukrainians taken out to Russia.

According to her, some time after crossing the border with Russia, communication with the taken out is broken, their phone is taken away from them and "they are given a view that they cannot leave the territory of the Russian Federation home for two years." The Russian side does not allow or shoot up humanitarian corridors from the blockaded towns, including Mariupol. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, thousands of people - military and civilians - remain blockaded in Mariupol. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk added that the Russians do not want to go to any negotiations on the Azovstal enterprise, where there are more than a thousand women, children and more than 500 wounded. "Now it is impossible to go there, much less create a humanitarian corridor: Russia is bombing, rocketing, shelling the approaches," she said.
30.04.2022
Manipulation. Nationalist battalion fighters have deployed artillery in Sviatogorsk Lavra in Donetsk Region.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that "in Sviatogorsk, Donetsk region, militants of nationalist battalions have deployed artillery on the territory of the Svyatogorsk Lavra monastery, and civilians are being held as 'human shields.'" Such warnings were issued by the Russians before the bombing. Earlier, the Russians carried out airstrikes on a maternity hospital and the Drama Theater in Mariupol, where Azov fighters were allegedly present.

Russians shelled the Sviatogorsk Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Donetsk region on March 12, 2022. At that time, the force of the explosion blew out window frames in the churches, and windows and doors in Lavra's hotels were broken. There were 520 refugees in Lavra, including 200 children and brothers of the monastery. They were evacuated to the monastery cellars.

After the explosion, Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatogorsk, vicar of the Lavra, recorded a video appeal, in which he called on everyone in charge to stop bombing peaceful people in the peaceful cities of Ukraine. He did not name the perpetrators of the war - the Russian military and Putin.

The last time the Russians shelled the city of Sviatogorsk was on the morning of April 27, the chairman of the Sviatogorsk community, Volodymyr Bandura, said. He asked residents of the community to temporarily evacuate by free buses and trains, as the situation in the city was tense and explosions could be heard in the outskirts.
30.04.2022
Fake.A map that demonstrates the division of the territory of Russia between different countries after its collapse.

Social media and the Russian media are spreading a map which was shown on Chinese television and demonstrates to which states today's territories of Russia will belong after its collapse.

According to the forecasts, Rostov and Voronezh regions will be part of Ukraine, Krasnodar will be part of Georgia, Moscow will become part of Belarus, St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk will be part of Finland, the Urals and Western Siberia will be part of Kazakhstan, etc.

Actually this map in different colors was painted a long time ago and published at least in 2020. It showed what is geographically closer to the country.
29.04.2022
Fake. In the basements of Mariupol found red containers for biomaterials with a sign of biological contamination.

Such information is spread by Russian propaganda media. In particular, Dmitry Steshin, a military correspondent for the propaganda newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, reported that he found "red containers with a sign of biological contamination" in the "undergrounds of Mariupol."

"Made in the United States. The yellow containers collect syringes, needles, scalpels, you can find them in tattoo parlors, for example. But these are red! So, for extremely dangerous biomaterials - liquids, blood, tissue. Why are they here in the war? No one knows and no one can answer," Steshin writes. In fact, as StopFake writes, the container discovered by the Russian military officer is actually used to store sharp objects, to dispose of medical waste, the container can be easily purchased online.
29.04.2022
Disclosure. A fake cyberpolice chatbot appeared in Telegram.

According to the National Police of Ukraine, a fake cyberpolice chatbot - "People's Avenger" was created in Telegram.

The agency explains that through the real bot you can report the location of Russian equipment or left tags. In total, Ukrainians sent more than 47 thousand messages to the bot. "Because of such results, the invaders are on fire, so they create fake bots of the National Police. So they are trying to somehow minimize their losses and get your messages instead of Ukrainian law enforcers. Be vigilant and don't give the orcs any chance to mislead you. Report the actions of the invaders only through official resources", the law enforcers said.
29.04.2022
Manipulation. Many future generations of Ukrainians will pay for the weapons that the U.S. will supply to Ukraine on lend-lease terms.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, this is the thesis spread by Russian propaganda with reference to the speaker of the Russian State Duma, Volodin. The propaganda claims that today's Kyiv leadership is a country in a debt hole"" and ""many future generations of Ukrainian citizens will pay for all the ammunition, equipment and food the U.S. will supply.

"'This statement is a deliberate manipulation. Under the terms of the lend-lease program, Ukraine could receive potentially unlimited support from the U.S. and other countries, not only for weapons, ammunition and equipment, but also for medicine, food and other necessities, all while bypassing export controls. Under the terms of the program, used military equipment can be written off, and no payment can be made for destroyed equipment. The lend-lease agreement will supplement Congress' preliminary defense support for Ukraine, which has already received $1.7 billion in military aid authorized since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion," the center said in a statement. Russian propaganda benefits from spreading such messages, because it allegedly levels aid for Ukraine from allied countries and to some extent discredits them, saying that because of their aid Ukrainians will be left in debt.
29.04.2022
Message. In Ukrainian cities occupied by Russia, people are returning to peaceful life.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Russia is conducting a dangerous information and psychological operation aimed at creating the illusion of stabilizing life in the territories occupied by Russian troops. "Most Russian media outlets have begun to spread the thesis that the occupied territories are "gradually returning to peaceful life," and news feeds are littered with headlines about life returning to peaceful life in Berdyansk, and in Melitopol or even Mariupol. However, such publications are part of a hostile operation to create an image of Russian military peacekeepers who, after a "forced war, restore order and bring peace. At the same time, such an image is attempted to be maintained by distributing humanitarian aid to the population," the Center said. in these cities, unfortunately, does not go.In the occupied territories, Russia continues to commit war crimes.In particular, create a humanitarian blockade, not allowing civilians in Mariupol to be evacuated to Ukraine, forcibly deporting people to Russian territory, or even mobilizing men into the Russian army.
29.04.2022
Message. Russians are very painful about the war in Ukraine and are held hostage to the situation.

In the Ukrainian segment of social networks, particularly in tektok, as well as in the media, excerpts of an interview Russian actor Smolyaninov gave in the program "Tell Gordeeva" circulate. He claims that, in fact, many Russians are worried about the war in Ukraine, but are afraid to go to rallies against the war and feel like hostages. When you're a hostage, you have two options: either run away if you can, or stay and love everything the way it is. And sing songs of praise. And the more you hate, the louder the songs," said Smolyaninov in an interview. Also in the interview, the actor remembered his relatives in Ukraine and how he spent his childhood here - with his grandparents. In addition, he added that despite what is happening in Ukraine, despite the killing of civilians and the terrible destruction of cities, he feels no guilt, because he did not make the decision to introduce troops into Ukraine. He believes that specific people are responsible for this. Those who signed the orders. The actor also to some extent excuses President Putin, saying that his whole life can be called a "special operation" and claiming that the decision to attack Ukraine was for Putin the result of the so-called search for enemies.

Note that recently there have been more and more posts on social media from famous Russians saying that they love Ukraine, have relatives, do not support the war and did not give orders to attack. In this way, society again wants to form an image of so-called good Russians who are not to blame for the war, do not support aggression, and supposedly cannot do anything about the fact that the Russian leadership decided to unleash the war. However, this is a crude manipulation created to distract the attention of Ukrainians from the atrocities of the Russians and to show again that Russians and Ukrainians are brotherly peoples who are ready to sympathize with each other. In reality, many Russians support Russian aggression against Ukraine. Such a conclusion can be drawn from sociological and journalistic surveys of Russians. It is also obvious that Russians are not trying to stop the war in Ukraine, because the rallies that took place in the first weeks of the war were numerous, and now they have stopped altogether. Not just Putin is to blame for the war in Ukraine, but every Russian and Russian woman. Read more of this story from the Detector Media.
29.04.2022
Message. Putin may use nuclear weapons, and Kiev will suffer an inevitable defeat.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Russia is again resorting to manipulation of the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. In particular, Russia is using former U.S. Defense Secretary adviser Douglas MacGregor for informational blackmail. "This Western-oriented expert spreads narratives about the "inevitable defeat of Kiev," Russia's "invincible army," and intimidates the world that "Putin may use nuclear weapons." On April 22, on U.S. Fox News, McGregor predicted that further arms supplies to Ukraine would seemingly lead to an escalation on Russia's part. In McGregor's opinion, Ukraine must give Russia Crimea and Donbass so that the path does not have to "launch a nuclear strike. On April 25, in an interview with the Spanish publication El Mundo, D. McGregor stressed that allegedly supplying Ukraine with weapons was a waste of resources because, for reasons unspoken by the "expert," "Kiev is doomed," according to the Center. In fact, this is not the first time Russia has intimidated the world with the use of nuclear weapons and its almost the strongest army. However, as we can see, the Ukrainian army gives a decent response to the Russian one. Thus, by intimidation method, Russian propaganda as if it wants to hide its defeats, showing that they have not yet used all the weapons from their arsenal.
29.04.2022
Fake. In order not to go to Ukraine and not to be in danger, CNN journalists filmed the fire in Canada and said it was footage of the aftermath of the airstrike in Lviv.

Information about this spread on social networks. Such reports claim that CNN filmed a fire in the city of Edmonton in Canada and stated that the video depicts the aftermath of the Russian airstrike in Lviv. According to the logic of the authors of the report, the proof of the fabricated report allegedly is that the video shows a man dressed in a jacket with the inscription "Edmonton." However, this is not true, and the video was not made in Canada. "The video does indeed depict a fire at an oil depot and defense plant in Lviv, and the protective suit labeled "Edmonton" is donated firefighting equipment from a Canadian charity," VoxCheck writes.
29.04.2022
Fake. Russia had nothing to do with the forcible deportation of Ukrainians.

This is the thesis spread by Russian propagandists, claiming that Russia "adhered" to the rights of Ukrainians during the war, which Russia itself unleashed in Ukraine. According to StopFake, Russian "experts" complain that Russia "constantly" organizes humanitarian corridors for evacuations, but "Ukrainians intimidated by the West are afraid to use them. Russia also "categorically denies" that the Russian military was involved in the mass abuse of Ukrainians and the forced deportation of civilians to Russia. "In fact, a number of major media outlets, human rights organizations and global institutions are already collecting and processing data on countless war crimes committed by Russia on Ukrainian territory. A number of facts of illegal hijacking of Ukrainian civilians by Russian security forces, as well as facts of forced deportation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia have already been established," the fact checkers write. More details.
29.04.2022
Fake. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was the first to start a war with Russia.

Information about this spread in social networks, they say President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was planning a war with Russia, so Kiev had to prepare for it in advance. Such reports quote Zelensky's interview with the BBC, published on April 15. However, this is not true. As StopFake fact checkers write, Zelenskyy's words were taken out of context: he did not say that Ukraine had started a conflict with Russia. The interview said that Ukraine was preparing for a Russian invasion. More details.
23.04.2022
Fake. Mobile communications and the Internet can be used for free.

Messages are circulating in social networks that it seems possible to take advantage of free tariffs from mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone, Lifecell and others. To find out the instructions, you have to follow the link offered by the telegram feeds. And if you follow it, you will have to subscribe to another channel. And after that, it will be possible to find out how not to pay for mobile communications and the Internet.

In fact, mobile operators do not provide the listed services for free. Operator Vodafone Ukraine used to provide free gigabytes and minutes to subscribers who could not recharge their accounts only at the beginning of the war (24.02-25.02.2022). Now Vodafone on the contrary asks to recharge in advance in order to maintain communication in the regions of military operations and join charity actions.

Kyivstar asks its customers to recharge, if possible, for three months in advance. It will help maintain the performance of the network, provide services to those who can't pay the bill, and conduct free Wi-Fi in bomb shelters. They also ask to join the charity fund by transferring at least 10 hryvnias.
22.04.2022
Disclosure. Russian propaganda messages are deleted after an average of two minutes.

Margarita Simonyan admitted that any propaganda videos produced by RT are deleted on average in two minutes on social networks.

"The problem is that we are blocked everywhere, everyone is under sanctions, so it doesn't matter whether it's our own brand or another brand, they immediately find where their ears grow from and immediately cover it up, two minutes is the average life of our video." To spread its own propaganda, RT plans to post videos of prisoners and civilians it records in Russian-occupied territories, translate them into European languages, and encourage Russians to spread them in personal messages to people living in Europe. She called this attempt to spread Russian propaganda a "people's information militia."

"There is no other way out - centrally on other platforms it doesn't work. We are being burned out." Recall that most of the recordings of captives and citizens forcibly removed to Russia were recorded under pressure and under the supervision of the FSB.
22.04.2022
Fake. Lviv schoolchildren lined up in a swastika for Hitler's birthday.

Russian Telegram channels have massively spread a photo of what seems to be Lviv schoolchildren lined up in a swastika on Hitler's birthday on April 20. In fact, the photo is not just of Lviv schoolchildren, not Lviv, not Ukraine, not 2022, and not even a swastika. This photo was taken on April 12 in Penza during a flash mob where local schoolchildren and young people lined up in two numbers 5 to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight into space. You can see it better here:
22.04.2022
Message. Ukrainian cities must be surrendered without a fight to save "the beauties and people".

Telegram channels controlled by Russian special services, in particular Legitimny, are spreading a new message: it is necessary to surrender Ukrainian cities without a fight, because "Russia will get its own anyway," that is, occupy Ukrainian territories - but let it be better "like in Kherson than in Mariupol. ". At the same time, the messages of the telegram channels promote two theses: first, the occupied territories are "not bad," "social payments" are distributed there, and "almost everything works. Secondly, there is no point in resisting because Russia will win anyway.

Recall that the consequences of Russia's occupation of any Ukrainian cities are hundreds of murdered and tortured civilians, systematic kidnappings of activists and representatives of any government agencies, mass rapes, mass graves and looting or raiding.
22.04.2022
Fake. The Vatican has become the first European country to buy Russian gas in rubles.

Russian media reported, citing sources, that the Vatican Bank paid the equivalent of 10 million euros for Russian gas in rubles. However, the only source of this information is a tweet by user Mariia Ledovska.

The user later wrote that her tweet, which went viral, was a joke. There is no evidence of the Vatican payment or any intention of the state to pay for gas in rubles.
22.04.2022
Manipulation.Macron said the embargo on Russian gas is not negotiated in the EU.

The Russian mass media are spreading news with the headlines "Not discussed" and its variants, which have to refer to French President Emanuel Macron that the embargo on Russian gas is not discussed in Europe.

In fact, this is manipulation: first, Macron, in an interview with Corriere della Sera said that the issue of gas may not be on the table in the EU (or maybe not) "This issue that may be on the table, but not yet today. Coal and oil are already being negotiated, gas is not yet. We know what enormous difficulties it causes. That's why you've been hearing me insist on European energy sovereignty for years.

Secondly, the gas embargo is constantly being negotiated in the EU. Yes, Macron himself insists that France supports this embargo and does not actually depend on Russian gas. Lithuania has already completely abandoned Russian gas, even Germany, which has been increasing its dependence on Russian gas for the last 8 years, is planning to do this next year (although Germany and Hungary are the two countries most likely to vote against the gas embargo proposal this year, should such a project appear on the EU ballot. So giving up Russian gas is one of the issues constantly being discussed in the EU - and some countries are already refusing to use oil and gas from Russia on their own.
21.04.2022
Fake. Minister of Culture of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko offered the "Soviet" theater director from Lithuania Rimas Tuminas to stage a play at the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Drama Theater.

Such information is spreading in social networks. Rimasu Tuminasu is a Lithuanian director, but for many years he lived in Russia, received state awards there and staged performances in theaters. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy denies information about cooperation with him. "The person represented by the Assistant Minister in the above disinformation reports is neither an assistant, nor an advisor, nor an employee of the Ministry. We should also note that no such decisions were made or even discussed by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Moreover, the ICIP has consistently opposed any cooperation with "Soviet" artists who have worked most of their lives in Russia. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has already informed the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania that this is a fake. Now we are finding out who ordered this disinformation campaign and do not exclude the Russian authorship of this fake", reads the report.
21.04.2022
Manipulation. "Ukraine is rapidly losing the legacy of the USSR," and will lose geopolitical advantages after the Russian offensive, and with them Western support.

Anonymous telegram channels have spread the message that postwar Ukraine will be a poor agrarian country, losing its mineral deposits and its position on the raw materials market. DiXi Group analyst Serhii Yevtushok thinks the theses are manipulative. "On the contrary, there is reason to argue that it is highly likely that Ukraine will get an even bigger boost in the development of the extractive sector in relation to minerals such as uranium, titanium and other critical mineral products after the war is over," he said. The analyst added that over the past few years Ukraine has been developing programs for exploration and production of critical minerals and a list of them has been determined. The National Program for Development of the Mineral Resource Base of Ukraine until 2030 was updated in 2021, which provides for permanent financing of geological exploration and increase of production of critical minerals. Also signed a memorandum with the EU, according to which Ukraine will attract investment for the development of the industry of critical raw materials, primarily for the production of batteries.

"Given the sanctions and the withdrawal of many companies, including service companies, the raw materials extracted from Russia will eventually become uncompetitive and will be forced out of the world markets. And the development of Ukrainian subsoil will allow, over time, to replace Russia's niche in the market," he summarized.
21.04.2022
Fake. The Russian military seized Rubizhne in Luhansk Region.

The information that Russian troops "liberated" Rubezhnoye in the Luhansk region are spread by propaganda media referring to the data of the Russian Ministry of Defense. "'The 56th day of the special operation of the Russian armed forces was marked by a dismissal in the LNR," propagandists report. However, this is not true. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the CNBO, according to the General Staff of Ukraine, on the 56th day the enemy tried to gain a foothold in the western and northwestern parts of Rubizhne, but was defeated. "This is the third such 'liberation' by the occupiers of Rubizhne, based on information from the Russian Ministry of Defense. This settlement first came under the control of the invaders on March 1. On March 18, Russian propaganda again reported the liberation of Rubezhnoye and even its "mopping up" from the AFU. On March 20, the head of the Luhansk regional military administration, Serhii Haidai, denied information about the occupation of Rubizhne," the Center reported.
21.04.2022
Manipulation. Mykolaiv may be in the zone of an epidemiological disaster due to the disconnection of the central water supply.

This is the thesis disseminated by Russian propaganda media, claiming that in Ukrainian Mykolaiv utilities are not working yet and there is no water supply. In such reports, Russian media and telegram channels refer to sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense. In fact, the water situation in Mykolaiv is not yet the best, but the propagandists' claim of an epidemiological disaster is a manipulation. According to the Mykolaiv city council, as a result of Russian bombardment since the beginning of the war, the CCP " Mykolaivvodokanal" suffered damage of almost 12 million hryvnia. The sewage treatment facilities, the water pipeline and three sewage pumping stations were damaged. From the shelling of the Russian marauders seriously injured the employee of the enterprise, the team works daily in a high-risk environment to restore the comfort of the citizens. That is, the water problem in the city arose not because of the negligence of Ukrainian utility workers, but because of the shelling and bombing of the Russian army, which is doing everything to destroy the Ukrainian infrastructure. According to the city council, in Mykolaiv, residents are distributed water to different districts of the city, so we are not talking about a catastrophe yet.
21.04.2022
Manipulation. May 9 was cancelled in Ukraine.

The thesis of this is dispersed by Russian propagandists. In particular, Vladimir Solovyov reports in his telegram channel that Ukraine has decided to abolish May 9, and in confirmation of this, he adds a document allegedly registered in the Verkhovna Rada. law, according to which May 8 is the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, and May 9 is a working day. people's deputies registered April 18 the bill actually proposes to celebrate the Memorial Day of all victims of Nazism during World War II, May 8 and 9 with other EU countries to celebrate Europe Day, not yet adopted.

According to State Special Communications Service of Ukraine, for decades now, May 9 has been the focus of the new fascist ideology of the Russian state. It is safe to say that most of today's Russian national identity is based on the victory in World War II, which Russia attributes exclusively to itself. All ideas of Russian exceptionalism, "God-given right to rule" and Russian imperial superiority over other nations have been carefully constructed from the foundation of that same victory, turning what should be a celebration of life and peace into a macabre ritual. We don't want to be a part of it," the agency said.
21.04.2022
Disclosure. Relatives of servicemen who serve in military units receive calls from intruders and offer to release their loved ones from captivity for a financial reward.

According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine the Navy, taking advantage of the emotional state of relatives and loved ones of military personnel, the attackers call from hidden numbers and offer to facilitate the release of their loved ones from captivity for a monetary reward. ""Thus, the attackers also want to know the personal data of Ukrainian defenders. Representatives of military authorities or state institutions do not collect funds! The issues of the release of prisoners of war are in the exclusive competence of the state authorities only," the message reads. "
21.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian Armed Forces plan to stage a provocation and fire on Orthodox churches on Easter night.

This information is disseminated in the Russian propaganda media. In particular, it was published in the news agency RIA Novosti and in pro-Russian telegram channels. The report said that the Ukrainian military planned to open fire on Orthodox churches on the night of Easter, April 23-24, in several regions of Ukraine - Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odessa, and Sumy. This fake was denied by Serhii Leshchenko, advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine. "I warn you, this is a typical pattern of behavior of Russian propaganda - to blame others for what they are going to do themselves. Ukraine does not intend to commit such actions in these or other areas, to kill civilians, especially on Easter night," he said.
21.04.2022
Fake. Oleksii Arestovych was fired from the Office of the President.

This is the information spread by pro-Russian anonymous telegrams. However, it is not true. The fake was denied by Serhii Leshchenko, advisor to the head of the Office of the President, during his briefing on Russian propaganda on April 20. "This is not true. Oleksii Arestovych holds his position. Moreover, today, on this day, he also gave a briefing at the Office of the President. Don't believe the Russian state propagandists," Leshchenko said.
21.04.2022
Manipulation. European buyers have begun to pay Russia for gas in rubles - according to a new scheme.

This is the information spread by the Russian propaganda media. In particular, the publication RIA-news, as well as - pro-Russian telegrams on channels. The reports say that the euro exchange rate "fell" and the Russian ruble "strengthened" because Europeans seem to pay for gas in rubles. The Center for counteraction to disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council denies such information.

"The new scheme that Putin tried to sell to the EU countries provides for the buyers to open a new foreign currency and ruble account with Gazprombank. That is, European countries have to pay for gas to a "passthrough" company, which would convert the currency into rubles and transfer the "wood" to Gazprom's account. Most EU countries refused to participate in such a "scheme. In particular, Italy and Germany - the largest consumers of Russian gas in Europe - refused to pay in rubles, arguing that it contradicted the terms of existing contracts. Among the "European buyers," Hungary and Moldova agreed to the Kremlin's gamble," according to the Center.
21.04.2022
Manipulation. The World Bank and the UN cannot agree on how many poor people Ukraine will have by the end of this year.

Social networks are actively spreading information that allegedly the World Bank and the UN are arguing about how many poor people Ukraine will have by the end of 2022. There are only two variants: 70 or 90%. According to VoxCheck, such statements about disputes are manipulation, because it is impossible to compare the estimates of the World Bank and the UN. The fact is.

The World Bank indicates that the poverty rate in Ukraine may reach 70% in 2022 by the national poverty rate. For comparison, the World Bank indicates that in 2021 the figure was 18%. The UNDP, the U.N. Development Program is looking at four possible scenarios, the worst of which could see the level of those living below the poverty line and those who could cross it reach 90.5% if the war drags on during the next year. "Of that 90.5%, the UN worst-case scenario puts 28% below the poverty line and 62.5% likely to cross the poverty line. Before the war the UN estimated that 2% of Ukraine's population lived below the poverty line and 43.4% could cross the poverty line According to the three other UN scenarios, the level of those living below the poverty line and those who could cross the poverty line could be 53.8% (4.2% below the poverty line and 49.7% could cross the line), 60.9% (6.4% and 54.5% respectively) or 64.5% (9% and 55.5%). The UN takes the international poverty rate - $5.5/day ( for those who can cross the poverty line - $5.5 to 13/day) - rather than the national rate, as the World Bank does. , the forecast is based on a time when there was still active fighting in the north of Ukraine. However, the course of the war is changing daily, so it is difficult to make any predictions at such an early stage," the fact checkers say.
20.04.2022
Manipulation. Ukrainians are forbidden to cross the border with internal passports.

Information about this is actively spreading in social networks. They say that since April 18, Ukrainians to cross the border with the countries of the European Union in the war must have a foreign passport. They say that, except in rare cases, they will no longer be able to travel with their internal Ukrainian documents. As the fact-checkers of the "Lozhnik" project write, such messages are spreading in particular in the Volyn segment of Facebook. Information that Ukrainians will now cross the border only with a foreign passport and indeed appeared in the media, however, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the possibility of crossing the border by citizens of Ukraine on internal passports continued. "This decision was made, given the situation on the territory of Ukraine during martial law, when the citizens of Ukraine can not quickly and timely issue a passport of a citizen of Ukraine to travel abroad (foreign passport)," - assure the Ministry. They add that it is due to humanitarian circumstances and the previously reached agreements with neighboring countries, the employees of the border department will pass citizens of Ukraine, including with the internal passport document. This applies to all citizens, regardless of the regions from which they are coming. That is, as of April 20, Ukrainians can travel abroad without a passport.
20.04.2022
Manipulation. The U.S. is unable to replace Russian gas supplies to the EU.

This information is spread in the propaganda media and telegram channels. Propagandists claim that the U.S. will not be able to replace Russian gas supplies to the EU if Russia stops doing so. However, this is manipulation. According to the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, the total volume of liquefied gas production in the USA makes 120 billion cubic meters a year, and by 2025 it will increase by another 70 billion cubic meters. Projects with a combined production of 206 billion cubic meters of gas have already received federal permits in the U.S. Last month, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen announced an agreement with Joe Biden under which the U.S. will increase additional supplies of liquefied gas to the EU to 50 billion cubic meters a year. These supplies will gradually replace EU imports from Russia, which last year totaled 155 billion cubic meters of gas. The task set by Europe to eliminate dependence on Russian gas is designed to level out the intentions of the Russian leadership to use energy supplies to the EU as leverage," the Center said in a statement.
20.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are creating a new call center and looking for employees with an anti-Russian stance.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Russian propagandists are spreading information that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are creating a call center and looking for workers there. "It is reported that the social networks are recruiting on behalf of the AFU to special call centers. The main selection criteria are knowledge of the Russian language and mandatory anti-Russian views. The tasks of the workers: to distribute fake messages about the bombing of Russian civilian facilities," the Center reported. The Center says that the "Kyiv regime" is thus creating a cyber army that will be equated with a terrorist organization because it will carry out sabotage and provocations in peaceful Russia.
20.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military was receiving data to correct fire from OSCE cameras.

This is the information spread by the Russian propagandist media. The reports assure that the OSCE SMM was involved in transmitting military data to the AFU about the location of enemy forces and correcting strikes on their positions. The media claim that the data was transmitted from OSCE surveillance cameras. According to StopFake, accusations against the OSCE of providing the Ukrainian Armed Forces with coordinates of military targets through video cameras are unfounded. "StopFake studied the Russian media stories and found obvious inconsistencies. "The evidence shown in the stories does not indicate that the OSCE was involved in correcting the fire of the AFU on the positions of the Russian troops. The video footage shown as confirmation was made in another area before the OSCE cameras were capable of shooting video at long distances - the OSCE used long-range UAVs for this purpose," the fact checkers wrote. Read more.
20.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military is looting appliance stores.

According to "Gromada Vostok", the Kremlin propagandists spread a photo, which shows the AFU military allegedly looting an appliance store in Kharkiv. However, the Ukrainian military did not rob the store. The photo used by propagandists appeared in the Ukrainian media back in March. This photo was taken after the shelling in Kharkiv on March 15, when police and TRO personnel were moving the store's goods to safety so that it would not be stolen by looters.
20.04.2022
Disclosure. Attackers offer Ukrainians 200 hryvnia for voting in an alleged "online battle" between the TV channels "1+1" and "Inter".

According to MediaSapiens, offers to vote for one of the TV channels are sent to users in personal messages. In the text of the message they add a link to "voting," which was created through Russian Tilda. However, the message does not describe the conditions, reasons, or other details of the so-called voting. Fraudsters only offer to choose between "1+1" and "Inter", and then ask to log into your Instagram account and enter your data to enter the social network It is clear that people do not get any money after that, because this is a typical fraudulent scheme. According to MediaSapiens, after that users' accounts are hacked and messages are sent to their pages "with a request to lend 3,000 hryvnias".
20.04.2022
Manipulation. Ukraine will be worse off when Russia begins to do to Ukrainian infrastructure what Ukraine did to Crimea.

Messages with such content are distributed in pro-Russian telegram channels. In particular, such messages can be found on the "Skooy Woman" channel. The authors of the text seem to be asking what awaits Ukraine and the Ukrainians, when Russian troops start bombing thermal power plants or power lines, or destroying coal reserves. Thus, the authors lead to the idea that the enemy has not yet done the worst in Ukraine, because so far he allegedly does not destroy infrastructure facilities, but only "" Ukraine itself undermines its own bridges. There is also an element of intimidation in such reports, saying that Russia's real war against Ukraine has not even started yet, and that you "dread to think" what will happen when Russia does to Ukraine what we did to Crimea. For example, cutting off electricity and spicy water." In fact, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, February 24, Russia has been striking Ukrainian infrastructure facilities: these include oil towers, TV towers, airports, railway stations and tracks. The enemy is targeting facilities not only in those cities where combat operations are ongoing, but also in conditionally peaceful ones in the west of the country. In addition to the enemy destroying Ukrainian facilities, the Russian military also massively abuses civilians in Ukraine. Another claim regarding Ukraine's bullying of Crimean residents is crude manipulation like the messaging that the war began as a result of "'the Ukrainian government has been bullying the inhabitants of Donbass for eight years. Read more about such messages in the text of Media Detector.
20.04.2022
Disclosure. The video of "that terrible explosion at Azovstal," which is being circulated by pro-Russian telegram channels, turned out to be old.

Throughout April 19, the Russian propaganda media and pro-Russian telegram channels were actively spreading the video of "that terrible explosion at Azovstal." In particular, it appeared in the "Trukha-Ukraine" telegram channel. The short video does indeed show something exploding, but it is not an explosion at the Azovstal plant, but explosions at ammunition depots in Balakleya, which occurred in 2017. The fake video was brought to the attention of Toronto Television. Previously, the Russian occupants struck Azovstal with super-heavy air bombs. There were at least 1,000 civilians in the underground shelters of the steel mill. According to Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov regiment, the Mariupol plant was bombed and destroyed almost completely, Ukrainian fighters are pulling people out from under the rubble. As a reminder, Russian TV channels, including the Russian Ministry of Defense channel, are spreading information that there are allegedly no civilians hiding in the shelters of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. They try to convince us that the video with the civilians was not filmed at the plant, but "in other shelters. This is not the first time that Russia has assured that there are no civilians in the facilities it hits. In this way the Russian Ministry of Defense seeks to justify the crimes of its military on the territory of Ukraine. However, this always turns out to be untrue and peaceful people are killed by Russian strikes.
20.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine is planning to disguise its employees in the uniform of the occupants and arrange the shooting of the local population in Odesa region.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, such information is spreading on the network the other day. They say that the Ukrainian army will arrange staging in order to discredit the Russian. In such messages, the authors of the anonymous telegram channels refer to the data of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Security Service of Ukraine denies such information. As a reminder, Russian propaganda has already repeatedly reported about the so-called provocations of the Ukrainian army, and after some time committed war crimes at the locations mentioned in the messages. Such provocations by Russia are sometimes reported by the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. In particular, Russia recently reported about so-called terrorist attacks from Ukraine on Russian territory. According to the Center, the enemy may commit a series of terrorist acts on the Russian border consolidation of Russians against Ukrainians.
20.04.2022
Fake. Azov attacked a humanitarian convoy.

Social networks and pro-Russian telegram channels spread a video in which the Azov regiment allegedly attacked a convoy of civilian vehicles with humanitarian aid in Mariupol. "No armored cars and tanks, these ghouls saw what convoy was being attacked!" Horrific footage of the Nazi massacre as proof of the crimes of the Nazi ghouls," the reports said.

According to StopFake, this video accusing Azov of attacking a humanitarian convoy was also published in some anonymous telegram channels masquerading as "pro-Ukrainian." In particular, we are talking about the "Sheptun" channel, the moderators of which, according to the Ukrainian Security Service, are employees of the Russian special services. "Claims that the Azov regiment attacked a humanitarian convoy are unfounded and false. This is confirmed by the video footage, which clearly shows - civilian vehicles were moved by Russian military," the fact checkers write. Recall that Russian propaganda calls Azov Nazis and constantly makes up fakes to discredit them and justify their crimes in Ukraine with the so-called fight against Nazis. For example, the Russian military destroyed a maternity hospital in Mariupol under the pretext that "Nazis from Azov" were stationed there. Read more.
20.04.2022
Fake. Russia rescued Turkish citizens who were held captive in Ukraine in Mariupol.

Russian propaganda media have been spreading information about this for several days in a row. Reports say that the Russian army in Mariupol "freed Turkish hostages from Ukrainian captivity" in a mosque in Mariupol. it is reported that the "special operation to rescue Turkish citizens" was carried out at the personal request of Turkish President Erdogan, who asked Russian authorities "to release people held by militants in the building of the mosque.

According to StopFake, the mosque in question is that of Sultan Suleyman Magnificent and his wife Roksolana in Mariupol, which in March served as a shelter for Turkish citizens and Muslims of other nationalities from Russian shelling.

Fact checkers note that the head of the Suleyman Magnificent Mosque Association, Ismail Hacioğlu, denied Russian statements about "rescuing Turkish citizens from Ukrainian captivity." According to him, there were no Turkish citizens in the Mariupol mosque and there was no one to "rescue" there. "Hacioğlu also said that a total of 24 Turkish citizens with their families are in the city, all of whom have been held in temporarily Russian-occupied areas of Mariupol for more than four weeks," writes StopFake.
20.04.2022
Disclosure. Fraudsters swindle money from Ukrainians by assuring them that every Ukrainian can get a refund of value-added tax from 7,000 hryvnias.

Reports that Ukrainians can get back the value added tax they paid are spreading in social networks. In particular in Facebook. Messages of such content appear in the network not for the first time. In a message advertised on Facebook, a page called UA News with stolen branding TSN informs that "every resident of Ukraine can get a refund of value added tax from 7000 to 90 000 hryvnia". And in order to get the money, you need to follow the link and click "get compensation." "Next, you are assured that you are on the official website of the authorized unit for financial protection of the population - EKC PNGK. Probably, you mean the Unified Compensation Center for the Return of Unpaid Monetary Funds, which does not exist in Ukraine! Scammers engage in phishing, because they ask you to specify an email and the last six digits of the bank card number you use most often (!). Of course if you use it often, there is most likely money on it. The purpose of such scheme is to trick you into giving out your personal confidential data. Most likely, having specified this data, the next step is to enter the card expiration date and CVV2 code. Thus, the attackers will get access to all the funds in the account", - write the fact checkers of the project "Brekhunets".
20.04.2022
Fake. Every Ukrainian woman and child will receive weekly cash aid.

This information is distributed in anonymous telegram channels. In particular, on the channel "News of Ukraine 24/7". Each Ukrainian woman and child will receive weekly certain monetary aid, and in addition, people will also be able to receive financial assistance from the United Nations - five thousand hryvnias.

As the fact checkers of the "Brekhunets" project write, this is not true. There is no information about this on the official resources of the Ukrainian authorities. Accordingly, we can conclude that the message is false. "As for monetary support to Ukrainians from the UN, indeed, on April 15, the government of Ukraine and the United Nations launched two programs for payments to internally displaced persons in need of additional protection," the fact checkers report.
19.04.2022
Manipulation. Ukrainian servicemen are not paid their salaries.

Anonymous pro-Kremlin telegram channels spread a video allegedly showing a soldier of one of the brigades of the Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine complaining about non-payment of salaries. The command of the Airborne Assault Troops of the AFU denied this information, noting that it was a discredit attempt, "containing elements of hybrid information warfare and all signs of information and psychological influence." "All information or possible problematic questions of service and social nature that come from our soldiers - the leadership of the military units and the command of the Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - are immediately taken for consideration and appropriate measures are taken," the Command reported and added that their units "are provided with ultramodern weapons and combat equipment, all the necessary material means."

"Media Detector" asked for a comment from the brigade referred to in the video. Note that the thesis of "non-payment of salaries to the Ukrainian military" is not the first time spread since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine - for example, read about the fake "Ukraine does not pay salaries to the military.
19.04.2022
Fake.Ukrainian military uses ambulances to transport armed soldiers.

The Russian media and the Russian Foreign Ministry are spreading information that the Ukrainian army is using ambulances to transport armed soldiers. Along with the thesis that the Ukrainian military is allegedly hiding in ambulances, they spread a fragment of the Al Jazeera story, which "accidentally filmed armed men in camouflage getting out of the ambulance" allegedly in Nikolaev. According to StopFake, Russian media only show a short excerpt from the nearly three-minute Al Jazeera report in order to conceal the full context. In fact, the story was filmed not in Nikolaev, but in Kiev during the evacuation of civilians from Irpen in late March. The Ukrainian military accompanied the evacuees and ensured their safety en route. In his inclusion, Al Jazeera reporter Mahmoud Zaibak says that the Ukrainian army helped with the evacuation. In addition, on March 27, The Washington Post published an article and video report on the evacuation from Irpen. Judging by the visual elements of the report, it was filmed in the same place as the Al Jazeera story.
19.04.2022
Fake. All recordings of conversations between Russian soldiers and their relatives that were rehashed by the SBU are a ruling.

The Russian propaganda has been spreading this thesis since the Security Service of Ukraine started to publish re-recorded conversations with relatives and friends. On September 12, the SBU released the first recording of a conversation between a Russian soldier and his girlfriend, in which she said to him: "You go ahead and rape Ukrainian women, do not tell me anything". Radio Liberty journalists were able to identify the soldier and his girlfriend. They are Roman and Olga Bikovski, they are from Oryol region, but they have been living in the occupied Crimea for the last few years. Journalists called their friends to get samples of their voices - they are the same as in the "tapes". Read the investigation here.

In early March 2022, the British company ShadowBreak Intl announced that they obtained access to a large amount of data on the radio communications of the Russian troops fighting against Ukraine. At the same time, the company said that the Russian troops often use mobile phones, and their communications are not encrypted, so a lot of conversations can be overheard.
19.04.2022
Fake. Zelenskyy put a rooster from the bombed-out house in Borodyanka in his office.

An anonymous telegram channel spread information that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put in his office a rooster from the bombed out house in Borodyanka - he allegedly decided not to buy a popular rooster, but took the surviving figure from Borodyanka. There is indeed a ceramic cockerel in the president's office. However, the figure was given to him by Liera Polianskova, a Kharkiv artist, during a walk in the center of Kiev together with the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, writes "Across the News. At the same time, a rooster from Borodyanka and a kitchen cabinet, which became a symbol of war, were given to the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity with the permission of the owner of the apartment. Read more about the history of the photo that became the meme "How are you, kitchen cupboard?" here.
19.04.2022
Fake. Russia is launching missile strikes against Ukrainian military bases.

An anonymous telegram channel controlled by Russian secret services spread the thesis that Russia had launched missiles allegedly at "Ukraine's military bases" on the evening of April 18, when an air alert was declared throughout Ukraine. The AFU General Staff reported that Russia was launching missile and aviation strikes against civilian objects throughout Ukraine. For example, on the night of April 19, two Russian occupants' missiles flew into the territory of a zoo in Mykolaiv.
19.04.2022
Fake. Ukrainians lie about civilians hiding at Azovstal.

Russian TV channels, including channels of the Russian Ministry of Defense, are spreading information that civilians are allegedly not hiding in the shelters of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. They try to convince us that the video with the civilians was filmed not at the plant, but "in other shelters. To this thesis, the propagandists add only some screenshots from one video, without recording. At the same time, they do not mention or add many other videos of hiding in the factory. In fact, Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov Regiment, and Mykhailo Vershynin, head of the Donetsk Region Patrol Police, stated that hundreds of civilians were at the Azovstal plant. Moreover, the Center to Counter Disinformation pointed out that the day before, Russian propagandists themselves wrote that Azov plant seemed to be "holding civilians of all ages, including children, hostage. This is a manipulation that Russia often uses to justify many cases of violations of laws and customs of war by the Russian military (more than 7,000 criminal cases have been opened) - but it is also proof that Russia knows there are civilians at the plant when it shells Azovstal.
19.04.2022
Fishing. State organizations are being sent malicious emails using the subject line "Azovstal" in Mariupol.

Ukraine's government emergency response team CERT-UA has warned that malefactors are sending emails to Ukrainians and Ukrainian government organizations with the subject line "Urgent! Azovstal Unblocking Urgent! Unblocking Azovstal." Sheets have an attachment in the form of an XLS document "Military on Azovstal.xls", which contains a macro. When you open the document and activate the macro, the computer will be affected by the Cobalt Strike Beacon malware.
19.04.2022
Fake. The red paint used in the lake near the Russian Embassy in Vilnius is harmful to the ecosystem of the reservoir.

Russian users of social networks spread information that the red paint used in the lake near the Russian embassy in Vilnius is allegedly harmful for the ecosystem of the reservoir. In fact, the paint is not harmful to animals or plants. The action was held on April 6 in Vilnius to draw attention to the crimes of Russia in Ukraine.

According to VoxCheck, a representative of the police of Vilnius district, Julia Zamorokovska, reported that the protest had been coordinated with the environmental inspectors. The representative of Vilnius municipality Paulius Vaitekenas also confirmed that the paint does not harm the ecosystem of the lake. The paint used for the protest was similar to the paint used on St. Patrick's Day, when the waters of the Vilnius River (Vilniale) are painted green. This special paint is safe and environmentally friendly, and dissolves completely in water within 30 minutes. Read more.
19.04.2022
Fake. Russia shot down a plane near Odesa with the help of NATO.

Russian propaganda media circulated a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming that "Russian air defense forces near Odessa shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane in mid-air, which was delivering a large shipment of weapons to Ukraine supplied by Western countries. On April 18, a senior U.S. Defense Department official denied that Russia had managed to destroy the plane with help for Ukraine.
18.04.2022
Message. The Ukrainian authorities and the "collective West" are ready to give Donbass and all of Ukraine to the Russians, but with the infrastructure as devastated as possible.

Anonymous telegram channels insinuate the view that Ukraine is losing, fitting it into old anti-Western narratives and conspiracy theories. Propagandists write that Ukraine "abruptly started fighting for the Donbass," even though Ukrainian troops have been fighting for the country's integrity since 2014 uninterruptedly. In addition, Ukraine is moving toward the EU, and the "collective action," which anonymous telegram channels scare, returns its embassies to Kyiv, allocates millions in aid to Ukraine, and joins investigations into war crimes in Ukraine.
18.04.2022
Fake. French gendarmes arrived in Kyiv to cover up the traces of staged provocations.

By insinuating that Ukraine killed its own citizens in the Kiev region and staged crimes by the Russian army, Russian propaganda continued with an attempt to discredit the international investigation into war crimes. La croix writes that on April 11, a detachment of 16 experts from the Institute of Criminalistics of the National Gendarmerie (IRCGN) arrived in Ukraine to identify the victims and establish the causes of death at the scene directly. They are specialists in identification, ballistics and explosive engineering. It is known that other countries will join France in the investigation: the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany have pledged $2.7 million to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to support the investigation of war crimes committed in Ukraine. Lithuania, Poland and Germany are conducting their own investigations; Austria is also planning to do so.
18.04.2022
Fake. Russian troops found in Mariupol the passport of a "mercenary" from the USA, who fought for Ukraine and died.

Russian media wrote about the documents of "foreign mercenaries" found in a warehouse in Mariupol, including that one of them, the passport holder, died in the fighting and is buried in the west of Mariupol. Quintana Caesar denied his death in an interview with The Washington Post. He said that his passport was confiscated by police in Mariupol in December 2021 when he tried to smuggle his son out of the country. Read more on the StopFake website.
18.04.2022
Fake. U.S. scientists tested dangerous biologics on patients of a psychiatric hospital in Kharkiv.

The experiments became known allegedly from the documents revealed during the "special operation" and testimonies of "inhumane experiments", which are not named. StopFake reminded that information about clinical trials of foreign drugs in Ukraine is public, not secret. According to official data, on the basis of the hospital described by the Russian mass media, there were trials of a drug for schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, depression, etc. These are phase II and phase III studies, that is, with well-studied drugs. The research is done with the consent of the patient.
18.04.2022
Manipulation. "You were mentioned by the owner of a closed channel that publishes information without censorship, 18+, etc."

This is how readers are attracted to newly-formed telegram channels, writes the Spooner Project. The user seems to be exclusively invited to a closed channel, where "what cannot be shown on the main channel is published. In addition, the time of joining and the number of places in the channel are limited. In fact, it's just an ordinary subscription to a regular channel. Read more about Telegram manipulation
18.04.2022
Fake. "Another object mined by Russians during the retreat".

The photo was actively spreading on Twitter the other day, but Bellingcat investigators established that the photo was from Libya, not Ukraine. According to the original source, a toy bear with a homemade bomb containing a mortar shell tied to it was found in Tripoli in June 2020.

17.04.2022
Fake. State Emergency Situations Service reported on mine clearance of beaches in Odessa.

The Main Department of the State Emergencies Service of Odessa reported that it did not report any results of mine clearance. We remind you, look for information on the official pages of rescuers, and forwarded messages in messengers be sure to check.
17.04.2022
Manipulation. Crimean Tatars did not rebel in Crimea and did not do enough against the occupation of Kherson, remaining "in the shadows".

Anonymous telegram channels write that the Crimean Tatars are not staging protests against the occupiers, which the authorities allegedly expected them to do, and only Ukrainians are against it. Thus, the propagandists are trying to manipulate the opinion about Crimea and contrast the two peoples. Representatives of the Crimean Tatar community in Kherson Oblast and Crimea are systematically persecuted for resisting the occupants. On March 6, Crimean Tatars staged a protest in Novoalekseevka, Kherson Oblast. The Russians, on the other hand, conduct searches and detain activists, such as on April 15, Ukrinform writes. The Crimean Human Rights Group reminded that about 230 political prisoners are already serving sentences in prisons in Crimea, while throughout Russia this figure is ten times higher.
17.04.2022
Message. Separatism is flourishing, because we have not had time to assemble a united Ukraine.

Anonymous telegram channels disseminate theses about the alleged desire of large and self-sufficient communities to be as independent as possible, about the flourishing of separatism in Ukraine, as well as about the "hand of the Kremlin" and the great role of decentralization reform in this. The message is manipulative because "the flourishing of separatism" is not supported by any fact. According to a sociological study by the Razumkov Center on the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence, only 11% of citizens primarily associate themselves with the region in which they live, 19% with the locality, and 59% with Ukraine as a whole. The same study showed that 8% said that Ukrainians do not have anything in common.
17.04.2022
Disclosure. Russia uses deported Ukrainian children for propaganda.

The Kremlin media spread disinformation materials about how "the Ukrainian regime, imitating the Third Reich, sends children to war," according to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. For this purpose, they use videos imitating interviews with children deported from Ukraine during the war.
17.04.2022
Disclosure. The Russians are sending computer viruses allegedly on behalf of the SBU under the guise of instructions on how to act in the active phase of hostilities.

According to the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, the main targets of the enemy are first of all civil servants, whose phones, according to the occupiers, can be used to collect confidential information.
16.04.2022
Disclosure. Flyers are distributed in Kherson, where Ukrainians and "Western plans" are blamed for the war.

Russians in Kherson distribute false leaflets in which they convince that "the Russian armed forces are not at war with the Ukrainian people," and that the war began because of "Western plans" to destroy the Russian and Ukrainian peoples. The war itself is called an operation to eliminate the anti-people Kyiv regime.

The leaflets blame the Ukrainians themselves and their elected authorities for the Russian aggression: "the grief you have suffered is the result of the criminal policies of the Kiev regime.

Such actions by Russian propagandists are a direct admission that this war has nothing to do with the mythical "defense of Donbass. Its goal is the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and the occupation of all of Ukraine, the press service noted.

Ukrainians are urged to collaborate with the Russians and noted: "Do not think it will be quick and painless." This statement becomes especially relevant given that, according to satellite images from the company Planet Lab, at least 824 new graves have appeared in the city cemetery in Kherson during the occupation.

As of today, Ukrainian and international investigators are thoroughly investigating all the crimes committed by the Russians. They will be evidence for a special tribunal over both the direct perpetrators and the Russian top brass.
16.04.2022
Disclosure. Fraudsters created a fake charity website that steals personal financial data.

Fraudsters have created a fake website similar to the website of the "Help is easy!" program, which is a charity foundation of PrivatBank.

The bank's press service warns that the fake copy aims to steal personal financial data of Ukrainians.

"PrivatBank does not make benefit payments through websites! The bank's charity programs work to provide centralized assistance to the AFU and humanitarian organizations.

If you received notifications about such fakes, you should by no means follow the link to fraudulent resources! We do not work to stop and eliminate this and similar fraudulent resources," - say the bank.
16.04.2022
Manipulation. Biden is in very bad health, so he will not come to Ukraine.

The Russian media and pro-Kremlin telegram channels are reporting en masse that U.S. President Joe Biden is suffering from health problems, which is why he will not visit Ukraine. He seems to be a "puppet" and the country is run by those who are in the shadow of his "sick figure".

Such fakes intensified after Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine genocide and that the US president was ready to come to Ukraine.

On 14 April, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Joe Biden said that he was ready to personally come to Ukraine.

Later, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Joe Biden is "ready for anything," he is "ready to go to Ukraine. That's right. He is," but so far the White House is not sending the president to Ukraine.

She said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the eight-hour train ride "through a war zone" to get to central Ukraine. "So no, that's not part of the United States president's plan. We should all, perhaps, feel relieved about that. He's got a few more things to do," Psaki stated.

In March 2022, Biden visited Poland and the town of Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border. He expressed disappointment that he could not enter the country to see the consequences of the Russian invasion.

On April 14, U.S. Senator Steve Daines and members of the House of Representatives Victoria Spartz visited Kiev and its suburbs that have been occupied by Russian troops on Thursday, becoming the first U.S. officials to visit since the war began.
16.04.2022
Message. There will be a famine in Ukraine in the fall Russian propagandists are spreading the message that a famine will soon begin in Ukraine.

Andrei Isayev, a State Duma deputy from the United Russia party, said that Ukraine will have problems with the supply of food for the population, "the sowing season has failed, the roads are destroyed," "the Kiev regime will not solve this problem, and the West does not care about the fate of ordinary Ukrainians." Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solskyi said in an interview to "Ekonomichna Pravda" that Ukraine does not have and will not have any problem with food in the near future. We have reserves of basic products for several years, particularly oil - for many years. Sowing of spring crops continues in 23 regions of Ukraine, except Lugansk. As of April 14, the estimated sowing area of main spring crops for the harvest of 2022 on the territory controlled by Ukraine is 14 013 thousand ha, which is by 2 903.3 thousand hectares less than last year (16 916.3 thousand ha).

Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi said that there will be no shortage of basic foods, particularly eggs, poultry, milk and vegetables in the domestic market of Ukraine. There is no shortage of food in stores, except in cities that the Russians have blockaded or temporarily occupied. No humanitarian aid can be delivered there.

In addition, the World Food Program has already rolled out a large-scale humanitarian assistance to war-affected Ukrainians. So, in particular, contacts have been established with bakeries, flour mills and food industry enterprises in Ukraine to purchase goods in critical regions. We are talking about 40 thousand tons of food products. Seven warehouses were opened in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Odessa and Kropyvnytsky. And in Lviv, Vinnytsia and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts, cash assistance is provided to resettlers.
15.04.2022
Disclosure. The Kremlin lies about the voluntary departure of Ukrainians from the occupied territories to Russia

The Russian media and state officials, including Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova, lie that people who find themselves in Russia voluntarily go there from the occupied territories - both those occupied in the last 8 years and those seized during the 2022 invasion.

Numerous testimonies of people taken to Russia, as well as other facts, confirm that this is being done forcibly. First, the Russian military purposely blocks green corridors - and people have no choice but to leave the shelling for Russian territory. Second, they are placed in filtration camps, interrogated by FSB officers, have their documents and cell phones taken away, and are threatened to receive Russian publicity.

StopFake writes more about the forced removal of Ukrainians to the Russian Federation.
15.04.2022
Manipulation. Greece Refused to Supply Arms to Ukraine.

The Russian media have been reporting en masse over the past two days, April 14 and 15, that Greece has refused to supply weapons to Ukraine. On April 14, they referred to a statement by Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panayiotopoulos, and on April 15 to a statement by government spokesman Yanis Oikonomos. Both statements are interpreted in favor of supporting Russia, but this is not the case. First, Greece has already supplied Ukraine with weapons - Kalashnikov assault rifles and mobile anti-missile systems - and has no plans to do so in the future. Secondly, the defense minister explained that because of tense relations with Turkey, Greece could not supply Ukraine with additional weapons without risking weakening its own defense capabilities. Finally, Oikonomou's statement is related to publications in the Greek press, which claim that Greece has supplied weapons to Ukraine six times, and started doing so before the war began. It seems that Greece transferred "Stingers" and other weapons to NATO bases in Europe, and from there the weapons were already supplied to Ukraine. Oikonomou, answering questions from local journalists, stressed that Greece provided weapons to Ukraine once, after the start of the war - and actually refuted the inaccurate information.

Greece has also repeatedly stated that although no further arms supplies to Ukraine are planned, the country is trying to reduce its need for Russian gas as soon as possible. That is, statements by Greek officials do not indicate that their government supports Russia and its wars in Ukraine.

At the same time, both Ukrainian and Russian media selectively quote the results of a survey of Greek citizens, citing only the figure indicating that 66% of them are against arms supplies to Ukraine. But they don't cite other figures: 70% support Ukraine in this war, 60% support sanctions against Russia, 52% are in favor of creating an EU armed force.
15.04.2022
Message. The Russian warship was not damaged, and if it was, it was not severely damaged, and if it sank, it was due to the storm.

For two days, on April 14 and 15, after the news of the damage to the flagship Moskva surfaced, Russian media and government officials persistently promoted the message that the ship was okay. And if it was not, the reason was an accident. First there were reports that a shell had detonated on the ship, but the fire was localized, the ship was afloat, and the crew had been evacuated. The cause was said to be an accidental explosion or even smoking by the crew. On the evening of April 14, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the ship sank - but this was due to a storm during towing, although it was previously reported that the damage to the cruiser was minor.

Today, the Russian media, quoting State Duma deputy Zatulin, already reported that an unknown number of the crew "went with the ship," possibly including the captain of the Moskva among them.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military immediately reported that the cruiser was hit by a Ukrainian Neptun missile. The Pentagon found it difficult to say why the cruiser died, but said that other ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet had withdrawn at a distance from the Ukrainian coast. The Washington Post also confirmed today, citing a Pentagon official, that the ship had been hit by an anti-ship missile.

Despite the fact that Russia has not officially acknowledged that the Moskva was let down by the Ukrainian military, Russian telegram channels are spreading messages en masse about the "cruiser's death during the battle" and promising "revenge for the cruiser." Why it is necessary to take revenge for the ship, I on which someone had an unfortunate smoke, the messages do not explain. The reports also promote the thesis that the ship was not hit by a Ukrainian-made missile, but was hit by an unknown foreign-made NATO missile. Thus, the Russian media and propagandists, Alexander Kots among them, are spreading the narrative "Russia is not at war with Ukraine, but against NATO.

The Center for Strategic Communications of the ICMP reports that by constantly changing messages, Russian propaganda is trying to reduce the psychological effect of the defeat of the cruiser.
15.04.2022
Fake. A video emerged showing the Ukrainian military decomposing corpses in Bucha.

Another attempt by Russia to cover up the crime against humanity in which the Russian military must be involved. Russian media and anonymous telegram channels, distribute a fragment of an allegedly proving video: the Ukrainian military for the sake of staging the decomposition of the corpses of people on the streets of Bucha.

In reality, this is a primitive fake. The video disseminated by the Russian media is a fragment of documentary footage that was made by the international AP agency and disseminated back on April 2. It is shocking footage of the bodies of dead civilians lying in the streets of Bucha. The Ukrainian military, who already know that the Kafirs are bypassing the bodies of the Ukrainians, hook the corpses with a special rope and check whether the bodies will explode when they are moved. The Russian media simply cut out a small piece of this video and pass it off as proof of the incident..
15.04.2022
Fake. Mariupol theater exploded from inside - German journalist.

The Russian media and anonymous telegram channels, in particular Solovyov and Sputnik, spread information about "German journalist" Thomas Reaper, who visited Mariupol with a "press tour" conducted by Russian Kafirs. And it seems that he was shown the completely destroyed drama theater in Mariupol and the evidence that "the explosion occurred from inside" the building - that is, to blame the deaths of 300 people not on the Russian military that bombed the theater, but, as it seems, on the AFU. The source of this statement is the German journalist Thomas Raper.

In fact, Thomas Raper is not a journalist. He is a blogger who has lived in St. Petersburg since 1998, worked for Russian insurance companies, and now runs the Anti-Spiegel blog, where he systematically spreads fakes and narratives of Kremlin propaganda. For example, he claimed that "the photos of the victims in the Mariupol birthing center were staged," and made the same arguments as the Russian propaganda: that the girl blogger is an actress and was in all the footage made up and changed clothes several times, while there were no patients in the birthing center itself. We recall that later the blogger Marianna Pidgurskaya herself gave an interview to the Russian media, in which she confirmed that she had been a patient in the same maternity hospital, and no one had changed her clothes.

The German media had already drawn attention to Reaper and his spreading of lies about the war in Ukraine, and earlier about covid and vaccines.
15.04.2022
Fake. Romanian Red Cross refuses to supply humanitarian aid to Odessa due to corruption.

The Russian media and users of social networks write that the Romanian Red Cross allegedly refuses to supply humanitarian aid to the Odessa region because of "received facts" of embezzlement of humanitarian aid by the military administration of the region, including the head of the region, Maxim Marchenko. The publication StopFake contacted the Romanian Red Cross and the organization denied the fake. "The Romanian Red Cross cooperates with the Ukrainian Red Cross on the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid in the Chernivtsi, Odessa and Zakarpattia regions and plans to cooperate further to organize permanent aid," writes StopFake citing a Romanian Red Cross official.

Also the extension of humanitarian supply is evidenced by the organization's report of April 12, which reports on further assistance to victims of the war in Ukraine.
15.04.2022
Fake. U.S. scientists tested biological drugs on patients of a mental hospital in Kharkiv.

Russia continues to make up fakes about "biological weapons" which supposedly the Americans produced or developed in Ukraine. This time there is a new fake: Igor Kirillov, head of the radioactive, chemical and biological defense of the Russian Armed Forces, said that the Russians have evidence of "testing of potentially dangerous biological drugs" on patients of the Kharkov Regional Psychiatric Hospital #3. It seems that it was done by "American scientists from the laboratory in the city of Merefa".

This is a blatant fake, if only for a few reasons: no evidence of such a statement was provided. The Kharkov Regional Psychiatric Hospital is in a city where no Russian troops have ever entered. And finally, a reference laboratory for the study of animal pathogens and diseases was never built in Merefa - it was planned, yes. But Mykhailo Dobkin, as we know, stopped the project to build the laboratory back in 2013 - when he was governor. Read more about fictitious "U.S. military laboratories" in Ukraine in the materials of the Media Detector
14.04.2022
Message. Agriculture in Ukraine is suffering a blow. Serious problems await this industry.

This assertion is being actively circulated in pro-Russian telegram channels. They say that large agricultural companies are reducing their production and closing down, and that the cultivation of new food products may not take place because of the war. In fact, according to official data voiced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, even under war conditions, sowing has begun in all but one region of the country. "In Ukraine in all regions except Luhansk, the sowing campaign has begun. We are helping the agrarians, who have already provided them with 3.5 billion UAH in subsidized funding. At today's meeting we decided to simplify the registration of agricultural machinery as much as possible", - Shmyhal said. Given this, it is too early to talk about the decline of the agricultural sector in Ukraine. Talking about it is beneficial to the enemy, because this will give the impression that one of the major industries that brought profit to the country has suffered critically, and accordingly - Ukraine will suffer a powerful financial loss.
14.04.2022
Message. The attitude toward refugees from Ukraine is worsening in European countries.

This was the thesis recently circulated by pro-Russian telegram channels. The messages said that "attitudes toward Ukrainians have already turned cold everywhere. They say that the attitude towards refugees from Ukraine will now significantly worsen, as well as the amount of support they receive. "Three to four more months and the situation will become even worse towards Ukrainians," the reports say. However, their authors do not specify the bad attitude in which countries they are talking about and draw their conclusions referring to some anonymous sources. The reports also add that it is now very difficult for Ukrainians to find work in the West, although there are seasonal jobs in the agricultural sector, but there are "hellish conditions" and low pay. In fact, such information is spread in order to discredit countries that are allies of Ukraine and to devalue their assistance to Ukrainian refugees. In fact, in many EU countries Ukrainians can receive state aid as refugees. Moreover, Ukrainians are also helped by residents of those countries. As a reminder, during the month, Russian propaganda had already spread several fakes about "bad refugees" from Ukraine, which were refuted.
14.04.2022
Disclosure. Fraudsters hide behind the name of Ukraine's ambassador to Germany and collect funds allegedly to save children in Ukraine.

Information about a new fraud scheme with an international scope under the guise of an American foundation and the name of the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany is spreading on the net. As factcheckers from "On the Other Side of the News" write, a fake fundraiser was announced to save poor children in Ukraine.

According to the reports, on March 26 Andrii Melnyk, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, posted a profile on Facebook and on the 28th he started obsessively asking for money to support Ukrainian refugee children. The messages use emotional triggers like "urgency," "hunger," "disease," "human trafficking," etc., and there is also a link to a "rescue fund" page." It's all a scam, however. ""There is only an official page of the Ukrainian embassy in Germany on Facebook. The ambassador's account is actually only on Twitter. Through his profile Mr. Melnyk mostly appeals to world leaders, sanctions, embargoes and military support for Ukraine, but he does not collect donations from users of social networks and does not advertise any foundations.

As for the fund itself, it, like the ambassador's page, looks real, but in fact is fake. If the con artists used the ambassador from Germany for the deal, the foundation was stolen in the United States. The foundation page is carefully copied from the Save the Children organization. The logo, tabs, addresses, photos - everything imitates the real organization, which is now engaged in, among other things, helping children affected by war in Ukraine, Afghanistan and other countries where military conflicts are ongoing or may arise," the fact checkers report.
14.04.2022
Disclosure. The enemy's special services are implementing a plan to carry out terrorist attacks to fuel anti-Ukrainian hysteria in Russia.

In particular, Russian propaganda media reported on the shelling by Ukraine of a border guard unit in Kursk Region, bordering Sumy Region. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, as of April 14, there had already been several "terrorist attacks" on the Russian border, which the Russian leadership accuses of being carried out by Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups. In addition to the "terrorist attack" in Kursk Region, the Russian Federal Security Service reported that on April 14, a border checkpoint in Bryansk Region was shelled from Ukraine, which damaged two vehicles, but no one was injured. The so-called terrorist attacks from Ukraine as a method of provocation were reported the other day by the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. According to the Center, the enemy will carry out a series of terrorist acts at the Russian border consolidation of Russians against Ukrainians.
14.04.2022
Disclosure. Fraudsters distribute a fake chatbot of the state platform "Diia" in the network.

The fraudsters' messages say that allegedly at the link everyone officially working has the opportunity to receive monetary support from the state in the amount of 3000 hryvnias. According to the fact-checkers of "Stop Fake Dnipro" project, the link opens "Privatbank" page, where you have to indicate your card number and CCV code.From what data you enter, we can conclude that the project is fraudulent, which aims to steal money from the cards of people who will register using the link "Neither "Diia", nor Ministry of Digital Transformation send any SMS or messages in social networks. The crediting of funds is reported by the "Action" app and push notification bank, which contains only text - no links," the fact checkers said in a statement.
14.04.2022
Disclosure. Fraudsters promise Ukrainians 8,900 hryvnia "aid from the EU" for taking the survey.

Attackers have launched a fraudulent scheme in Facebook: offer Ukrainians 8,900 hryvnia "assistance from the EU" when passing the survey. As the factchecking project "Brekhunets" writes, the advertising of the fraudulent site with the "survey" is targeting, in particular, Volyn residents. According to "Rayon.in.ua", this scheme is used for the fourth time - previously recorded such cases in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Fraudsters ran ads on Facebook from the page under News of Ukraine, which was created on March 30. This ad uses stolen branding TSN, flags of Ukraine and the European Union. "The message itself is not on the page, which means that it was published through an advertising office. Under the message - only one positive comment from a user who allegedly has already received funds," - told the project "Brehunets".
14.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military fired on people's homes in Bucha because they were taking aid from the Russians.

Video with eyewitness testimonies to this effect circulate in social networks. However, according to VoxCheck, the video of evacuees from the town of Bucha near Kiev talking about life in the city is distributed only for 30 seconds, and the rest of the eyewitness accounts are cut off.The description indicates that those who took help from the Russians were denounced by other residents, and the Ukrainian military purposefully shelled their homes.

According to fact checkers, this is a fake. The original video lasts more than 3 minutes, and none of the residents of Bucha tell it. The story as if the Ukrainian military shelled Bucha and specific houses on denunciations is completely made up. But people in the rest of the trimmed video talk about Russian shelling.
14.04.2022
Fake. Germany offers to expel the Ukrainian ambassador. 

This claim is spread by Russian propaganda media. The reports refer not to official sources, but to a petition on the change.org website, which can be created and signed by anyone anywhere in the world. According to StopFake, there is no official talk about the expulsion of Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Melnyk from Germany. On April 4, the German Federal Government declared 40 Russian diplomats persona non grata. "This is yet another way for Kremlin propaganda to distort the position of residents of a particular country - to present a petition on publicly available websites as an official opinion of the majority or an official call to action. For example, the Russian agitprop said that Germany allegedly "proposed expelling the Ukrainian ambassador," StopFake wrote.
14.04.2022
Fake. The Russian military discovered unmanned aerial vehicles of the AFU to spray chemicals.

This was reported by Russian propaganda media and disseminated on social networks. The reports say that in one of the remaining Ukrainian units, Russian kafirs allegedly discovered combat drones with sprayers for liquids. According to StopFake, none of this is true, because the videos published by Russian media in the news about drones for spraying chemicals do not show combat drones, but an agricultural multicopter DJI AGRAS T30. These aircraft are known to be used in agriculture to spray crops. Agras T30 is indeed equipped with a large 30-liter tank of liquid, this very figure allows the multicopter to process fields up to 16.2 hectares per hour.
14.04.2022
Fake. The AFU was replacing the chlorine tanks in the Bilohorivka water supply system.

Information about this is spread in social networks and Russian propaganda media. Such reports refer to the data of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly "were replacing the chlorine tanks at the water supply plant" which are planned to explode "when the occupation troops approach the village of Bilohorivka, Luhansk Region. However, this is a fake. In fact, the threat of chemical attacks exists not from the AFU, but from the Russian army. Therefore, in order to avoid a potentially dangerous situation, the specialists of the utility enterprise "Popasnyansk district vodokanal" no longer have stocks of chlorine To disinfect water in the area during military operations use another substance - safe under the threat of explosion. local vodokanal, on the possibility of provocation by Russian occupants. At present, the reagent is stored in Dnipro. As already reported by the "Detector Media", three days ago there was information that the enemy is preparing information provocations on the so-called chemical crimes of the Ukrainian army. In particular, then it was also reported about a possible provocation about the settlement of Bilohorivka.
13.04.2022
Message. Ukrainian authorities manipulate Ukrainians with the help of Medvedchuk.

After pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk was detained, anonymous telegram channels controlled by the Russian special services launched a series of manipulative messages designed to undermine Ukrainians' trust in the authorities. For the most part, these messages and theories are built on assumptions, such as "Medvedchuk is wearing a new uniform, which means that his things are not suitable for photographing. In fact, the new uniforms can't prove that Medvedchuk's things are "unsuitable for photographing. Moreover, there is no evidence that he was dressed up on purpose. Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Medvedchuk tried to disguise himself as a Ukrainian military man by wearing a uniform and crossing the Ukrainian border. It is noteworthy that the telegram channels avoid affirmative sentences and build messages on assumptions: "Zelenskyy knew about the start time of the attack on February 24, so the SBU could calmly take Medvedchuk to a safe place."

In addition, the telegram channels use the prefix "gossip" for their manipulations, after which one can write anything and retract his words if necessary. For example, "weaved in that the Russians knew that Medvedchuk was in the SBU, and negotiations on his exchange were unsuccessful. If Russia really did not plan to exchange Putin's cousin for Ukrainian defenders, it would mean that the Kremlin is not interested in Medvedchuk's future fate. If so, Russia, which keeps trying to discredit the Ukrainian authorities, would benefit from publicly stating that Medvedchuk is being held by Ukrainian law enforcers, as opposed to fleeing Ukraine's official statements. Medvedchuk's wife, host Oksana Marchenko, who recorded an April 13 address to Vladimir Zelensky, may also have previously claimed that her husband had disappeared. She, like the pro-Russian TV channels, says that Medvedchuk is allegedly "illegally detained by the SBU." Recall that Medvedchuk was announced suspicions and the court selected preventive measures in the criminal proceedings on oil and gas extraction in the Black Sea and on aiding the activities of a terrorist organization through the supply of coal from the occupied territories of Donbass. He should be under house arrest, but escaped from his estate, thereby violating the obligations under the preventive measure.
13.04.2022
Fake. The BBC made a video about Ukraine's involvement in the shelling of Kramatorsk.

A fake video with the BBC News logo is being circulated online, claiming that Ukraine is allegedly responsible for the rocket attack on the train station in Kramatorsk, which resulted in the death of about 60 civilians. The BBC denied involvement in the video and said it was taking steps to have the video removed. Earlier, Russian propagandists spread fakes, allegedly "the Ukrainian military shelled the train station in Kramatorsk", "Russia does not use Tochka-U complexes", "AFU use civilians as human shields", so they shot up the train station in Kramatorsk", "serial number proves that the missile fired at the train station in Kramatorsk belongs to the AFU" - read refutation here.
13.04.2022
Fake. The Russian military captured an Azov instructor, the commander of NATO's Joint Ground Forces Command.

Russian and pro-Kremlin media have spread a fake that the Russian military allegedly captured a military instructor who was training the Azov battalion, the commander of the NATO Joint Ground Forces Command, Lieutenant General Roger L. Cloutier Jr. of the US Army, writes Georgian portal. myth." Cloutier posted a message on his LinkedIn account and said he was at the European Joint Forces headquarters in Izmir, Turkey. The Facebook page of the NATO Joint Land Command also published a photo from Izmir in which Cloutier was present.
13.04.2022
Manipulation. U.S. experts say that the Russian army is more effective than NATO troops.

This thesis is disseminated by Russian media, citing alleged statements by American military expert Andreas Weber and U.S. military analyst Trent Telenok. The Center for Countering Disinformation reported that in fact the experts' quotes were taken out of context. "The main purpose is to create a false impression that Weber and Telenko support Russia's actions and analyze Russia's military achievements. In reality, the mentioned experts in the information space support the Armed Forces of Ukraine and comment on the actions of the Russian army in a negative context. The enemy uses mythologization to make the Russian population believe that the Russian army heroically accomplished all tasks," the Center explained.
13.04.2022
Disclosure. Russia plans terrorist attacks in Russian cities in order to justify the mobilization.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that the Russian special services plan a series of terrorist attacks by bombing residential buildings, hospitals and schools in Russian cities, as well as missile and bomb attacks on Bilhorod or one of the cities of occupied Crimea. Russia plans to blame the Ukrainian Armed Forces and volunteer battalions for this. "It is entirely possible that these terrorist attacks will be presented as a revenge of the Ukrainians for Bucha and Kramatorsk and as an excuse for brutality against the Ukrainian civilian population", - told the CID and specified that these attacks will also be carried out mobilization. In the Center for counteraction to disinformation added that it is confirmed by fake videos with reading out the order of Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the attacks on the territory of Russia.
13.04.2022
Message. Prospects for the exchange of Medvedchuk are minimal with such a success Lukashenko may also detain employees of the Ukrainian embassy.

Anonymous telegram channels controlled by the Russian secret services are spreading the message that the prospects for an exchange of Viktor Medvedchuk are minimal, calling the Ukrainian president's proposal an "information trap. At the same time, they spread the thesis that Lukashenka might as well "detain employees of the Ukrainian embassy and offer to exchange them for Medvedchuk. On March 22, the Belarusian KGB said that spies allegedly worked under the cover of the Ukrainian embassy. The next day, it became known that Belarus announced the expulsion of 12 Ukrainian diplomats and the closure of the Ukrainian consulate in Brest.
13.04.2022
Manipulation. Zelensky is a terrorist because he holds Medvedchuk hostage.

This manipulative thesis was spread by former MP Oleh Tsarev, who fled to Russia and pro-Russian telegram channels. In fact, back in February 2021, it was Victor Medvedchuk and his wife Oksana Marchenko who were sanctioned for financing terrorism. Medvedchuk is not a hostage - he was announced suspicions and the court selected preventive measures in criminal proceedings for oil and gas extraction in the Black Sea and for facilitating the activities of a terrorist organization through the supply of coal from the occupied territories of Donbass. He should be under house arrest, but Medvedchuk fled his estate at the beginning of Russia's large-scale aggression against Ukraine. In addition, Tsaryov tries to present the proposal to exchange Medvedchuk for Ukrainian defenders captured by Russia as "proof" that "there is a civil war going on in Ukraine. This is refuted even by the Russian government, which, although it still calls the war in Ukraine a "special operation," confirms the presence of Russian troops on Ukrainian territory.
13.04.2022
Fake. Irpin was blocked for filming pseudo-proofs of Russia's guilt in the deaths.

The Russian Defense Ministry and Russian media are spreading a fake that the Ukrainian authorities imposed a long curfew in Irpen, Kiev region, to allegedly prepare "staged filming of pseudo-proofs of Russia's guilt in the mass deaths of local residents. In fact, during this time, municipal services must clear Irpen of explosive objects, abandoned cars, consequences of explosions, etc. Back on March 30, Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Makrushyn reported that up to 300 civilians and 50 military personnel had been killed in the city, according to preliminary data. At the same time, images of Irpen liberated from the Russian occupation began to be published.
13.04.2022
Fake. The deputy commander of the "Azov" regiment died.

On March 31, 2022, the deputy commander of the Azov regiment, Sviatoslav Palamar (call sign "Kalina"), was killed in social networks. He was allegedly on the Mi-8 helicopter shot down by pro-Russian fighters near Mariupol. VoxCheck reported that with the help of the blog of the investigative journalist Oryx, it can be confirmed that Ukraine did lose one Mi-8 on March 31. However, there is no list of the military personnel on board the Mi-8 in open sources. At the same time, we can definitely exclude that Svyatoslav Palamar was in the helicopter. After all, Palamar recorded three video messages on the official Azov channel - March 31, April 2 and April 4. Also, on April 2, he twice commented for the media - Channel 5 and Radio NV.
12.04.2022
Manipulation. A refugee from Ukraine admitted that Ukrainian border guards torture civilians.

This assertion is spreading en masse on social networks. In particular, the posts quote an excerpt from an interview of a "refugee from Ukraine" to Spanish television, in which he allegedly admits the torture of civilians by Ukrainian border guards. According to StopFake, the video begins with a guest in a news program on the Antena television channel saying that he and eight other men on the border between Ukraine and Poland allegedly "wanted to be beaten" by Ukrainian border guards. Based on this statement, network users write that Oleh - that is the name of the program's guest - confirms the torture of civilians by Ukrainian "security forces". However, as the fact checkers point out, the circulating excerpt of the interview is taken out of context and misleads network users. "From the full version of Oleh's interview we learn that the man had already made several unsuccessful attempts to leave Ukraine at the time of the interview. According to him, he and several other men tried to cross first the Ukrainian-Hungarian border and then the Ukrainian-Polish border through different checkpoints, but Ukrainian border guards refused him the right to leave Ukraine. He claims that he could not leave the country for 6 days because of the actions of the officers of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, who sent him for questioning, behaved very rudely to him, threw his passport in his face, etc. In fact, the actions of the border guards complied with the norms of the Ukrainian wartime legislation, and the statement about the order not to let all the men leave the country was not true at all," the fact checkers wrote. More details.
12.04.2022
Fake. Dead girl in the photo from Bucha turned out to be alive.

Propagandists in social networks are walking around with messages that the dead girl from Bucha, whose photo was distributed at the beginning of April, turned out to be alive. In such posts, they add a screenshot of a message of the user Nastia Savchyshyn, who was allegedly in the photo of the victims in Bucha. According to VoxCheck, in a letter the girl denies her death. However, it is a fake, because there is a completely different person on the photo from Bucha. And the user Nastia Savchyshyn was never declared dead, she simply published a photo of herself in similar clothing for the flash mob "I was killed by russian soldiers because I was Ukrainian". More details.
12.04.2022
Message. The European Union gives Ukraine money, but despite the fact that there is a war in the country, it demands the repayment of debts and does not go for restructuring.

This is the message that has been circulating in pro-Russian telegram channels in recent days. Specifically, it is claimed that Ukraine received $3.5 billion from financial structures in March, and now must pay back this money in the equivalent of $5 billion. Some messages also add that Ukraine must pay back its other debts, and the Ukrainian authorities, unlike former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, cannot negotiate a debt restructuring in war conditions, as the ex-president negotiated during the ATO. We can assume that the message is being spread in order to discredit Ukraine's allies - the EU countries, which will support us in the fight against Russia, and to show that they are not such allies if they demand the return of debts. In reality, the issue of debt repayment is complicated and ambiguous and it is almost impossible to find out all the information about full assistance and support from allied countries in war conditions. The Media Detector recently already described why the media should not have the whole truth about the war in war conditions. This includes what the allies are doing to support us.
12.04.2022
Manipulation. Two Ukrainian banks, Mono and Privat, cancelled credit vacations for their clients that were in effect during martial law.

Information that these banks have cancelled credit vacations for their customers is spreading in social networks, in particular in telegram channels. The message says that these banks are now writing off interest on loans, driving Ukrainians into "minus". However, as the fact checker of the project "Spooner" found out, this is a manipulation. "Credit vacations are preferential terms of the contract, when customers have the right not to make the mandatory minimum payment, which is especially relevant in the case of being in a war zone or due to loss of income. PrivatBank's credit vacations for credit cards are valid till June 1, 2022. So, we can conclude that the credit vacations - it is preferential terms of the contract, when customers have the right not to make the mandatory minimum payment, the bank will not penalize for late payments, but they do not mean the absence of interest for the use of credit funds. We also could not find information on the cancellation of credit vacations on the Monobank's website," write the fact checkers.

PrivatBank explained that it continues to be fully responsible for the deposits of Ukrainians regardless of the circumstances and adds that the standard terms of the card grace period remain unchanged. "Credit vacations do not mean no interest for the use of credit funds," explains the speaker of PrivatBank Dokia Kuzmenko. However, in addition to the "vacations," in March PrivatBank set a credit rate of 0.001%, practically making the use of credit funds free. "We did this to support all of our customers and being aware of the more pressing problems facing the country. Our bank and customers understand that the banking system has to work to provide a front and a rear. The economic front is also very important to winning. And that's why, as of April 1, we partially brought back some rates, while reducing them from the pre-war level. For example, now we set the preferential credit rate at 1.7%, which is half as much as before the war. Interest will still be charged in May, but repayment will not be obligatory until June 1 under the credit vacations," the bank explained to the fact checkers. Accordingly, the message that banks canceled the credit vacations and accrued interest, which "drive Ukrainians into deficit," is now a manipulation.
12.04.2022
Manipulation. Ukraine is defeated, Russia is victorious.

According to the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, such information about Russia's alleged "victory" in the war in Ukraine is actively spread by propagandists.

"To spread this thesis, the Kremlin propaganda, in addition to its own pseudo-experts, uses a supporter of Putin's regime, former US Marine Brian Berletik. This "expert" in the English- and Russian-language information segments talks about the "Syrian scenario", saying that "the Ukrainian military is killing its own population in order to frame Russia". Berletik says that "'in this way the Ukrainians are trying to reduce the pace of the Russian army's advance. In the absence of real victories in combat operations, the enemy resorts to informational terrorism of the Ukrainian population. People exhausted by the war can form a false impression about the situation on the front. In Russia, in this way the Kremlin is trying to record in the information field the alleged "achieved goals of the special operation in Ukraine" in order to later pass off pseudo-facts as evidence of victory," the center said in its report. As a reminder, the comparison of the events in Ukraine with the events in Syria by Russian propagandists appeared as early as last week. for example, propagandists compared the tragedy in Ukrainian Bucha with the events in Syrian Duma, calling both cases a ruling.
12.04.2022
Disclosure. In occupied Energodar, the Russian military launched its own radio station, which broadcasts pro-Kremlin disinformation and propaganda.

According to the Zaporizhzhya regional military administration, in Energodar, the enemy managed to create a radio station "Radio Russia", on the waves of which they spread false and disfigured information, hostile propaganda and spinning songs that sing Putin and the greatness of Russia. "In addition, the Kafirs, with a propaganda purpose, distribute photos of themselves distributing allegedly humanitarian aid from Russia to the city's pensioners. Judging by the photo, only four people received food. At the same time, enemies seek out and kidnap men of the Vasilyevsky district, accusing them of far-fetched accusations of murder and terrorism," reads the report. We should remind you that we should not trust Russian propaganda, because from such media as the radio in Energodar, only information that benefits the enemy directly will be disseminated.
12.04.2022
Disclosure. How citizens in Poland were distracted from information about the tragedy that happened in Bucza.

According to Euvsdisinfo, Russian propaganda, with the help of trolls, once again tried to blow up Polish support for Ukraine. On April 4-5, when the world learned about the Russian military crimes in Bucza, Poland faced a large-scale troll attack that had at least three dimensions: Polish officials were sent threatening emails, the media were spammed, and social media once again stepped up discussion of the Volyn tragedy. Such a campaign of disinformation and manipulation was not only primitive and awkward, but also failed to take into account the current mood in Polish society. The current situation obviously irritates the Kremlin. 2.6 million Ukrainian refugees entered Poland after Russia attacked Ukraine, and now Ukrainians in Poland are receiving very large amounts of aid. While the Russian war machine tries to bomb more Ukrainians into leaving their homes, the Kremlin disinformation machine will probably continue to manipulate difficult topics, using tropes of racism, xenophobia and painful events from the past, as it did in the case of the Volhynia tragedy. to discredit Ukrainians," the newspaper wrote.
12.04.2022
Fake. Former MP and pro-Russian politician Oleksandr Rzhavsky spoke out against Ukraine's accession to the EU.

Russian propaganda media wrote about it. In particular, RIA Novosti. The reports said that journalists received an audio conversation by Rzhavsky, in which he tells why, in his opinion, Ukraine does not need to join the EU. One of the reasons is that Ukraine, in his opinion, means nothing to the EU. However, Rzhavsky, a pro-Russian politician, died on March 27 in his home in Bucha when he was shot by a drunken Russian soldier demanding alcohol. Russian media publications do not mention Rzhavsky's death or his circumstances.
12.04.2022
Manipulation. Pro-Russian rallies take place in Novaya Kakhovka.

According to the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, Russian propagandists are spreading information that people in Novaya Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast, are going to rallies "for Russia. According to the department, Russian propaganda is trying to create the illusion of support for the Kafirs by the citizens of Ukraine. "To the showy handouts of humanitarian aid and interviews with paid actors talking about the horrors of the Ukrainian authorities are now being added to the paid rallies. In contrast to the rallies of real Kherson Oblast residents, participants in the so-called pro-Russian rally are few in number, look confused, and show little enthusiasm. Next time the Russians will hire more protesters and put on music so they won't be bored," the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection reported. It should be noted that in Russian-occupied cities, Ukrainians fight back and come out to mass pro-Ukrainian rallies. There have been cases when the Russian military reacted aggressively to protests and opened fire on civilians. In particular, this happened in Kakhovka in early April.
12.04.2022
Fake. International organizations refused to investigate the tragedy in Bucha.

This was stated by the deputy Russian ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy. He states that there is no question of forming an international investigative group "on the provocation" in Bucha yet, and also said that "we do not believe in principle in any 'independent' investigations to be conducted by Western states and Ukraine." As a reminder, Russian authorities previously called the tragedy in Bucha only a provocation and a production for the Western media to discredit Russia and its army. The UN, Amnesty International and many other international organizations spoke about the need to investigate war crimes in the Kiev region committed by Russian troops, representatives of different countries also stated about it, hundreds of journalists from all over the world visited the site of the tragedy, EU representatives, evidence of the crimes. are collected by international human rights activists, foreign specialists-criminologists, representatives of the International Criminologist on trial.
12.04.2022
Fake. "Azov" seized foreign ships in Mariupol. Such information is spread in Russian propaganda and social networks.

In such messages, propagandists claim that "Ukrainian nationalists" and, in particular, the Azov regiment defending Mariupol allegedly seized two foreign vessels in the Sea of Azov - the "Tsarevna" and the "Lady Augusta" and respectively - are holding their crews hostage. According to StopFake, propagandists also claim that the Azov regiment is allegedly firing mortars at civilian ships, preventing the evacuation of their crews. In fact, this is not true. According to StopFake, the information that Azov allegedly seized the Tzarevna was denied by two Bulgarian ministries at once - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. StopFake was also unable to find any facts confirming the seizure of the ship Lady Augusta. "In addition, human rights activists have repeatedly recorded the fact that civilian ships were fired upon by Russian troops," the fact checkers wrote.
12.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine has come to terms with the fact that Russia is occupying Kharkiv.

Information with this assertion is spread in social networks, in particular in numerous telegram channels. The reports say that Ukraine does not allocate money to the Kharkiv region as part of the first package of assistance to the territories freed from the occupiers. According to propagandists, this is how Ukraine allegedly "wrote Kharkiv off, accepting that it will be taken by Russia. However, this is not true. The fake has already been refuted by a fact checker from StopFake. "Statements about Ukraine allegedly "writing off" Kharkov or other regions of the country are an attempt by Russian media and publishers to wishful thinking. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said in an interview with CNN that he does not consider any compromises related to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," the report said.

11.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian Armed Forces blew up a nitric acid tanker in Rubizhne.

This is the second time the Russian media spread a fake that the Ukrainian armed forces blew up a nitric acid tanker at the Zarya plant in Rubizhne, Luhansk region. The first fake was on April 5, when a nitric acid tanker at the Zarya plant was damaged by Russian artillery fire. The second was on April 9, when Russian troops blew up cisterns at the same plant. The main argument of Russian propaganda is that the Ukrainian military was allegedly retreating from the city and had an explosion as a last resort. Serhii Haidai, head of the Luhansk OVA, said that for a month and a half now the Russian army has not been able to break through towards Luhansk, so there is no question of capitulation, surrender of the city and withdrawal of Ukrainian troops. StopFake writes that the nitrogen explosion in Rubizhne on April 9, according to preliminary estimates, has a kill zone of no more than 550 meters, which gives no tactical advantage to the Ukrainian military, but creates problems for the maintenance of the city.

11.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian Armed Forces blew up a nitric acid tanker in Rubizhne.

This is the second time the Russian media spread a fake that the Ukrainian armed forces blew up a nitric acid tanker at the Zarya plant in Rubizhne, Luhansk region. The first fake was on April 5, when a nitric acid tanker at the Zarya plant was damaged by Russian artillery fire. The second was on April 9, when Russian troops blew up cisterns at the same plant. The main argument of Russian propaganda is that the Ukrainian military was allegedly retreating from the city and had an explosion as a last resort. Serhii Haidai, head of the Luhansk OVA, said that for a month and a half now the Russian army has not been able to break through towards Luhansk, so there is no question of capitulation, surrender of the city and withdrawal of Ukrainian troops. StopFake writes that the nitrogen explosion in Rubizhne on April 9, according to preliminary estimates, has a kill zone of no more than 550 meters, which gives no tactical advantage to the Ukrainian military, but creates problems for the maintenance of the city.

11.04.2022
Fake. Borrel advocated a "military solution" to the war in Ukraine.

Russian media are spreading reports that EU chief diplomat Josep Borrel allegedly "wished for a military solution to the conflict. StopFake writes that Russian propagandists spread part of his tweet about the results of his trip to Ukraine: "This war must be won on the battlefield. In fact, the full version of the quote is: "This war will be won on the battlefield. We will allocate an additional 500 million euros. Weapons supplies will be tailored to Ukraine's needs." In the following tweet, Borrell explains that the reason for the increased support for Ukraine is Russia's war crimes, in particular the shelling of Kramatorsk by Russian troops. Borrel sees sanctions as the main means of "pressure on Russia." "We need to continue to increase the pressure on Russia. We have already imposed large-scale sanctions, but we need to do more in the energy sector, particularly oil."

11.04.2022
Fake. Satellite images show 30 thousand bags with dead Azov fighters.

A satellite image is spreading in the network, which allegedly shows 30 thousand bags with the corpses of Azov fighters in Mariupol. VoxCheck denied the fake, noting that the images, taken on March 29, 2022 by the Maxar Technologies Worldview-3 satellite, show about a hundred people in line in front of one of the surviving grocery stores in Mariupol. "Civilians were waiting in line to get food and other necessary items. Now there is a humanitarian disaster in Mariupol - no food, medicine, electricity and heating. Russian troops are not allowing humanitarian aid into the city," the factcheckers told.

11.04.2022
Fake. Zelensky ordered that the fighting be moved to Russia.

The Facebook page, which was created only in January 2022, circulated a video showing a squad of fighters, one of whom had a chevron with the Tornado battalion emblem on it. It is noteworthy that only one fighter has the Tornado chevron - no other insignia is visible in the video. The angle for the video was chosen so that the chevron was in the frame. All the soldiers were wearing balaclavas for the formation in the room, hiding their faces. We can assume that they knew that the video would be recorded. In the video, the fighters are allegedly read out the decree of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the transfer of hostilities to the territory of Russia. In this video, Zelenskyy is referred to as the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In fact, the commander-in-chief of the AFU is Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and Zelenskyy is the supreme commander of the AFU. The order read out stated that it was necessary to prepare a number of units of the Ukrainian army "to carry out combat operations in the directions: the city of Belgorod and the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation". It was impossible to establish when this video was recorded, because the metadata was erased. Earlier, the Center for Counteracting Information under the CNSD warned that Russia was preparing new provocations in Belgorod to accuse Ukraine. The AFU General Staff also repeatedly reported that Ukrainian troops were conducting defensive operations.

11.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine is preparing an action of mass extermination of civilians in order to blame it on Russia.

Russian propaganda media are spreading reports that the Ukrainian authorities, with the support of Western countries, are allegedly "preparing an action with mass extermination of civilians" in the occupied areas of Luhansk Region, "preparing a shooting provocation with shooting of ambulances" in Severodonetsk District, "blowing up the reserve area. This is all allegedly to accuse the Russian military and Russian-controlled militants. The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security noted that Russia is again trying to shift responsibility for the crimes committed to Ukraine. "Given that during the 8 years of war in eastern Ukraine not a single Ukrainian government has considered the military option of returning the temporarily occupied territories, accusations of provocations by the Russian Federation are meaningless. Russia will have to take responsibility for the extermination of the civilian population of Ukraine, as the International Courts are already working on the investigation of the crimes committed by the occupiers on the territory of our state," the Center added.

11.04.2022
Fake. Yuri Gudymenko died.

Unidentified people wrote to Russian "Wikipedia" that activist and leader of "Democratic Axe" Yuri Gudymenko died on March 30. Gudymenko pointed this out to him. On 11 March this information was removed from Wikipedia, noting: "Yury Gudymenko is alive. This is confirmed by his Instagram posts from March 30." Russian propaganda uses Wikipedia as a tool for spreading its manipulations and narratives - this is evidenced, in particular, by the large number of disagreements in the Ukrainian and Russian versions of Wikipedia regarding the same cases or personalities; there have been repeated cases of editing facts and attempts to remove materials from the encyclopedia. We urge not to trust unverified information and to use only official sources. Keep in mind that Wikipedia is created by volunteers and volunteers, and is often edited by amateurs. Read how Wikipedia counteracts fakes here.

11.04.2022
Fraud. The intruder was allegedly collecting money to buy a prosthesis for a military officer who is now in the Congo and does not need medical care.

The cyber police exposed a 27-year-old resident of Kyiv region who used a photo of a Ukrainian soldier in a fictitious story and collected money allegedly to buy a prosthesis. The fundraising ads used the photo of a woman who is serving with the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and does not need medical care. More than 50 citizens donated money. Law enforcers announced suspicion to the woman under Part 1 Article 190 (fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

11.04.2022
Fake. The serial number proves that the missile fired at the train station in Kramatorsk belongs to the AFU.

Russian media and pro-Kremlin telegram channels spread reports that the serial number of the 9M79-1 missile fired at the train station in Kramatorsk on April 8 "clearly indicates that the projectile belongs to Ukraine. The propagandists use footage from an Italian TV channel TG La7 story about the Russian attack on Kramatorsk. StopFake writes that the marking on the 9M79-1 missile means that the missile belongs to the Tochka-U class, and the number Sh91579 can in no way identify the missile as belonging to a Ukrainian military unit. This is a factory marking that was put on all missiles at the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant, where these missiles were manufactured during the Soviet era. The Tochka-U is currently in service with eight countries. Russian media also say that the Sh915 missiles were already allegedly used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the shelling of Alchevsk on February 2, 2015. However, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission at the time did not confirm the use of Tochka-U by the Ukrainian military against Alchevsk. The Russian-controlled militants in Alchevsk were unable to provide the OSCE experts with the missile itself or its wreckage.

11.04.2022
Fake. The invaders destroyed the S-300 defense system handed over to Ukraine by Slovakia.

On April 10, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian troops destroyed launchers of Ukrainian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, among them one handed over by Slovakia. Russian propaganda was countered by Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Geger in a tweet. He wrote that Ukraine has officially confirmed that the destruction thesis is false. .

10.04.2022
Manipulation. A poll in the United States shows that Americans are waiting more for Biden to resign than for Putin.

The Sunday Express, sponsored by the Washington Institute for Democracy, published a poll in which 52 percent of respondents chose to dismiss the U.S. president and 43 percent chose to dismiss the Russian president as the best option for America. The poll also predicts Donald Trump's return to the White House. The Center for Countering Disinformation believes the poll results are manipulative, as the question was asked incorrectly (Americans are obviously more concerned about domestic issues than the fate of Russia) and there are questions about the impartiality of the Democracy Institute. According to another poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 92 percent of Americans have little or no confidence in Putin.

10.04.2022
Manipulation. People in many countries of the world came out to support Russia.

This is how propagandists try to instill the feeling that "dozens, hundreds, thousands" of people in the world support Russia and "know the truth.

In a number of countries (Cyprus, Georgia, Germany, etc.) actions did take place; propagandists distribute videos of people standing with Russian flags and lighting Z-shaped candles. However, there is a lot of manipulation around this message. In particular, anonymous telegram channels do not show how these actions ended. For example, according to the distributed video, the motor rally in Cyprus ended with a traffic accident and the burning of the Russian flag. Propaganda is also trying to use these facts to its advantage.

The videos circulated about the rallies resort to the classic technique of creating fakes. For example, they show the front row of the rally in such a way that it is not visible how many people are behind it. Or they make a video from a car with the Russian Federation flags flying, but none of the other cars in the "column" have them. Apparently, there are so few videos and photos of Russian support abroad that it is necessary to use footage in which the apparent number of protesters is very small. According to DW, 600 people (there are about 1.2 million Russians in Germany) showed up at the rally in support of Russia in Frankfurt on April 9. By comparison, more than 30,000 people showed up in Tallinn on February 26 to support Ukraine, according to calculations by the Estonian Interior Ministry.

10.04.2022
Message. "Europeans, thank the Ukrainians for the rise in food prices."

The message spread by anonymous wiretaps after the UN reported a record 12.6 percent increase in food prices in Europe, especially for grain and oil. The price spike is clear, as Ukraine and the Russian Federation provided about a third of the world's exports of wheat, 20% of corn, and nearly 80% of sunflower oil. Trade was mainly through the Black Sea, now blocked. So the price increase is true, but the cause is not the Ukrainians, but the war started by Russia.

10.04.2022
Fake. Ukrainian humanitarian aid for Melitopol was stolen by Azov people".

Russian propagandists called fake the statements of the Ukrainian side about the blocking and seizure of humanitarian aid for Melitopol by the invaders, attaching photos of white trucks with a red cross allegedly located at Azovstal in Mariupol. StopFake writes that the photos are fake, because according to Mayor Ivan Fedorov, the humanitarian aid was sent by other vehicles.

10.04.2022
Fake. Zaporizhzhya residents ask to include their territory in the DNR".

A delegation of the group visited the occupied village of Rozovka in Zaporizhia region, not Zaporizhia, StopFake writes. Not a single comment from locals in the filmed footage asked them to join the group.

9.04.2022
Manipulation. Arestovich reveals how the Office of the President manipulates Ukrainians during the war.

Anonymous telegram channels are again distributing fragments of the 2017 interview about the "buttons" to press in order to influence people. The publications don't give the date of the video, which can mislead some of the audience into thinking the interview is fresh.

Besides, one can notice and easily check that in the distributed fragment Arestovich answers to another question of the journalist. According to the cut fragment, the presenter asks questions about means of political manipulation. In the original video, Arestovich searches his Facebook post for the sensitive places people should click on to get the attention of any collective and ask a certain question on the public agenda. As he searches, the host asks the guest how much more Ukrainian propaganda has become compared to Russian propaganda. Arestovich briefly compared, but that moment also did not make it into the edited video. Throughout the interview, Arestovich does mention the Office of the President, but in the context of the so-called MihoMaidan of 2017-2018 - events relevant at the time of the conversation.

9.04.2022
Message. The appropriation of borscht by Ukrainians is a manifestation of Nazism and extremism.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in her speech tells how Ukrainians fought to make borshch an exclusively Ukrainian national dish and do not want to share it. In her opinion, this is "xenophobia, Nazism and extremism in all its manifestations. Probably it is a reaction to the official inclusion of borsch in the National List of Cultural Heritage of Ukraine back in 2020 and the corresponding application to UNESCO in 2021 to recognize borsch as Ukrainian at the international level. And it was Russia that repeatedly tried to call the achievements of Ukrainian culture Russian, and a year ago, the Russian media spread a fake that Google recognized borsch as a Russian dish..

Read more: "Already less than 25 million": Russian propaganda counts Ukrainians by the amount of bread consumed. Why is this manipulation?

9.04.2022
Manipulation. In Ukraine 80% of humanitarian aid is stolen.

Reports from anonymous telegram channels about the "catastrophic" level of theft of humanitarian aid inside Ukraine are increasing.

According to volunteers' insights, there are indeed private cases of "redistribution" of goods; this will be dealt with by law enforcement officers. The origin of the data about 80% theft is unknown, so we assume that this is a random number, designed to reflect the desire of foreigners to help Ukraine.

There are many time-tested charitable and volunteer initiatives in Ukraine. They have formed a network of personal contacts and send aid without intermediaries to minimize the risk of theft.

An example of a report from the Pills Foundation since the beginning of the war.

9.04.2022
Fake. Foreign journalists confirmed that there were no casualties in Borodyanka and that the Russians did not torture civilians.

The propaganda channel RT released a recording of a conversation in which foreign journalists allegedly said that a forensic medical expert confirmed that there were no casualties, and local residents spoke positively about the invader. RT did not name the sources of the recording or the media outlet that allegedly received this information, while reports from foreign media outlets that are not anonymous suggest otherwise, writes Stop Fake.

9.04.2022
Manipulation. Ukraine and the world are tired of war.

Anonymous telegram channels spread these four messages side by side to form a false logical connection: the population's interest in the war is declining; the cases of Bucha, Irpen and Kramatorsk have not had the expected effect on the world community; it will become increasingly difficult to draw attention to the "tragedies and emergencies"; the crisis in Ukraine will worsen, and so will the world. The goal of manipulation is to inspire judgments that are value judgments. They are often attributed to anonymous and authoritative "sources" to give them weight.

8.04.2022
Manipulation. Russia is not using Tochka-U complexes After at least 39 Ukrainian civilians were killed at Kramatorsk railway station during an evacuation, Russian media and officials try to shift responsibility for the shelling onto the Ukrainian armed forces.

The main message is "Russia is not using Tochka-U." But in fact it is not. Despite the message that it has not been using "this type of weaponry" since 2022, Russia used Tochka-U during "exercises" with Belarusian troops just before the invasion of Ukraine in February. Also, IndormNapalm volunteers recorded that Russia had discounted its own Tochka-U complexes specifically for the invasion forces. Media expert Viktor Trehubov reminds us of this.

8.04.2022
Fake. More than half of the Ukrainian military use drugs.

Russian propaganda constantly promotes the message that the Ukrainian military seems to be using drugs. In the last 24 hours alone, Russian resources and telegram channels spread this fake story twice. For example, RIA FAN, owned by "Putin's cook" Prigozhin, posted a video of an unknown person, whom they call a former member of the "25th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade" who surrendered, named Dmitry. He says that he was offered to use "amphetamine," and saw that his commander was using it. At the same time, the RIA FAN story claims that 60% of "AFU fighters fight on drugs" and that they are allegedly delivered to military units by "Novaya Posta". There is no evidence of this - even the man in the video does not say this. Also, everything that the unknown man says in the video is a betrayal of an Apostrof article made public in 2018 - it also featured a "fighter of the Airborne Assault Brigade," but it was anonymous."

8.04.2022
Disclosure. Hackers attack computers with emails with the subject line "№1275 of 07.04.2022".

According to the Ukrainian government emergency response team CERT-UA, acting under the State Service of Special Communication and Information Security, hacker group Armageddon attacks state agencies of Ukraine with dangerous e-mails with the subject line "¹ 1275 of 07.04.2022". The emails contain an HTML file, which, when opened, creates an archive on the computer with a file called "On the facts of persecution and murder of Prosecutor's Office employees by the Russian military in the temporarily occupied territories.lnk". If opened, hackers can gain full control over the computer and steal confidential information or damage data and computer systems. Read more.

8.04.2022
Fake. Ukrainian military posing as a mannequin for the corpses of dead Ukrainians.

Another bottom of propaganda: the channel "Russia 1" decided to "debunk Ukrainian fakes" regarding the deaths of Ukrainians. The channel aired two people wrapping duct tape around a mannequin and stated that this was a fragment of "another production," in which the Ukrainian military seemed to be trying to pass off the "mannequin as a corpse. Russian actress Nadezhda Kolobaeva took it upon herself to refute this propaganda nonsense: she wrote that the video shown by Russia 1 was preparation for the shooting of a Russian film. She also posted a video from the set, where this mannequin is thrown from a crane for an episode about a man who falls out of a window onto a car.

7.04.2022
Manipulation. There are 16 million potential refugees in Ukraine, of whom 8 million have already left and another 8 are about to do so.

This is the information spread by pro-Russian telegram channels. However, according to the UN Refugee Agency, as of March 30, 4 million people - about 10% of Ukraine's total population - had left Ukraine abroad, and at least 6.5 million more had been forced to leave their homes and moved to other areas of Ukraine. . Therefore, the statements from pro-Russian telegram channels cannot be trusted, because it is not known where the propagandists got the figure of 8 million from, and as of what date they recorded such data. Recall that in such cases, only data from official sources should be considered. In addition, according to a Razumkov Center survey, as of April 5, 79% of refugees from Ukraine plan to return home after the war ends. In reports that many propagandists also claim that this is the so-called "Zelenskyy arithmetic," as if blaming the Ukrainian authorities for this situation. However, people did not leave Ukraine en masse until Russia launched a full-scale invasion and began killing Ukrainian civilians and military personnel.

7.04.2022
Disclosure. Russia came up with a new mechanism to deliver distorted information about the "cruel" treatment of Russian prisoners of war by the Ukrainian army to the editors of the world's leading media.

According to the Center to Counter Disinformation, Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov urged his own audience to generate emails about alleged abuse by Ukrainian servicemen of POWs from the Russian army. The propagandist also provided detailed instructions on how and what to do. In particular, he provided a list of e-mail addresses of leading Western media outlets, to which, in his opinion, the letters should be sent; an accompanying text of the letter in case people do not speak English; links to fake materials about the brutality of the Ukrainian army towards Russian prisoners and civilians; videos, which allegedly are evidence of the brutality of the Ukrainian army. "In such a simple way the Russian Federation seeks to reverse the course of events and to bend the West to its side, but civilized society has long understood everything," the Center said in a statement.

7.04.2022
Fake. In Dnipro, SBU officers beat up people who supported Russia.

This information is spread in social networks and Russian propaganda media. The reports are accompanied by a video, in which the servicemen brutally detain people. The description says that the video shows the arrest of civilians in the Dnipro region who support Russia. However, this is a fake. As fact checkers from StopFake report, the detention in the video took place in Pavlograd, not in Dnipro. "The SBU special forces detained local thugs who had previously beaten up a territorial defense fighter, as reported by the mayor of Dnipro. The Russian agitprop repeatedly attempts to divert attention from the war crimes of its army, distributing various videos that allegedly bring the brutal treatment of Ukrainian soldiers to the civilian. civilians from Dnipro, allegedly supporting Russia, is not involved," the fact checkers write. Read more.

7.04.2022
Manipulation. Russia voluntarily withdrew its troops from the territory of the Kiev region.

Russian propagandists began spreading such a thesis after publicizing the crimes committed by the Russian military in Bucha. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, this line of behavior was developed by Russian propagandists before the UN Security Council meeting on the crimes of the occupiers in Bucha, when the Kremlin tried to shift responsibility for the torture of civilians onto the Ukrainian military. .

"On April 5, Russia's UN post-appointed representative voiced Russia's official made-up position that "the Russian military left Bucha in vain as agreed upon with Kiev." After the UN did not respond to Russia's pseudo-version of events, Dmitry Peskov continued to spread the "agreement" thesis. However, there was no agreement. Russia, in particular, has repeatedly pointed this out. The occupiers retreated under the onslaught of the AFU. Now, in order to cover up the defeat, the Kremlin is trying to misinform the world 'retroactively,'" the Center said in a statement.

7.04.2022
Fake. Ukrainian stars are paid a million dollars each to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Such information is spreading on the network. In particular, about the TV presenter Masha Efrosinina. They say that she records videos, in which she accuses Russia of all the crimes that Russian soldiers commit. Efrosinina herself on her page said that all this is a fake, which is spread by people from the entourage of the Russian singer Nikolai Baskov, who previously supported Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

According to Masha Efrosinina, information about paid videos from Ukrainian stars began to appear after Maria published an appeal to Baskov about Bucha and Irpen.

7.04.2022
Fake. The Security Service of Ukraine booby-trapped a chlorine storage facility in Pervomaisky.

This is the thesis spread by Russian propaganda media. The reports claim that SBU officers were replacing the chlorine storage in the Kharkiv region, namely at the Khimprom enterprise in the town of Pervomaisky. However, this is a fake. As StopFake fact checkers write, there are no chlorine storages at the Khimprom plant in Pervomaisky because it ceased to exist many years ago.

7.04.2022
The message. The tragedies in Ukrainian Bucha and Syrian Douma are similar staged to spread panic and discredit the Russian military.

Russian propagandists call the tragedy in Bucha, which became known after Russian soldiers left the city, a provocation and compare the situation to the events in the Syrian city of Douma that took place in 2018. Propagandists claim that both in Bucha and Douma, only provocations took place, and in the case of Douma, such a provocation allegedly served as an excuse for the joint bombing of Syrian facilities by military planes and ships of the US, France and the UK. In such reports propagandists find many. seemingly common features between the events in Bucha and Duma, in particular the fact that there are only five letters in the names of both cities, transliterating them into Latin. long and complicated words". The propagandists also emphasize that the events in both cities took place at approximately the same time - in early April. But the biggest similarity, which the propagandists assure us, is that the territory controlled by "terrorists" was chosen, where it seemed possible to arrange anything without barriers. draw parallels between the war in Ukraine and Syria and find so-called similar contexts in them.

7.04.2022
The message. The destruction in Borodyanka is a ruling to blame the Russian military.

Such a thesis is spreading in propaganda telegram channels. The messages claim that the media will soon begin to disperse information about the tragedy in Borodyanka in order to blame the Russian military, which recently left the settlement. The propaganda statements assure that the Ukrainian and Western media will claim that things in Borodyanka are even worse than in Bucha and claim that allegedly, according to eyewitness accounts, it was not the Russians but the Ukrainian army that shelled the residential quarters of the settlement with grads. The reports add that it does not appear from the photos currently coming from Borodyanka that there were any dead, and that is what the national police allegedly said as well, but "if the Western media write, then there will be." In fact, according to Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, Borodyanka is one of the most destroyed settlements in the Kyiv region. Locals tell how planes came in the first days of the war and fired rockets from a low height at these houses. And it was possible to save those people who were under those rubble... But the rescuers were shelled again and after that they had no access to the place. We understand that now there are no living people left here," Monastyrskyi said. As a reminder, after the photos from the destroyed Bucha were made public, after Russian troops left there, propagandists also claimed that it was all just a ruling to discredit the Russian military.

7.04.2022
Manipulation. The mayor of Kherson, Ihor Kolykhaiev, stated that Ukraine has been indifferent to the region for eight years and "acted on the Russian side of the conflict.

This is the thesis of pro-Russian telegram channels referring to the words of the mayor of Russian-occupied Kherson in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda. They say that the head of the city, who "drowned for Kiev and Ukraine," supported Russia for the first time, saying that the Ukrainian government ignored the city's problems during the entire period of independence and did not send any budgetary funds to Kherson, and since 2014 (i.e. after the Revolution of Dignity and the annexation of Crimea) the situation has become even worse. In fact, the head of Kherson Ihor Kolykhaiev in an interview with Sevgil Musaeva does say that Kherson region has "sagged" economically over the past 8 years, but he says nothing about how the situation in the region has deteriorated throughout the years of Ukraine's independence. Also Ihor Kolykhaiev did not take the Russian side and there is no mention in the interview of his commitment to the Russian army. With the interviewer, he discusses the situation in the city, the probable causes of the occupation, and why he did not leave the city at the beginning of the war, as some local officials did. He also added that he "always asks the President's Office not to forget about the city," but one cannot conclude from these words that Ihor Kolykhaiev defected to Russia.

7.04.2022
Manipulation. People in Africa support Russia's war against Ukraine.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, Russia promotes in the English-language information space the thesis that Africa allegedly actively supports Russia's military actions on the territory of Ukraine.

""The Moscow Times Russian website published an article about Africa's increased support for Russia thanks to pro-Kremlin propaganda in social networks and the media. In particular, the author refers to "authoritative" figures loyal to Putin - African pan-Africanist politician Cami Sebu, as well as Ugandan Lieutenant General Muhozi Kainerugabu," according to the Center.

However, the fact that there is mass support for Russia in African countries is a manipulation. On March 2, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding that Russia immediately cease military action in Ukraine, the Center reported. Then out of 54 African member states, only Eritrea voted against it, so one cannot speak of any mass support, given this. "In addition, according to the ITU, as of 2021, only 33 percent of Africa's population used the Internet, so the effectiveness of Kremlin propaganda in the region is somewhat exaggerated," the Center notes.

7.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine is blocking the exit from Kharkiv, and law enforcement officers are making mass arrests of the population.

This information is disseminated in Russian propaganda media and telegram channels. In such reports, propagandists refer to the words of Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Defense Control Center. They say that mass arrests of citizens are allegedly taking place in Kharkiv, and men are being forcibly taken into the terror defense battalions. Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense had already spread fake information about the situation in Kharkiv, more precisely about the so-called "flying death squads. However, this is not true. According to StopFake, nothing of the kind is happening in Kharkiv, which is regularly shelled by Russian troops. Statements by representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense about life in Kharkiv under martial law are untrue. Neither the reports of local human rights defenders nor the messages on social networks contain information about the "mass terror" that the Ukrainian authorities allegedly organized in the city.

6.04.2022
Disclosure. A fake site of the international battalion was created online.

The Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council's Center for Counteracting Misinformation warned that a fake portal, a twin site of the International Battalion, had been created online. The link to the official site is here.

6.04.2022
Manipulation. Borrell said that the Russian ruble resists sanctions well.

Russian media disseminated a quote from EU High Representative Josep Borrel that the Russian ruble allegedly "resists sanctions well. на своей специализированной радио COPE." Это , Borrel did не express a passion для российской экономики," Center explained.

6.04.2022
Manipulation. Zelenskyy is being guarded by foreign mercenaries.

Anonymous telegram channels controlled by Russian special services have been circulating reports that President Vladimir Zelenskyy is allegedly being guarded by foreign mercenaries - supposedly he does not trust Ukrainian ones. This report, as well as the manipulative conclusions, rests entirely on the fact that one of the defenders accompanying the president to Bucha has the Ukrainian flag upside down on his chevron. There could be many explanations for this, from "the wrong chevron" to "the identification mark of a certain group" (e.g., the inverted Ukrainian flag is used by Azov) or "an indication of the state of war." The military also confirms this to Media Detector. In fact, the Ukrainian flag we are used to - blue on top, yellow on the bottom - approved only in 1918. There is also an opinion that the flag is turned upside down as a sign of distress or war. More about this myth was written by "On the other side of the news". In addition, the footage from Bucha shows Zelenskyy's security guard, the first deputy head of the Department - the head of the Security Service of the President of Ukraine of the State Security Directorate, Maksym Donets, constantly visible.

6.04.2022
Manipulation. The event supplies Ukraine with substandard and outdated weapons.

Russian propaganda spreads a fake that "Western countries supply low-quality and outdated weapons to Ukraine," or that "it is simply impossible to stop cruise missile strikes with Javelin and Stinger. The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council denied these reports, recalling that since February 25, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has regularly reported on downed Russian cruise missiles: over the Vinnitsa, Kherson, Kharkov, and Nikolaev regions. "In this way the aggressor is trying to sow panic among the population. Having met resistance in the temporarily occupied territories, the enemy resorts to information terrorism in order to demoralize Ukrainians and stop their resistance, the Center said. - In this way, the enemy is probably already preparing the information field for victorious messages about "new liberated settlements in Donbass, which will be presented as territories under temporary occupation since 2014".

6.04.2022
Manipulation. Ukrainian refugees have no plans to return from Western countries.

Anonymous telegrams controlled by Russian special services spread the message that "Ukraine has already lost those who were forced to go abroad. These manipulative messages state that "data from sociologists" show that Ukrainians who were forced to leave for Western countries because of Russia's war do not plan to return. In fact, Razumkov Center polls show that 79 percent of refugees plan to return to Ukraine after the war ends, 11 percent of Ukrainians are hesitant and only 10 percent do not plan to return. According to the UN, as of April 3, the number of Ukrainian refugees exceeded 4.2 million.

6.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian authorities are not interested in saving the lives of the Mariupol defenders.

The Russian Defense Ministry and Russian propagandists spread this message, announcing their plans to "clean up the city". In fact, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready to evacuate the wounded and dead from Mariupol, and Turkey can also provide ships for evacuation of the inhabitants of the city by sea. However, Russia has not yet given its consent. "It is impossible to reach Mariupol. And they [representatives of Turkey] can go from Berdyansk, and you understand that it is still necessary to get to Berdyansk. In other words, we have all the infrastructure ready to transport the wounded and killed, and we are waiting for Putin's agreement. I talked to Erdogan, and Erdogan talks to him and now it's up to him [Putin] to make this happen," Zelenskyy said. In addition, the Ukrainian Security Service reported that the Russian occupants are preparing a large-scale provocation in Mariupol, in order to blame Ukraine for the alleged murder of civilians. According to the SBU, the occupants are preparing a large-scale fabrication: they plan to collect in one place the bodies of the Mariupol residents killed by the Russians themselves, and present them as "mass victims of the Ukrainian troops".

6.04.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military blew up a nitric acid tanker in Rubizhne.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels are spreading a fake, the Ukrainian military allegedly blew up a tanker with nitric acid in Rubezhnoye, Luhansk region. The head of the Luhansk regional military administration Sergei Gaidai said that the nitric acid tank at the Zarya plant was damaged as a result of Russian artillery shelling. Along with this, propagandists once again try to tell about the preparation of "provocations with the use of poisoned substances" by Ukraine. The Media Detector has already repeatedly refuted these fakes; both Ukrainian and foreign authorities have previously warned about the possibility of Russian attacks using chemical substances.

6.04.2022
Fake. A former US ambassador to Russia has said that Zelenskyy's entourage are intermediaries in a "scheme" to buy weapons.

The Russian news website REN.TV wrote that some branches of the US military industry are allegedly interested in delaying military actions on the territory of Ukraine because they receive substantial profit from this. At the same time, REN.TV quoted former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul as saying to Politico that President Vladimir Zelensky's entourage is allegedly an intermediary in this "scheme. McFaul himself is referred to by Russian propagandists as "a freelance adviser to Zelensky." In fact, according to StopFake, REN.TV took McFaul's quote out of context, significantly distorting what he said. Michael McFaul spoke to Politico about lobbying Ukraine's interests in the United States; his quote about Zelensky's entourage refers to interaction with the American media and the US political elite. Michael McFaul also denied StopFake was a "freelance adviser to Zelensky." "The article's author's claim that the U.S. military industry is interested in delaying military action in Ukraine is also manipulation. The Kremlin claims that the so-called "special operation" can only be stopped when the "demilitarization" of Ukraine is completed and Kiev "stops fighting," refuses to join any bloc. "" and recognizes Crimea as Russian and the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics as independent," StopFake writes. - Ukraine insists that the end of the war is possible only after the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the country and the provision of a number of security guarantees to Ukraine.

5.04.2022
Fake.Russian troops disarmed Ukrainian VRGs in the Kyiv region.

This information was disseminated by Russian propaganda media as early as April 4. In particular, the publication RIA Novosti. However, this is a fake. The Russian military could not have disarmed a single VDM on the territory of the Kyiv region on April 4, because as of April 2, according to the Ministry of Defense, the entire Kyiv region had already been liberated from the Russian occupants.
5.04.2022
Fake. Ukrainians have had their utility bills completely cancelled.

Information that during the war with Russia, Ukrainians have been completely cancelled from paying for utilities is spreading in social networks. In particular, in local Volyn communities on Facebook. However, this is a fake, attention has been drawn to it. In fact, according to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine resolution "Some issues of payment of housing and communal services during martial law" of March 5, 2022, until the termination or cancellation of martial law can not accrue and collect penalties. (fines, penalties), to terminate the provision of services in case of non-payment or payment not in full.

That is, the government has prohibited charging fines for late payment, as well as depriving consumers of services for arrears, but payment for utility services is not canceled. On the contrary, utility workers on the ground are asking people to pay on time so that businesses can function in war conditions.
5.04.2022
Disclosure. Photos of children from Mykolaiv who died as a result of enemy shelling are circulated online, passing them off as victims of the Russian military in Bucha.

A photo of the murdered children is floating around the net, with a caption claiming that they were raped and killed by the Russian military in Bucha. Although the photo is real, the caption is a fake. Texty.org.ua drew attention to it.

The photo shows Ukrainian children killed because of the actions of the Russian army. However, these are not children from Bucha, but from Mykolaiv, who died from shelling back in early March. This photo was published in an article by the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta on March 12. The photo was signed as follows: "Three-year-old Arina Butim lies on the body of her seventeen-year-old sister Veronika Biryukova. In the cold rooms of the Mykolaiv regional forensic medical examiner's office, the bodies lie in several layers. Two sheds were also vacated for the storage of bodies, some of the bodies are lying outside.

Interestingly, the telegram channel NEXTA, which has two million subscribers, accused the Ukrainian media of spreading a fake. In fact, this fake was spread in the local telegram channels of Irpen, Bucha and Gostomel. However, it was promptly removed from all of them, and one channel gave a refutation. It is likely that the fake that these children were killed in Bucha could have been created by Russian propaganda, so that when the lie with the photo is exposed, Ukrainians can claim to be lying about the crimes of the Russian military on our territory. Even though the photo is real and the children really suffered at the hands of the Russian occupiers, such fakes, like any others spread by Russia, are harmful and do not play in our favor.
5.04.2022
Disclosure. Kadyrov's men handed out Ukrainian products to Mariupol residents under the guise of humanitarian aid from the Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov Public Foundation.

The other day Ramzan Kadyrov published a video of people in Mariupol handing out humanitarian aid, with a caption stating that the aid was provided by the Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov Regional Public Foundation. - Ukrainian. In particular, the sausage given out is really Ukrainian. This is clear from the Ukrainian inscriptions "Vienna Servilat" and "Doctors' Sausage". The same applies to the flour, the packaging of which bears the inscription "Flour. It is not known where Kadyrov's men got the Ukrainian products and why they distributed them under the guise of Russian humanitarian aid, but after the information that the products were really Ukrainian was circulated, Kadyrov's message was removed.
5.04.2022
Fake. Tanks are approaching Mykolaiv, it is planned to be captured in three days.

According to the head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration (OVA) Vitalii Kim, such a claim has been spreading massively in social networks in recent days. However, Kim himself denies such information and says that the situation in Mykolaiv is under control. "We control the entry-exit, we know how many pieces of equipment there are. There are 15-20 of them there. There are battles, but we are not talking about hundreds of tanks. The command "to capture Mykolaiv in three days" - This is panic-mongering. And shelling is also for panic. This is what the enemy wants to achieve. Look at things realistically, analyze. Don't believe the fakes and take care of yourself," said Vitalii Kim.
5.04.2022
Message. Ukrainism is a fake. It never existed.

Such a thesis was spread by former Russian President and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. The politician's statements about Ukraine were spread by a number of Russian propaganda media. Medvedev said that Ukraine had mentally turned into the Third Reich and once again accused Ukrainians of Nazism. In addition, he added that Ukrainianism is a fake that never existed in history and does not exist now. In fact, the thesis that Ukraine is a state that historically did not exist, and consequently Ukrainians do not exist either, is not new to Russian politicians and propaganda. Russia constantly speculates on our history, claiming that Ukraine is an inferior state that did not exist and has no right to exist, because it has no history, culture, etc., unlike the so-called "great Russian culture. Such theses are beneficial for Russian propaganda, because in this way Russia seems to justify its criminal military actions on the territory of Ukraine, claiming that, firstly, everything Ukrainian is a fake, and secondly, Ukrainians have turned into Nazis.
5.04.2022
Exposure. Ukrainians are sent malicious letters with the theme "Information about Russian war criminals".

According to the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, the attackers use painful for Ukrainians topics, in particular, "parasitize" on information about personal data of the Russians who committed war crimes.

It is reported that Russian hackers send such emails, in particular, to the emails of state bodies of Ukraine. The dangerous e-mails contain an HTML file "Military criminals of the Russian Federation.htm", the opening of which will lead to the creation of a RAR-archive "Viyskovi_zlochinci_RU.rar" on the computer. According to the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, the archive contains a shortcut file "Military criminals destroying Ukraine (home addresses, photos, phone numbers, pages in social networks).lnk".

The State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection warns that opening the letter will lead to the fact that the attackers will gain remote access to the victim's computer. The activity is associated with the activities of the group UAC-0010 (Armageddon).
5.04.2022
Fake. The United States admitted that the events in Bucha were only part of Ukrainian propaganda.

This is the thesis spread by Russian propagandists, citing the words of American political analyst Jim Jatras. According to StopFake, Jim Jatras is one of the regular "talking heads" on Russian propaganda resources RT and Sputnik, and since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Jatras has stated that Ukraine is unlikely to exist as a state, and President Zelenskyy is likely to be president in exile. As the fact checker writes, he also claimed that Russian arguments in this war were more "weighty" and defended the Moscow Patriarchate and spread Russian disinformation about the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. "Thus, Jatras' comments are not something strange, but go along with Russian propaganda narratives about atrocities in Bucha and other cities in the Kiev region found after the region was de-occupied," StopFake fact checkers write. In addition, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, Russia continues to use so-called Western experts to spread its propaganda about Ukraine. Among them is former U.S. Army officer David Payne, who has cooperated with the Kremlin for many years. As the Center notes, during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, this "expert" disseminated theses in the foreign media that "The event should stop supplying weapons to Ukraine so as not to provoke Russia into even more aggression" and "Ukraine should give Russia Crimea and Donbass to avoid World War III." "All of these statements have nothing to do with reality. The Kremlin has been building its propaganda campaign to discredit the civilized world for years, resorting to bribing and recruiting even Western officials," the Center adds.
4.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine blocks dozens of foreign civilian ships in its ports.

Russian propaganda is spreading fake reports that Ukraine is allegedly blocking dozens of foreign civilian ships in its ports. According to StopFake, according to the International Maritime Organization, as of March 30, 86 merchant ships and approximately 1,000 sailors are blocked in Ukrainian ports and waters because of the Russian war. Earlier, the International Maritime Organization stated that it is Russia, not Ukraine, that is attacking commercial vessels, merchant ships and search and rescue ships in the Black and Azov seas. US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman confirmed on 29 March that Russia had attacked civilian foreign ships in the Black Sea. According to her information, Russia also bombed at least three civilian ships that were transporting goods from Black Sea ports.
4.04.2022
Messages. The photos and videos from Bucha are a provocation by Ukraine to get help from the West, discredit the Russian army, and derail the peace agreements.

The Russian Defense Ministry, Russian propaganda media, and telegram channels are actively working to justify the situation in Bucha, where at least 400 murdered and tortured residents were found after Russian troops left. Russian propaganda does not have a unified approach for this case, so it spreads completely different messaging and manipulative messages, from versions about staging and fake photos to the version allegedly killed by the Ukrainian military "for the picture" for foreign media. "The Media Detector recorded 18 variations of propaganda messages. Not all of them are related, but all of them are aimed at justifying Russia.

The most popular message promoted by the Russian authorities is a "staging" or "provocation" by the Ukrainian authorities to force the West to give weapons and aircraft, discredit the Russian army, disrupt peace agreements, and incite violence.

Along with this message spread allegedly:

- "not a single civilian was harmed while Russian troops were in town";

- "residents of Bucha were able to leave the city while Russian troops were there";

- "photos of the dead in Bucha were shown only on the fourth day after the Russian troops left";

- "the video from Bucha shows the dead moving their arms and removing their limbs in order to avoid being hit by the wheels of military equipment, and getting up".

Another group of messages is based on a technique that Russia has already tried - shifting responsibility to the Ukrainian defenders. Among other things, they spread the theses that:

- "the residents of Bucha were killed by the local terrorists";

- "the residents of Bucha were killed by artillery fire from the AFU and Azov when they entered the city";

- "there are white bandages on the bodies of the dead - they were used by the Ukrainians";

- "tying hands is the handwriting of the Ukrainian military and terrorists".

Bucha had been under the occupation of the Russian army since the beginning of March, only on April 1 the AFU reported liberation of the city. After Bucha was returned under the control of the AFU, hundreds of dead were found there. These crimes by the Russian military are already referred to as the "Bucha massacre. President Vladimir Zelensky visited Bucha on April 4 and said that Russia committed war crimes and genocide in Ukraine. The European Union accused Russian authorities of committing atrocities.

"Detector Media" urges readers to take care of their mental health and try not to distribute the photos to their acquaintances and loved ones, because the purpose of such activities of the Russians is to terrorize the Ukrainian population. They seek to intimidate and break the spirit to make it harder for Ukrainians to resist.
4.04.2022
Manipulation. The Ukrainian Armed Forces used chlorine and phosphorus in Kherson and Luhansk regions.

This thesis is spread by the Russian media and pro-Kremlin telegram channels The Center to Counter Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine warned that another attempt by Russia to prepare an information field to justify war crimes and an attempt to intimidate the population against the background of redeployment of occupation troops to Donbass and the south of Ukraine. "A similar disinformation campaign in the Russian media was recorded on February 27 to spread panic among the population. The enemy reported alleged Ukrainian provocations with phosphorus in Gostomel. On March 25 and April 2, the Kafirs used phosphorus in ORDLO. Then the Kremlin media tried to shift responsibility for the use of banned weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces," the report said.
4.04.2022
Manipulation. Mariupol defenders called on Ukrainians to overthrow the government.

Letters are sent to Ukrainians with calls to overthrow the government allegedly from the defenders of Mariupol. The letters come from Volodimir Azov's email volodimir_azov@justiceua.org. "GromadaVostok now" reported that the email was created on March 22, 2022. The domain is registered in Iceland, the registry address is Icelandic Prutnya Museum, and the mail service host is Mexican. The letters are written in Ukrainian, but with a lot of mistakes. In particular, the media drew attention to - "capitalshow", "shanovnyy Anastasiya", "for the sake of" and "po nad use".
4.04.2022
Manipulation. The mailing list from "Ukraine" is a fishing attack.

Social networks spread manipulative messages that the mailing from "Ukraine" with a link to mywar.mkip.gov.ua is a phishing attack. "Do not open, delete this in order to obtain data", the purpose of the mailing is "to obtain data (contacts and chats in messengers)" - said in messages that were distributed to Ukrainians in social networks. In fact, the Ukraine account, from which the mailing is performed, belongs to the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection. The website mywar.mkip.gov.ua was created by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine so that citizens could tell their war stories to the world.
4.04.2022
Message. The event has been pushing Ukraine toward conflict with Russia for years.

This thesis is spread by telegram channels administered by Russian special services. Pro-Kremlin telegram channels were spreading similar messages about the blame of "the collective West for everything that is happening in Ukraine" even before the full-scale Russian invasion began. In reality, Ukraine is not in "conflict" with Russia, but in war. Russia launched a war against Ukraine in 2014, first by occupying Crimea and then parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions; in 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territories. According to the UN, as of April 3, at least 1,417 civilians had been killed and another 2,038 wounded since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
4.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine carried out nuclear developments to blow up European security.

Russian propaganda spreads a fake map of uranium deposits on Ukrainian territory as if to prove that Ukraine "carried out nuclear developments to blow up European security. The Center for Counteracting Disinformation countered: "Our state has large deposits of various minerals. But their presence is not equal to the presence of weapons of mass destruction which the Kremlin misinforms the population about. The center specified that with such fakes, Russia is trying to prepare an information field to justify its crimes, and is also trying to split the EU and NATO.
3.04.2022
Fake.The Russian military is listening to Ukrainians' conversations.

The fake story about Russian troops installing antennas to listen to the phone conversations of Ukrainians is actively spreading in the network again. We already wrote about it and gave a rebuttal. So far there is no confirmation about the installation of such equipment and the possibility of wiretapping the conversations of Ukrainians, reports the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection. Chairman of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection Yurii Shchyhol said that all such statements turned out to be fakes and part of information and psychological operations, which were intended to intimidate Ukrainians, as well as to make Ukrainians stop reporting information about places of movement of enemy equipment. this is not the only case of spreading misinformation among citizens, previously spreading fakes that Ukrainians would receive phone calls at night from unknown numbers to target for airborne bombing.
3.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine hands over blood samples of the "Slavic ethnos" to Germany.

This statement is circulated by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Gennady Gatilov, permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN office and international organizations in Geneva, said: "The documents confirm the fact that Germany is implementing its own military-biological program in Ukraine. Its purpose is to study the potential of deadly diseases, such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, in Eastern Europe. Russia has long been misinformed that Ukraine is developing biological weapons. In reality, it is impossible to create "ethnic weapons. First of all, there are no biological (or any other) weapons in the world that affect only a certain ethnic group - science and technology have not advanced that far, and scientists do not expect breakthroughs in this direction in the near future. And no weapon or disease will be able to distinguish the DNA of the Ukrainians from that of the Russians, because the differences, although present, are insignificant: the Europeans are genetically homogeneous and among them there are about four subgroups, which may include representatives of completely different ethnicities (for example, the Baltic peoples, Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Poles are included in one subgroup). Read more about how Russia misinforms Ukrainians and the world about biological weapons in Gala Sklyarevska's article "How Ukraine (according to Russia) is "preparing biological weapons" from fleas, mosquitoes and lizards.
3.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine has admitted that Russia only strikes military facilities and infrastructure.

This was reported in the Russian media, citing a video message from Oleksii Arestovych, advisor to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, dated March 31. In fact, Arestovych said that there is no need to raise groundless, panic and "not to send out scary messages about a massive Russian strike".

In his thesis, he clarifies that the Russians will not shell not in order to "kill an MP of Ukraine or a journalist," but ""they will hit military-industrial complex facilities, even if they hit them, and infrastructure facilities.

His appeal does not say that Russia is shelling ONLY military infrastructure facilities. Oleksii Arestovych notes that they can hit both "military-industrial complex facilities" and "infrastructure facilities", i.e. it can include not only military but also industrial, social and even civilian infrastructure.

The advisor to the head of the OPU repeatedly noted that the Russian army "deliberately destroys civilian infrastructure". For example, during an April 1 briefing, he said: "The enemy continues to carry out air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure, military industry, military facilities and, unfortunately, continues to destroy residential neighborhoods in Mariupol, Kharkiv, Chernihiv. Chernihiv is a city that the enemy is trying to turn into a "second Mariupol.""
3.04.2022
Fake. China organized cyber attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure before Russia invaded.

This was reported by the British edition of The Times, citing "internal documents of the Security Service of Ukraine. SBU spokesman Artem Dekhtiarenko denied the information: The SBU did not provide the media with any official information about cyberattacks from China and has nothing to do with the conclusions made public in the British publication. The State Service for Special Communications and Protection of Ukraine notes that cyber attacks on state information systems and critical information infrastructure facilities in Ukraine are carried out by Russian and pro-Russian hackers.
2.04.2022
Fake. The first Ukrainian female pilot, Natalia Perakova, died in combat.

Such information spread in social networks. The command of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied information about the death of a talented fighter pilot Natalia Perakova. This was reported by the press service of the Command of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
2.04.2022
Fake. US will send former Afghan National Army soldiers to Ukraine.

This is reported by the Kremlin media, citing its own sources. This is not true. The U.S. is not talking about any use of Afghans as a military force and is not planning to send American troops to Ukraine.

The Afghan National Army (ANA) disbanded in 2021 after NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan and Taliban fighters entered the Afghan capital. Some Afghan soldiers were evacuated to the U.S., while others joined the Taliban or fled to neighboring countries.

On February 19, 2022, the U.S. reported that all evacuated Afghans had left McGuire-Dix Lakehurst Base, where they had been temporarily housed. There are indeed suggestions in the U.S. that an Afghan Legion could be formed from those willing to serve in the U.S. Army. But experts say that to be eligible for service in the U.S. armed forces, Afghans do not meet one of the basic requirements - that recruits must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. So there is no discussion of using the Afghans as a military force in the United States at this point.

The U.S. is not going to send American troops to Ukraine, as President Joe Biden has repeatedly pointed out. Throughout Russia's war against Ukraine, the U.S. has been providing Ukraine with all kinds of military and medical assistance.
01.04.2022
Fake. A third of the refugees from Ukraine in France are migrants from Africa.

This is the claim of the French far-right politician Erika Zemmour, whose words are actively circulated in the Russian press. In fact, the leader of the Reconquista political party and candidate for the French presidency in 2022 is lying. Like his party colleague Marion Maréchal, back in early March she said that among the refugees from Ukraine "one-third are Africans and natives of North Africa". She, in turn, referred to an article in the newspaper Figaro, where the only anonymous source of the publication gave similar data. But according to the official statistics of the French Interior Ministry, of 26,000 people who arrived in France before March 31 as refugees from the war with Russia, less than 5% are not "Europeans". This data is given by the French radio RTL, which conducted its own fact-checking of the statements of far-right politicians. The article does not specify who these people are - foreign students who evacuated to Europe or citizens of Ukraine.
01.04.2022
Fake. Ukraine has no intention to comply with Geneva Convention.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service and numerous Russian media have spread false information that allegedly Ukraine has informed Great Britain that it does not intend to comply with the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war. the speaker of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleh Nikolenko, denied this fake:

"Russian intelligence does not stop spreading disinformation. Earlier it created fakes about allegedly thousands of Ukrainians seeking asylum in Russia, about inhumane treatment of Russian prisoners of war, about "workers" of Azovstal who "ask" to join the ranks of the Russian invading army. The SVR's claim about the Geneva Convention is another such fake," Nikolenko wrote on Facebook.

The purpose of the fake is to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of international humanitarian structures, says Nikolenko and reminds that Russia itself, unlike Ukraine, violates international law.
01.04.2022
Fake. Azovstal employee asked to join the Russian army to take revenge on Azov.

The Russian media spread a staged video in which an Azovstal employee in Mariupol allegedly talks about the "tyrants" from Azov, to whom he is going to take revenge for being left without a home. He also passionately thanks Vladimir Putin and intends to join the Russian army or police. According to the Center for Strategic Communications at the ICMP, Azovstal's personnel department denied that a man with this name and surname has never worked at the company. The Mariupol City Council called the man in the video an "actor".

Earlier, the Hrati newspaper reported that Mariupol residents forcibly deported to Russia upon arrival to the occupied territories are sent to filtration camps. There, they are photographed, fingerprinted, and their phone data is copied by FSB officers. The Russian publication Mediazone published proof that the video of the girl recounting Azov's crimes against civilians in Mariupol was recorded by an FSB officer and distributed to Russian media with the requirement not to specify the source of the video. The Russian media published it for their materials. The girl in the video also thanked Putin.
01.04.2022
Fake. Ukrainian terrorists created "flying death squads" in bandermobiles.

Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of Russia's National Defense Control Center, spewed another batch of fakes at a briefing. He claimed that "nationalist battalions" in Kharkiv are taking cars from the population, converting them into "bandermobiles" - and driving them around the city as "flying death squads." Mizintsev claims that the nationalists are randomly firing large-caliber machine guns at residential buildings, while civilians are hiding from them in basements. He also stated that it is impossible to leave Kharkov because the nationalist battalions are using the city's residents as human shields. "There is a critical humanitarian situation in the city," he added.

In fact, Kharkov residents are hiding in basements from artillery and bombing by the Russian army, it is still possible to evacuate from the city, the only reason for the humanitarian crisis is the invasion of Russian troops, and there are no bandermobiles.
01.04.2022
Message. Wikipedia is allegedly lying about Russia's "special operation" in Ukraine.

Censorship in Russia is trying to block almost the only resource that is still delivering truthful information about the war against Ukraine. That is why yesterday Roskomnadzor reported that it made a protocol on the Russian Wikipedia for not removing "unreliable information" about the war against Ukraine. On March 29, for the second time, Roskomnadzor demanded that Russian Wikipedia remove the article "Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022)." The Roskomnadzor press service called it "false content aimed at misinforming Russian users" - because the article indicated the number of dead and wounded Ukrainian civilians, with references to UN data, as well as the number of destroyed Russian soldiers (according to the General Staff of the AFU), and also for the fact that the article calls the war a war. It was authored by Russian wikipedist Oleg Yunakov; the article was viewed 5 million times in the first week after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

For refusal to remove this article, Roskomnadzor is threatening Wikipedia with a fine of 4 million rubles (about $50,000), and almost from the beginning of the war the agency is also threatening to block Wikipedia in Russia.

Earlier, it was reported that a well-known Russian wikepedist Mark Bernstein was detained for 15 days in Belarus for allegedly resisting the police. His personal data, as well as hundreds of other Russian wikepedists after the war are published by anonymous telegram channels to put pressure on them. The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine reports that Russian authorities and propagandists are discrediting Wikipedia in order to convince the public that any information about the war in Ukraine is fake.
01.04.2022
Manipulation. Since early March, Russian leaders, including Defense Minister Shoigu and President Putin, have repeatedly stated that at least 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East have signed up to participate in the liberation movement in the Donbass against Ukraine.

Putin especially stressed that they were not doing it for money. The BBC Arabic Service found out that Russia has deployed 14 recruitment centers in Syria to send Syrians to the Donbass. Eighty percent of them go to Ukraine to feed their families: All of those who agreed to tell journalists about themselves said they were going to their deaths, but saw no other way to feed their families in the war-torn country. Many of them have no combat experience, and none of them go to Ukraine "for the sake of the idea" - only for money, meaning they are mercenaries, not volunteers. The groups that recruit mercenaries offer 1,500 euros per month (other publications say $300 per month). Even earlier it became known that Syrian generals sabotaged the sending of regular units of their army to Ukraine, although representatives of the Russian army insist on it.
01.04.2022
Manipulation. Ukraine's successes on the ground are enough to win.

According to the Command of the Air Forces of the AFU, such information is spread in the media and social networks. They say that Ukraine does not need to close the sky, because our forces are already enough to win. In fact, this is a manipulation, because the advantage in the air is a decisive factor in this war.

"'Airspace control has played a key role in all wars since World War II. Air dominance is quick and precise strikes on enemy troops, centers of their logistics support and other important objects, it is an extremely powerful fire support for our own ground troops and naval forces," the Air Force Command of the AFU said in a statement.
01.04.2022
Manipulation. Russia completes its "special operation" on the territory of Ukraine. Such information is spread in the media and social networks against the background of the partial "withdrawal" of Russian units from the territory of Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. In such messages, the enemy claims that allegedly in the near future the special operation on the territory of Ukraine will be completed because Russia and Ukraine have reached agreements.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, such information cannot be considered true, because Russia is not "withdrawing" troops: the Kafirs are fleeing because they received stiff resistance from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukrainians. "In addition, the enemy is overturning its forces to the Donbass and is preparing to deliver a crushing blow to the territory of our country from there. Secondly, no agreements have been reached between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. All the stories about the alleged end of the "special operation" are just an attempt to avoid further implementation of sanctions against the aggressor country. In fact, the Kafirs are trying to organize incomprehensible structures on the temporarily seized territories and introduce the ruble into circulation there," the Center said in a statement.
01.04.2022
Message. The U.S. and NATO are to blame for the so-called "crisis" in Ukraine.

This assertion is promoted by Russian propaganda media and pro-Russian TV channels. Such reports state that the so-called crisis in Ukraine came about because of U.S. and NATO policies, which allegedly "pumped weapons into Ukraine" in circumvention of agreements and laws. In reality, there is no crisis in Ukraine, as Russian propagandists call it, but a full-fledged war in which military and civilians are being killed. It was Russia, not the United States or NATO, that unleashed the war in Ukraine. As ZMIST fact-checkers, who pointed out this message, wrote, this is how Russia tries to justify its war crimes. "Again we see the transfer of responsibility to others. It's not NATO and the U.S. that have stormed into Ukraine. It's not NATO and the US destroying Ukrainian cities. It's not NATO and the US killing Ukrainian men, women and children. This is all Russia's doing," the message reads.
1.04.2022
Fake. On March 31, Lviv Region received a missile strike.

Such messages circulated en masse in social networks during the air raid in the evening of March 31. People spread information like explosions and shelling. However, there was no shelling, said the head of the Regional Military Administration (OVA) of Lviv region Maxim Kozitsky.

"As it turned out, in one of the localities of the region workers of a gas extraction tower produced a controlled release of adjacent gases. During the release, a sound similar to an explosion was heard. There was also a partial fire. These events coincided with the announcement of an air alert," the Center for Strategic Communications reports with reference to the head of the Lviv OVA."
31.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainians are developing a modification of the Turkish Bayraktar UAVs with an aerosol virus sprayer.

This is the information disseminated by Russian propaganda media. The reports claim that the Ukrainian Motor Sich Concern is developing the new bayraktars. They add that such devices will spray viruses from the air. ""In fact, we are talking about the development by the Kiev regime of means of delivery of biological weapons with the possibility of use against Russia,"" the reports say.

However, this is not true. As Ukrainska Pravda writes, no documentary or visual evidence of such a request has been cited in Russian propaganda. However, the activity of the so-called biolaboratories Russian propaganda recently cited as another reason for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. You can read more about the so-called biolaboratories at the link."
31.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian refugees in Germany littered the train and graffitied it.

A video is floating on social networks that shows as if refugees from Ukraine have defaced a German train. In the video, a man from Germany complains that the Ukrainians left a lot of garbage in the cabin of the train and painted the walls with graffiti and pasted all kinds of stickers. However, according to VoxCheck, this is a fake. The train was not carrying refugees from Ukraine, but soccer fans. Read more.
31.03.2022
Message. The Ukrainian authorities are causing a famine in the state.

According to the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, this is the message spread by Russian propagandists who claim that the Ukrainian government seeks to starve Ukrainians to death and remove grain from the country. The propagandists also assure that "food security of Ukraine is under threat," "disruption of the sowing season and military operations will lead to starvation in Ukraine. According to the Center's report, these theses were invented by the Russian UN office.

"Humanitarian problems are in the temporarily occupied territories, where the enemy does not allow humanitarian supplies. In Ukraine, the Kremlin's famine message is promoted by the sub-sanctioned Telegram channel "Country Politics" and pseudo-expert Dmytro Vasilets (the "State" party, whose activities have been stopped by the decision of the NSDC)," the Center explains and adds that in fact Ukraine has supplies for domestic consumption for at least 2 years.
31.03.2022
Fake. The Russian military killed Ukrainian sniper Olena Bilozerska.

The Russian media spread a report about the murder of Ukrainian sniper Olena Belozerskaya. A video is added to the reports, showing the body of some woman dressed in civilian clothes. In fact, Olena Bilozerska is alive. "Who died is unknown. It looks like a civilian," Olena Bilozerska wrote on her Facebook.
31.03.2022
Message. Russia plans to lead the new world order.

According to the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Russia continues to use recruited foreign politicians to form a mistaken public opinion about its own power. According to the report, experts record the promotion of the thesis that a new world order is now being formed, which, according to experts, will be led by Russia, China and India.

"The foreign experts include former Brazilian President Lula da Silva as well as Kremlin mouthpiece political analyst Rafael Ordukhanian. Putin's media rhetoric indicates that Russia expects sanctions to ease in the near future. This is probably why the Kremlin is making statements about the partial withdrawal of Russian troops in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions," the Center says. They add that all these statements are manipulation and because none of the previous Kremlin ultimatums have been executed, the enemy is trying to mislead the international community. That is why they talk about the completion of the offensive operation in the north of Ukraine.
31.03.2022
Manipulation. Ukrainian schoolchildren are learning fake history.

Russian propagandists disseminate the thesis that a fake history has been created for Ukrainian children. They draw such conclusions from the statements of Russian specialists who allegedly conducted a study and found that more than 300 Ukrainian textbooks contain false, fake historical facts. As ZMIST fact-checkers, who pointed out these reports, write, Russian propagandists complain that the modern Ukrainian educational system has been stripped of the remnants of Soviet propaganda and presents students with real historical facts.

For example, the Russian education minister said in a statement that Ukrainian schoolchildren are even "deprived of the opportunity to know that they can be proud of the shared history of Ukraine and Russia and figures like Yuri Gagarin" or proud of the feat of "common victory." "The argument about the 'inability to know about Yuri Gagarin' makes no sense at all, because the two most important people in the Soviet space program, the people who enabled Gagarin's flight - the Korolyov and Glushko - were Ukrainians, and whole sections of Ukrainian history textbooks are devoted to them," write ZMIST fact checkers. Ukrainian textbooks also have sections devoted to World War II. However, there are also sections about the crimes of the Soviet government against Ukraine and the Ukrainians. For example, we are talking about the subject of the Holodomor.
30.03.2022
Manipulation. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba initiated a ban on the use of the letter Z.

Russian media and telegram channels have spread information that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is calling on the world to ban the Latin letter Z because it symbolizes Russian war crimes. However, this is not true. Dmytro Kuleba did speak out about the letter Z, but in his tweet he suggested criminalizing the use of the letter Z as a symbol of support for the Russian invasion: "Z symbolizes Russian war crimes, bombed cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians. Public support for this barbarism should be banned," the minister wrote. As the ZMIST fact checker wrote, no one suggests banning the letter itself, it is a blatant manipulation of Russia, which has the discredit of Ukraine's official representatives.
30.03.2022
Fake. Most IT professionals have left Ukraine.

This thesis is spread by the Russian propaganda media, allegedly referring to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. In such statements, the propagandists claim that three-quarters of all IT specialists in Ukraine - 200,000 - have left Ukraine since hostilities.

As StopFake writes, this is not the case. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the IT Ukraine Association, more than 70% of IT professionals work in safe regions of Ukraine, and another 16%, mostly women, work abroad. These data are generally confirmed by a survey conducted by the profile portal DOU: 61% of surveyed IT professionals moved to a safer place - 46% within Ukraine, and another 14% went abroad.
29.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military uses the synagogue in Uman as a shelter.

Russia's Defense Ministry has spread a fake that the Ukrainian military allegedly uses as a shelter for a synagogue in Uman. Russian propagandists also spread a photo where the military allegedly took weapons and ammunition from the synagogue.

The United Jewish Community of Ukraine has refuted this fake, saying that all synagogues and Jewish sites in Ukraine are used exclusively for their intended purpose, to carry out religious activities, or to help members of Jewish communities and the local population. "Even based on a photo published for provocative purposes, it is evident that the synagogue gates are closed, and no one is in it. The Rabbi Nachman Foundation in Uman confirms that the second-largest synagogue in Ukraine was closed from Rosh Hashanah (celebrated in September 2021) and has not been used since," the statement said.
29.03.2022
Fake. Russian troops took “Azov” soldiers prisoner.

Andriy Biletskyi, “National Corps” leader, debunked the fake of Russian propaganda that Kostyantyn Nemichev and Serhiy Velychko, battalion commanders of Kharkiv division of territorial defense of “Azov”, were taken prisoners. They recorded a video-answer for the occupants from Kharkiv where they called on Russians to surrender.
29.03.2022
Fake. Kadyrov is in Mariupol.

Chechnya Leader Ramzan Kadyrov told that he is in Mariupol. However, on March 28, pro-russian groups shared a photo where Kadyrov, surrounded by numerous guards, is praying at Pulsar gas station that belongs to Rosnafta. There are no such gas stations in Ukraine.
29.03.2022
Fake. Freezing assets of Russia’s central bank by the U.S. threatens the dollar status being a reserve currency. Other countries are switching to yuan.

In fact, the dollar share in the international reserves on average has been decreasing by 0.5 % during decades. Central banks indeed diversify the reserves but only a quarter of this money goes to China. The economists prognose speeding up reserve diversification, however, inflow in yuan is not expected.
29.03.2022
Fake. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lied about falsity of videos where Ukrainian side tortures russian prisoners of war.

Pro-russian telegram channels started to spread the information about the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine being caught in a lie. It goes about the statement in which the Commander-in-Chief debunked the information about torturing russian prisoners of war and called the videos fake.

Also, the messages in telegram channels say that the statement is false because Oleksiy Arestovych, advisor to the head of the office of the president of Ukraine, confirmed that those videos are not fake but true. In fact, according to the fact checkers from ZMIST, Arestovych did not confirm the videos being real but commented that there will be an investigation and if the incident on video turns out to be verified, the guilty will be punished. Also, both officials ensured that the Armed Forces of Ukraine adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law.
29.03.2022
Exposing. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green accused Ukraine of Nazism and torture of civilians.

Information about this is spreading in pro-Russian telegram channels by re-posts from the channel of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green from Georgia.

According to ZMIST fact-checkers, the congresswoman accused Ukraine of torturing civilians and Nazism. In her tweets, she refers to a selection of videos in which Troy and ordinary people punish looters by tying them to poles and beating their asses. "The selection itself was presented by a propaganda account, which repeats Russian propaganda word for word and does not provide context for the video. Marjorie Taylor reiterates Russia's propaganda and demands an end to Ukraine's support. But it should be noted that Taylor has repeatedly made contradictory statements, publicly supported the most bizarre conspiracy theories, called for weapons to stop vaccinations against coronavirus - all to attack Democrats and President Biden, so do not trust her words," - said in a statement.
29.03.2022
Fake. Thanks to the invasion of Ukraine, the Russians saved tens of thousands of Donbas residents.

Russian propagandists promote the thesis that the so-called "special operation" "saved" tens of thousands of Donbas residents. According to StopFake, the Kremlin claims that the "special military operation" of the Russian army allegedly disrupted the offensive of Ukrainian troops on the so-called "DPR" and "LPR," which, in turn, saved tens, if not hundreds of thousands of civilians Donbas, who the Kyiv regime has methodically shot for the last eight years.

Ukraine did not plan any "large-scale offensive" in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. "Russia's full-scale offensive in Ukraine has already killed thousands of civilians, including 143 confirmed children. Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts are at the epicenter of hostilities, which have already led to hundreds of deaths, and the bombed-out city of Mariupol has become an illustration of how Russia "saves" and "liberates" Donbas, "the fact-checkers write.
28.03.2022
Fake. Yesterday the Ukrainian side disrupted the evacuation of civilians in the Summy and Zaporizhzhya regions.

Those statements are spread by russian propagandists in mass media and social networks stating that on March 28 the Ukrainian side started fire from small arms and mortars in the Summy and Zaporizhzhya directions, disrupting the evacuation of civilians.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, this is not true as there were no humanitarian corridors on that day. “Iryna Vereshchuk, the minister for Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories claimed that due to the security reasons on March 28, 2022 the humanitarian corridors will not be open”, the center reports.
28.03.2022
Fake. In the Netherlands, Ukrainians beat a russian-speaking kid.

The social media and Russian mass media are spreading the information that in the Netherlands, in Rijswijk, Ukrainians beat a russian-speaking kid. In particular, they share a video which says that a woman reported to the police about beating up her 6 year old kid and this happened while chanting “For Ukraine!”

According to StopFake, the Dutch police denied this incident in their comments for StopFake. Also, there is no information about such a case in the local mass media.
28.03.2022
Fake. Ukrposhta (Ukrainian National Post Service) Became Part of “Post of Russia” Joint Stock Company.

Ukrposhta website informs that their partners and clients received letters about the service becoming a part of “Post of Russia”. However, this is not true. Ukrposhta claims that this is Russia’s informational war and not a single word is true in the letters.

“We understand that after Ukrposhta stopped all collaboration with the “Post of Russia” and also urged member countries of Universal Postal Union to properly respond to Russia’s actions, the Russian postal service got offended.We officially inform, Ukrposhta continues to work. We reopen our departments, deliver parcels, pay pensions, and sell products. We do everything we did last month and 30 years before that. Also, Ukrposhta does not deliver from and to the aggressor countries - Russia and Belorussia.
28.03.2022
Exposing. The fake account of the Volyn 14 separate mechanized brigade appeared in the telegram.

This was written on page "14 separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Roman the Great", writes the fact-checking project Liar.

The team is asked to complain about the fake channel: https://t.me/ombr_14. "Please go to this channel and complain so as not to give the enemy the opportunity to slander the name of the Prince's Brigade and spread fakes!" We hope for your help and support!" — it is said in the message.
28.03.2022
Fake. Explosives are thrown on the streets of Lviv.

This information appeared on social networks. Such posts publish photos of the explosives, but the photo does not show where it is. Also, photos are signed with words that the explosive can "tear off a hand on an elbow".

However, this is a fake. The Lviv Region Police said that the information about the explosives thrown in Lviv was untrue. Svitlana Dobrovolska, a spokeswoman for the Lviv Region police, told the local newspaper 032.ua about this.
28.03.2022
Fake. Odesa Opera Theater is mined.

Social media circulates the information about mined Odesa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet. Vladyslav Nazarov, “South” operational command officer, drew the attention to this information.

However, this is not true. “For many years Russia has been disseminating fakes and propaganda about Ukraine. After their full scale invasion, the number of fakes has skyrocketed. With this another informational attack about Odesa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet being mined, the russian nazis aim to disorient Ukrainians, bring panic and dispair, and to cover up their agressive intentions towards the objects of cultural heritage of Ukraine,” Nazarov writes.
27.03.2022
Fake. Russian special forces killed Canadian sniper in Mariupol.

Social media actively circulate information that Wali, the Canadian sniper, was killed by Russian special forces 20 minutes after the active combat operations in Mariupol.

However, this is not true. According to VoxCheck, the sniper debunked the information about his own death on March 14 and 22, 2022. “The Canadian sniper who goes by the name Wali is a former member of the Armed Forces of Canada and he is currently fighting on the Ukrainian side. In the beginning of March 2022, he joined the “international” legion of territorial defense of Ukraine. On March 14, 2022 he debunked the information about his death on his Facebook. He informed that for some time he was in Kyiv oblast and later retreated to a safe place because he was sick,” fact checkers say.
27.03.2022
Fake. Fire broke out near Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

This information has been shared in social media and some mass media saying about massive fires in the exclusion zone.

However, this is not the case.The State Emergency Service of Ukraine informs that as of March 28, 7:57 according to the satellite images there’s no evidence of thermal emissions, fires or ignition in the exclusion zone.
27.03.2022
Fake. Biden criticized the actions of the Ukrainian government.

Russian propagandists are spreading this message en masse online. They quote US President Joe Biden in publications that allegedly say that Ukraine has done too little to defend itself. "We talked for three months about the Russian attack; the Ukrainian authorities ignored us. 28 (remember this number), that's how many reports we passed to the Ukrainian side, and we were called panickers," — network users quoted the US president.

Biden did not say this phrase during his speech in Warsaw or in other public speeches. The StopFake team analyzed public speeches and transcripts of meetings with the US President's press from February 24 to March 26, 2022, and found no such statements.
27.03.2022
Fake. Russia has captured or blocked major Ukrainian cities.

Russian media, citing the General Staff of the Russian Federation, spread the fake that the Russian army allegedly completely blocked Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Mykolayiv. Similar messages are sent to Ukrainian users, but with an expanded list of allegedly captured cities — "Sumy, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Melitopol, Bila Tserkva, Zaporizhzhia", as well as "Kirovograd" and "Kropyvnytskyi" (in fact, these are two names of the same city) and others. Russia has not captured, blocked or controlled any major and strategic city in Ukraine. The Ukrainian military counterattack repulses the occupiers at all points near Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy. Western special services are also recording the Armed Forces' success in the south of the country.

Also, in the messages sent to users, they write about "the destruction of 13 bio laboratories on the territory of Ukraine", "about the bio laboratory at Zmiiny", and so on. Fake about bio labs MediaSapiens has denied before.
27.03.2022
Fake. Rustem Umerov was poisoned.

Member of Parliament of Ukraine and one of the participants in the talks between Ukraine and Russia, Rustem Umerov, denied reports of his alleged poisoning. "I am just fine. Please do not trust unverified sources of information. The information war in our country is actively continuing," he said on Facebook.
26.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian military mocks Russian POWs.

The Russian occupiers shoot staging videos of such scenes. The Center reported this for Strategic Communications and Information Security. However, this is a fake. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, said that the enemy was doing this to discredit the defence forces of Ukraine. He added that the military of the Armed Forces and other legitimate military formations strictly adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law.
26.03.2022
Manipulation. The slogan "No War" was coined by the Nazis.

This information is spread by Russian propagandists, who claim that the well-known pacifist slogan "No War" is, in fact, "Nazi". In particular, such a statement was made by "expert on strategic communications" Trofim Tatarenkov.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, he claimed that this slogan "echoes" the slogan on Nazi leaflets thrown in besieged Leningrad, and the Ossetian slogan always sounded like "We are for peace" and "No war" is that propagated by the Nazis. However, this is not true. According to the Center, the content of Soviet-era anti-war propaganda posters was based mainly on the slogan "No War." However, they were against the "wars of aggression of the US imperialists."
26.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian media spread fake photos of a wounded girl from Mariupol.

That's what Russian propagandists say. This is a picture from the children's hospital in Zaporizhzhia, which shows a 13-year-old girl Milena, who was evacuated from Mariupol. After receiving a bullet wound to the jaw, she was placed in a medical coma.

However, Russian propagandists claim that the photo does not show a wounded girl from Mariupol. "Ukrainian media are spreading this photo with a description that it is a hospital in Zaporizhia, where the wounded are brought from Mariupol. However, the affected civilians from Mariupol are constantly being taken to hospitals in Russia and the "DPR". Other refugees from this city are leaving for these territories, "the propagandists write. According to StopFake, this statement is not valid. The injured girl in the photo lying by the barricaded window was evacuated from Mariupol to the Zaporizhzhia Children's Hospital. This photo by William Keo appeared on March 20 on the French website Liberation in a report from the Zaporizhzhia hospital. The article is about children and teenagers who managed to be taken out of the besieged Mariupol.
26.03.2022
Fake. The UN has supported the genocide in Ukraine.

Russian propagandists spread this thesis. This is how they reacted to the UN's refusal to adopt a humanitarian resolution on Russia.

According to StopFake, the Russian media reacted immediately to the extraordinary special session of the United Nations dedicated to the invasion of Ukraine, which started on March 23. During the UN Security Council, the countries rejected Russia's "humanitarian" resolution, which the Kremlin allegedly promoted to "protect the civilian population" of Ukraine. Russia's envoy to the UN, Vasyl Nebenzya, said the Kremlin document "was directed against the terror of the Ukrainian government against its citizens." He also added that "the absence of a humanitarian resolution will allow the Ukrainian side to continue to ignore the requirements for a ceasefire to remove people through humanitarian corridors." Commenting on the UN's refusal to adopt a Russian resolution, Russian experts said that "the UN has blessed the genocide in Ukraine." In fact, according to fact-checkers, the UN refused to adopt the resolution because it was Russia that started the war in Ukraine and began bombing civilian targets, killing civilians and creating a humanitarian catastrophe on Ukrainian territory.
25.03.2022
Fake. The Hajibey Dam has been mined and is planned to be blown up.

Russian propagandists write that the head of the Odessa regional military administration, Maxym Marchenko (whom propagandists call the "Nazi governor"), allegedly ordered the mining of the Khadzhibey Dam. Fake reports about the mining of the Hadzhibey Dam say that "a closed meeting was allegedly held in Odesa, at which Maksym Marchenko ordered sappers to mine the Hadzhibey Dam. In case of an active attack of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from Mykolaiv or a city siege, the dam will be blown up. To the objection of the representative of the water utility and the Ministry of Emergencies that the water will very quickly reach a densely populated area located in the lowlands and it will be difficult to pump it out, the governor said that the blast would be attributed to Russian saboteurs".

According to StopFake, Sergiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the operational headquarters of the Odessa OVA, denied this statement and pointed out that the sources of this information belong to the Russian units of the IPSO.
25.03.2022
Message. The Ukrainian authorities and the media are totally misinforming citizens.

Anonymous telegram channels controlled by the Russian secret services regularly repeat that the state of affairs at the front is totally different from what we see on television or hear from the authorities. However, anonymous telegram channels do not give any examples.

Read more about the peculiarities of informing in wartime in the column by Otar Dovzhenko.
25.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine does not pay salaries to the military.

Anonymous telegram channels claim that the Ukrainian military does not receive a salary. They explain that the salary can be obtained only on the card of PrivatBank because it seems that the Minister of Defense Reznikov has a "rollback". According to anonymous people, only "alcoholics and homeless people" are recruited to the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defence, and other military formations, and they do not have a card and are paid accordingly.

However, this is not true. First, PrivatBank is a state-owned company, so PrivatBank and Oschadbank operate various types of government payments. Secondly, all those who join the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defence and other military formations before the start of service undergo all the necessary paper procedures, including registration of a special card for this type of state payment. Thirdly, not everyone has received their salary yet, as a significant part of the military has served in the Armed Forces and the Troika for less than a month.
25.03.2022
Fake. Territorial defence ranks are replenished by "alcoholics and homeless people."

This fake is part of a narrative about discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defence and other military formations. The Ministry of Defense states that territorial defence ranks are replenished with volunteers with relevant experience. Moreover, they claim that tens of thousands of willing men and women are precisely waiting for their turn because they are recruiting people with the relevant military speciality as units, and all kinds of support are deployed.
25.03.2022
Message. "Poland will bring troops to Ukraine?".

Telegram channels administered by Russia's intelligence services are speculating on the US president's visit to Poland. They take various quotes from Biden and other politicians who allegedly claim that Poland, despite NATO's refusal, is still sending troops to Ukraine. Propagandists do not speak unequivocally but only speculate and push.

24.03.2022
Fake. Russia captured Mariupol and hoisted its flag on the city's main building.

According to the Patrol Police of Ukraine, such information is disseminated by Russian propaganda media. However, this is not true. "The occupiers do not control the city; they just arranged a photo session near the district prosecutor's office building in the Left Bank district. This area is separated from the central part of the city by a river and the industrial zone of the Azovstal plant. Policemen, fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the Territorial Defense give a worthy rebuff to the invaders and continue to defend the city heroically," the statement reads.

24.03.2022
Manipulation. All Ukrainians will receive financial assistance in connection with the war.

Telegram channels spread information that the government had approved a certain amount of payments to each Ukrainian during the war. According to the fact-checking project "Liar", in particular, the reports were published by the channels "All about the war" and "News of Ukraine 24/7".

However, this is a manipulation, as the authors of the reports note that it seems that the Ukrainian government has approved a certain monthly amount of cash benefits that all citizens will receive without exception. Some publications have stated that the number of payments will depend on the age group of people. There are several of them. Volodymyr Zelensky announced a large-scale program of assistance to Ukrainians, covering three main areas: money, housing, and work. However, according to the official statement of the authorities, it will apply to those citizens who were forced to leave their homes due to the fighting, and not all, without exception, Ukrainians.
24.03.2022
Fake. The Russian occupiers captured Raisins.

Such information is spread by Russian propaganda. However, this is not true. According to the head of the youth and sports department of the Izium City Council, Maksym Strelnyk, the enemy is spreading this due to the lack of military success on the Izium front.

"It's a lie. Our army heroically defends Raisins and does not allow the enemy to enter the southern part of the city. The demarcation line now runs along the Seversky Donets River. Still, with the help of local collaborators, the Russian occupiers learned about the ford across the river and are now able to reach the southern shore. However, our defenders immediately meet them and send them all to hell," the statement reads. Information about the fake was also confirmed by the head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleh Synegubov.
24.03.2022
Message. Ukraine's allies have separatist plans for the territory of our state.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, the materials of the opposition to the Putin regime refer to allegedly separatist plans of the Ukrainian allies regarding the territory of our state. In particular, such reports refer to the danger of the introduction of peacekeeping missions on the territory of Ukraine, as it seems to end with the "division of the territory of Ukraine" - the rollback of the territories to the state of 1939.

"Among the countries that, like Russia, seem to infringe on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, pro-Kremlin pseudo-analysts call Hungary, Romania and even Poland. After the de facto defeat of a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine and unsuccessful attempts to hold pro-Russian rallies in Serbia, Bulgaria, Armenia, and Syria, the enemy proceeded to unsuccessful demonization of individual countries. Information infusions of this kind only show that the Russian disinformation and propaganda ecosystem continues to fail, "the Center said in a statement.
24.03.2022
Exposing. Russian propagandists produce fake videos at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

On March 24 state enterprise “National Nuclear Energy Generating Company “Energoatom” reported that the group of russian propagandists producing fake stories about plant operation was brought to the seized Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. “Energoatom” is convinced that the russians might make those stories to persuade International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in “nuclear terrorism being “normal” and to hide the real situation with the radiation leak and environmental pollution.”
23.03.2022
Manipulation. Nations of different countries support Russia’s war against Ukraine.

This information is being disseminated by Kremlin propagandist media. In particular, they publish articles with the headlines “Rally Held in New-York in Support of Russia”. “The protesters were carrying posters “Russia is not enemy for us! NATO and Ukrainian nazi are!”, the articles say.

However, this is manipulation. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the material doesn’t point out any references to the source of the information; it goes that “the rally has been reported by the local mass media”. They only share a piece of text and a photo with 5 people in an unidentified place (3 persons are holding the poster and 1 person is holding the symbol of the Temporary Occupied Territories of Donetsk and Luhansk). The monitoring has shown that on February 27 propagandist media already shared similar news about the rally in New York with no photo from the scene.
23.03.2022
Fake. Map of the "Russian attack" on Ukraine.

The so-called map of "cities that will be bombed by Russia" is being distributed on Telegram channels. Such reports say that the map was allegedly created on the basis of British intelligence.

However, this is a fake. In fact, the image of the map used in such messages was created in the framework of Ukraine's Independence Day celebration. This is the map of prohibited places for drone flights.
23.03.2022
Fake. Great Britain is ready to help Ukraine get nuclear weapons.

Such information is spread in the Russian propagandistic media. The propagandists conclude that Britain will help Ukraine with nuclear weapons on the basis of a short video teaser posted on a YouTube channel of Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus.

However, this is not true. According to StopFake, in the full version of the video, Ben Wallace, the British Minister of Defense, denied the possibility of providing such assistance. In response to questions from Russian pranksters, the British Defense Minister recalled the signing of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
23.03.2022
Fake. Biden is afraid of Russian Kinzhal missiles.

This statement is being spread by Russian propagandists, mentioning that the U.S. president Joe Biden himself admitted that he was afraid of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and allegedly stated that the U.S. military is not able to stop a hypersonic missile.

According to StopFake, all of this is not true, because Joe Biden said that the use of Kinzhal missiles is a sign that "Putin is pressed against the wall" due to the lack of success of the Russian army in Ukraine. He also stressed that these missiles are not fundamentally different from those already known, except that it is difficult to shoot them down by air defense systems.
23.03.2022
Fake. There were two prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.

Russian media have spread a statement by Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova that allegedly there were two prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia. Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk denies this information. "No, I do not have such information. Russia lives in a parallel reality, they make exchanges, they write about it. We did not make exchanges," Vereshchuk told “Ukrayinska Pravda”.
23.03.2022
Fake. Russian forces do not shoot at Ukrainian civilians, but help them.

Russian media have spread a statement from Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for the Russian president, that the Russian military is allegedly not shooting at Ukrainian civilians, but helping them. The fake again mentioned "Ukrainian nationalists" who allegedly used civilians as "living shields" and used "testimonies" of Ukrainians that were abducted to Russia. In fact, in 28 days, the Russian occupiers killed 121 children and injured 167 kids. In the last couple of days alone, the Russian military has fired on a peaceful rally in Kherson, destroyed houses in Kamianske, fired on two cars in Mayinivka, launched an air strike on Lozova, and so on. In addition, the Prosecutor General's Office reported for the first time to the Russian military on suspicion of violating the laws or customs of war through the rape of a woman in the Kyiv region. Only under this article, on the violation of the laws and customs of war (Article 438 of the Criminal Code), in 28 days 2336 proceedings were initiated.
23.03.2022
Fake. Russia is preparing to sign a peace treaty.

Such a message was spread in several Telegram channels. They claimed that Russia is preparing to end the war and sign a peace treaty with Ukraine. In fact, it’s not true.

The fake was pointed out by the fact checkers from the Brekhunets project. According to them, the negotiations between Ukraine and russia are still ongoing and mostly aimed at saving civilians from hotspots and organizing humanitarian corridors.
23.03.2022
Fake. Belarusian saboteurs have been detained in Ukraine.

The information on detaining Belarusians who were hiding behind journalist IDs and refugee certificates was spread in Telegram channels. In such messages journalists were called saboteurs .

However, this information is not true. According to the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, the Security Service of Ukraine officially stated that the majority of detained saboteurs are the citizens of Ukraine. Only one of the detained saboteurs was Belarusian. He was detained in the Volyn Region. No details about him were reported.
22.03.2022
Fake. Russian missiles didn’t damage Babyn Yar in Kyiv.

Such a statement has been spread by the Russian propagandist media. In their messages, they accused Volodymyr Zelenskyi of lies, claiming that he lied in his speech to the Parliament of Israel saying that russian missiles hit Babyn Yar. According to StopFake, Russian propagandist media are using the testimony of an Israeli journalist who says that there is no damage on the territory of the memorial.

In fact, during the March 1 shelling of Kyiv, the Russian army fired on the Kyiv television tower, one missile hit the television center’s technical building, another one - the Avantgarde building on the grounds of the former Jewish cemetery. “The issue here is firing on the Babyn Yar memorial complex and not damaging a specific monument. According to the United Jewish Community of Ukraine, the Kharkiv synagogue, one of the largest in Europe has been fired on, the Jewish cemetery in Bila Tserkva and a number of other Jewish sites in Ukraine have been shelled”, StopFake writes.
22.03.2022
Fake. Germany will stop supplying weapons to Ukraine.

ТSuch a statement has been spread by the russian propagandist media. In particular, Lenta.ru, Krasnaya Vesna, TASS, Vesti and many others. They claim that Germany allegedly will no longer supply weapons to Ukraine. According to StopFake, such “news” refer to the statement of German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht who allegedly announced on March 21 that “Germany is unlikely to send Ukraine any of the Bundeswehr’s reserves. I would even say that we can’t send anything.” However, what Minister Lambrecht actually said is quite the opposite, that the German federal government is considering further arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian media deliberately distorted Christine Lambrecht’s words.

More details
22.03.2022
Fake. In Odesa, due to martial law, a territorial defense is being established, while schools, maternity hospitals, and hospitals are transformed into strongholds.

Different Telegram channels and social media pages spread information that Odesa establishes territorial defense. As proof, they added a document of so-called order #101 from 03.16.22 signed by the head of Odesa Regional Military Administration, Maksym Marchenko.

In fact, this is fake news. Odesa Regional Military Administration informs that Maksym Marchenko has never ordered or signed this. “We publish all official orders on our website and promptly inform about that on our official Facebook page,” — says the message.
22.03.2022
Exposing. National minorities residents of Zakarpatia region are receiving threatening messages on social media.

Viktor Mykyta, head of Zakarpatia Regional Military Administration, shared this news on his Facebook page. He called it an enemy's informational operation that aimed at internal destabilizing the situation in Zakarpatia. "Expectedly, the Hungarian community of our region became the victim of these actions. They started receiving fake messages with threats from unknown social media accounts. At the same time, Russian informational resources are spreading disinformation about the so-called desire of Hungarian community to separate from Ukraine," — says the head of Regional Military Administration.

He added that they were informed about such intentions long before the start of this informational attack. "We were ready. That is why we counteract these attacks systematically and effectively," — Mykyta stated.
21.03.2022
Exposing. On social media, probably hostile adjusters offer "help with replacing broken windows."

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security has warned that hostile correctors may resort to new approaches. In particular, a message is sent on social networks on behalf of "Igor or Ivan", which offers free help with replacing broken windows. At the same time, the "gentleman" can ask many questions about your house and everything nearby. Therefore, it can be an enemy corrector. Therefore, be careful and not help the occupiers destroy Ukrainian cities," the Center said.

21.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine has committed genocide against Donbas.

This message is regularly spread by the russian propagandists. For example, it has been repeatedly mentioned by the Russian president Volodymyr Putin, Foreign Intelligence Service director Serhiy Naryshkin and others. By this narrative, Volodymyr Putin in particular, is trying to justify a full-scale military invasion.

However, this is fake. According to StopFake, Volodymyr Putin thinks that one of the main reasons of the full-scale war against Ukraine is salvation of Donbas people from genocide. For the last 2 weeks, Putin has mentioned 3 times “14 000 civilians died in Donbas” who, in his opinion, were killed by “Ukrainian nationalists”. However, there is no such data about the victims among civilians on the Donbas territory that is temporarily occupied by Russia. This fact is proved by the official data from the UN and even by the reports of the ombudsman from the so-called "Donetsk People’s Republic".

More information
21.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian “nationalists” mined the building of Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology to hide the work on nuclear developments.

Since March 7, the social media have been spreading the information that so-called Ukrainian “nationalists” mined the building of Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology with the experimental nuclear VoxCheck has debunked this message pointing out that russia has been spreading this piece of disinformation after its attacks to justify its actions or pin the blame on Ukraine. Fact-checkers reminded that for the first time the building of Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology was shelled from “Grad” on March 6 and on March 10 the occupants attacked it for the second time. As the result, the attacks caused power cut of the installation.

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21.03.2022
Fake. In the western regions of the country, IDP men are more mobilized.

Such information is spreading on the Internet, but on ICTV, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar denied this and explained the proportion of those mobilized among residents of the western regions and migrants.

"Indeed, mobilization has now been announced. Everyone knows that the presidential decree was issued on February 24. Many people are being mobilized today because today, many people who can be at the front are needed to defend Ukraine. The same mobilization is carried out in all regions of Ukraine. There is no selective approach because the information is already spreading about the alleged mobilization of internally displaced persons in the western regions. This is not the case," said Malyar.
21.03.2022
Fake. Red Cross issues certificates to easily cross the border.

The representatives of Red Cross are receiving messages saying that their employees can receive certificates that give a right to cross the border without any obstacles, and the law of Ukraine on general mobilization is not applicable to those. The organization denies this information and assures that Red Cross Ukraine is not issuing such certificates. “Everyone forging and using these certificates violates the law of Ukraine “On Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal Symbols in Ukraine,” the statement says.
21.03.2022
Fake. In Germany a group of Ukrainians beat a young man to death.

A video of so-called deathly beating is being spread on social media. This was reported by ‘Europeiska Pravda’ with reference to German Bonn’s police department. In this video, allegedly, a crowd of Ukrainians beats a 16-years old boy in Euskirchen, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia. Language of video — Russian.

At first, the video was published on Telegram-channel, which spreads Russian propaganda about the Russian-Ukrainian war. A fake news report that 16-years old volunteer “Daniel” was beaten only for speaking Russian. The police say they have no information about this cruel attack that caused death. Law enforcement officers ask people not to spread this video and check the information carefully, especially on social media.
20.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine needs to be denazified.

Russian propaganda has been spreading this statement since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Vladimir Putin called that very denazification one of the reasons for launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and this is one of the demands of the Russian side during the negotiation process. However, it is unclear what denazification is, because in the speeches of the Russian side it always means something else: the elimination of the nationalist union; the transfer of "criminals", "responsible for bloody crimes against civilians in Donbass" to court; the abolition of any laws, which allegedly discriminate the Russian-speaking population; blocking the possibility for "followers of radical ideas to get into any structures of Ukrainian goverment."

However, Ukraine does not need to be denazified. Information about the need for denazification is refuted by fact-checkers from StopFake. "In fact, Ukraine does not need denazification. Far-right forces are not represented in the Ukrainian authorities and do not have significant electoral success. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is from a Ukrainian-Jewish family. In Ukraine, the rights of the Russian-speaking population are not oppressed in any way,” the fact-checkers write.

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20.03.2022
Fake. In Poland, the best places in hospitals go to Ukrainians, and due to the large number of refugees, Poles lack medicine.

Such statements have recently been spread in large numbers on the web in the format of copied records of "a friend from Lodz", "a sister with a small child who was sent home", and "hospitals that accept only refugees." This was reported by the ‘Brekhunets’ project with reference to PolskieRadio. Such messages say that the security guard did not let the author's four-year-old daughter into the city administration (hereinafter referred the name of the city), as he said that they only served Ukrainian children. "Hasn't it gone too far?" the message adds. In such texts names of cities, streets and offices change, but the part about four-year-old daughter and hospitals only for children from Ukraine remain the same. "This message should arouse hatred to refugees and increase panic. Unfortunately, there are people who do not check such news, but still share them, becoming unconscious parts of Russian propaganda," the fact-checkers write.

In fact, it's a fake. "It is unworthy and scandalous to spread rumors. For example, about the alleged "better beds for guests from Ukraine" or about the fact that "there is a lack of medicine" due to such a large number of refugees," said cardiologist, lipidologist, cardiovascular epidemiologist Professor Maciej Banach from Lodz Medical University. He added that it is dishonest to spread rumors that Ukrainians get to hospitals and clinics out of turn and without tests for COVID-19, because it's not true.

Details
20.03.2022
Fake. Zelensky's meeting with European leaders took place in Poland.

Information is being spread online that Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, which took place on March 15th, was "actually" held in the Polish city of Przemyśl, where the Ukrainian president allegedly arrived. Such information is spread in order to show that Zelensky is not even in Ukraine, but, most likely, is just running a "show" from Poland.

In fact, this is not true. Zelensky's video was streamed from Kyiv. StopFake writes in detail on this.
19.03.2022
Fake. 350 people were evacuated from Severodonetsk, Rubizhne and Lysychansk to Luhansk.

The head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration, Serhii Haidai, denied the fakes of the occupiers, who reported that 350 people from Severodonetsk, Rubizhne and Lysychansk were allegedly evacuated to occupied Luhansk. "[Rashists (Russian fascists)] demand from residents of the occupied territories to collect humanitarian aid. Forcibly! Fake administrations have ordered the workers to bring something for the "refugees". It is not true! No Ukrainian from Severodonetsk, Rubizhne and Lysychansk could leave for the occupied territories. Cities are controlled by the Ukrainian authorities, the rashists couldn’t take people out, the Armed Forces would not allow them, and people would not leave, because Luhansk region is Ukraine," Gaidai said.
19.03.2022
Fake. УкраїThe Ukrainian military fired on Rubizhne to "create a picture for the West."

Russian media and pro-Kremlin telegram channels report that the Ukrainian military allegedly fired on Rubizhne in the Luhansk region to "create a picture for the West" about the Russian aggression. The head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration, Serhii Haidai, said that the Russian occupiers were cynically destroying residential areas and killing civillian Ukrainians. According to him, in particular, at least 27 houses in Rubizhne were caught fire on the night of March 17.

In addition, the National Guard of Ukraine refuted Russian media reports that the city was allegedly controlled by the Russian military. "Our guardsmen send greetings from Rubizhne in Luhansk region. They were genuinely surprised and laughed a lot when they saw a circus show in Russian news that the city had been "cleansed" by Chechens and terrorists from ORDLO (the uncontrolled portions of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts). They say that the city was guarded, is guarded and will be guarded by Ukrainian servicemen, border guards and police, and they do not surrender it to the occupiers," the statement says.
19.03.2022
Fake. Azov is preparing a series of terrorist attacks against diplomats from the United States and other countries in Lviv.

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine warned that the Russian Ministry of Defense had spread fake information—that the Azov regiment was preparing a series of terrorist attacks against the U.S. and other diplomatic missions in Lviv to "create levers of influence on NATO countries to close the sky over Ukraine."
19.03.2022
Fraud. The intruders tried to collect cryptocurrencies for the army under the guise of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Specialists of the National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks at the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine blocked a fake domain for fundraising under the guise of a page of the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Funds for the army can be officiall donated in the "Diia" app—these funds will be provided in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the "Come Back Alive" fund.
19.03.2022
Disclosure. Russian media are making staged vidoes about "nazi concentration camp" and "secret prison" at the Aidar battalion.

Russian propagandists, including RT, RIA Novosti, Izvestia, Regnum and Ren TV, and pro-Kremlin telegram channels have been spreading fake information about the "concentration camp" that Ukrainian Aidar battalion fighters have allegedly held for eight years in the village of Polovynkine, Starobilsk region, Luhansk oblast. According to StopFake, these stories show only footage of an abandoned factory location without additional evidence—without traces or evidence of torture (blood, human remains, etc.). This is not the first time that the Russian media has tried to promote the issue of "concentration camps" in Ukraine, these attempts have been recorded since the beginning of the war in Donbas.

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19.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian diplomatic institutions recruit Japanese for the war against Russia, which is leading to a loss of Japan’s independence.

Russian websites share the statement of the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova that Japan allegedly loses its independence in the international arena, without preventing its citizens from fighting on the side of Ukraine. According to StopFake, Zakharova's words about Japan's "independence" due to its support of "neo-Nazi forces" are repeatedly exposed fakes.

She also says that foreign embassies and consulates of Ukraine allegedly "recruit" Japanese volunteers to the "foreign corps". In fact, participation in the International Defense Legion of Ukraine is completely voluntary. The embassies of Ukraine do not "recruit" volunteers, but provide information about the algorithm of joining the Legion. As of early March, about 70 Japanese volunteers had joined the International Legion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, in turn, has announced an evacuation throughout Ukraine, and people are expected to stop all travel to the country, regardless of the purpose of their visit.

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19.03.2022
Fake. The Red Cross reported that Ukraine was suffering huge losses.

The information has been spread on social media that allegedly according to the data of the International Committee of the Red Cross and reports of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Ukraine "suffers enormous losses in manpower." According to StopFake, the publications are supplemented with infographics, which show alleged losses among the Ukrainian military. At the same time, neither the Ministry of Defense, nor the Armed Forces, nor other government agencies publish the number and names of soldiers who died as a result of a full-scale Russian invasion. On March 12th alone, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 1,300 Ukrainian servicemen had died since the beginning of the war.

Oleksandr Vlasenko, a media relations specialist at the International Committee of the Red Cross, said that the ICRC did not announce the figures or estimate the death toll on either side. He stressed that the International Committee of the Red Cross is a neutral organization focused on helping civilians affected by armed conflicts or violence.

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19.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine will persecute Crimeans who have served in the Russian army since 2014.

Office of Representative of President of Ukraine in Autonomous Republic of Crimea reported that Russia was spreading a fake that Ukraine would pursue Crimean conscripts, namely citizens who had been forced to serve in the Russian army since 2014. Thus, the occupiers’ goverment is trying to force the residents of the peninsula to mobilize and fight against Ukraine.«This way the occupier violates the norms of international and national law. Crimeans forced into the Russian army or other illegal groups are victims of armed conflict, not criminals. Therefore, they are not subject to criminal prosecution by the Ukrainian authorities», — the office said.
19.03.2022
Fake. Russia has shown a map of its advances in Ukraine—almost half of the territories are blocked.

The Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine warned that Russia had spread a fake map of the occupiers advances in Ukraine, where almost half of the country's area was allegedly occupied or blocked by the Russian military. The Center denied this information and reminded that the enemy was losing both personnel and equipment—Russian lieutenant general Andrey Mordvichev was killed, several columns of equipment of the occupiers in Mykolayiv and Sumy regions were destroyed, 2 planes, 3 helicopters, 3 UAVs and 4 cruise missiles of the enemy were shot down.
18.03.2022
Phishing. Ukrainians receive text messages that inform about money coming in.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, Ukrainians began to receive phone messages with the text "You have recieved financial aid PB24 6500. Accept… ", which is followed by a link.

"Never open this link! There is a high risk that your phone will be hacked. Be careful! If you ordered a one-time cash assistance in the amount of UAH 6,500 through the "Diia" app, wait for a notification about the money accrual in your banking app. Do not follow any questionable links without checking them. It is always better to call the hotline of the institution from which you received the message and check the authenticity of the received notification," the Center emphasizes.
18.03.2022
Fake. The Security Service of Ukraine mined the city hospital in Dnipro.

This information was announced by representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense during one of the briefings. "The Security Service of Ukraine has mined a city hospital in Dnipropetrovsk and plans to blow up a building while a Russian plane is flying over the city," the Russians said.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, the Russians began to actively use information tactics of preliminary media coverage of the targets planned for the attack. This is especially true of shelling of civilian and critical infrastructure, which is classified as a war crime and provokes a wave of public condemnation within the international community. In fact, the information about minings is not true. The Center also appeals to the residents of Dnipro and asks them to be especially careful and cautious.
18.03.2022
Fake. Mariupol residents do not need to leave the city and go to Zaporizhzhia.

Russian bots are spreading a fake that Mariupol residents do not need to leave the city and go to Zaporizhzhia. The Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine said that such reports disrupted the evacuation from the city. Russian propagandists also write that Zaporizhstal (metallurgical plant of Ukraine) and Zaporizhkoks (one of the largest Ukrainian coke and chemical producers) are allegedly "mined" and that "armed Banderites are hiding in the workshops." "This is another cynical lie of the occupiers! The Russian aggressor is trying to disrupt the evacuation of Mariupol residents to safe places and destroy as many true patriots of the city as possible by ruthless shelling of residential neighborhoods," the Center said.
18.03.2022
Fake. Zelensky remains in Ukraine because he has nowhere to escape to.

Anonymous telegram channels controlled by Russia's intelligence services report that President Volodymyr Zelensky remains in Ukraine because he has nowhere to escape to. This is a lie, because even at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States and other western countries offered Zelensky to evacuate to a safe place to ensure the continuity of his leadership. However, the Ukrainian president refused.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels also accuse Zelensky of allegedly starting the war because he "supported Poroshenko's course to NATO" and "refused the Minsk agreements." In fact, it was Putin who "tore the Minsk agreements into pieces," as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, when Putin recognised terrorist groups “Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics”
18.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine sends untrained troops to the front.

Russian propagandists are spreading information that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are allegedly throwing untrained soldiers into the combat.

The Ministry of Defense denies such information and says that the main proof of this is the great losses in the ranks of the Russian armed forces. “The command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducts mobilization measures in a balanced and competent manner. Thousands of Ukrainians with combat experience want to join the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defense and other military formations as volunteers. Tens of thousands of willing men and women do not have this opportunity and are waiting for their turn precisely because the territorial recruitment centers (former military enlistment offices) hire people with the relevant military experience as units and all types of their support are deployed,” says the message from the Ministry.
18.03.2022
Fake. Residents of Mariupol fleeing the bombing are going to Russia.

Russian propaganda media widely disseminate such reports. However, all this is not true.

According to StopFake fact-checkers, most refugees from Mariupol fleeing barbaric shelling by Russian troops travel to Ukrainian cities controlled by the Ukrainian government.

Read more
18.03.2022
Exposing. Russia creates illusions of "exchange of views" to coerce "the right decision."

The Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council warned that Russian propaganda was spreading information manipulations aimed primarily at influencing foreign audiences and creating illusions of freedom of expression and exchange of views. "This technique simulates the presence of different points of view and create the effect of impartiality. For example, enemy bots publicly argue with each other over a "necessary scenario," creating the illusion of free speech. Such a manipulative approach aims to prove that any alternatives are not better than the imposed solution. Therefore it should be unequivocally supported," the Center said, adding that the technique could be used in the following topics: "Peaceful Russians suffer no less, and more than Ukrainians", "'Russophobia' reigns in the world", "stories about 'fraternal peoples', "stories about the lack of drugs and products, threats to the lives of Russians".
18.03.2022
Fake. Three American guardsmen were killed in the “Donetsk People's Republic”.

The Russian newspaper ‘Pravda’ spread a fake that three employees of the Tennessee National Guard were killed in the occupied part of the Donetsk region. The National Guard Buro has denied this information, saying that the names and photos of the U.S. military were taken from an article posted on the Pentagon's DVIDS website in 2018.
18.03.2022
Manipulation. Military-age males can go abroad.

Such information is spread in the Volyn region segment of Facebook. According to the fact-checking project "Brekhunets" (‘Liar’), there are indeed categories of men who can go abroad, but men who do not meet these criteria cannot cross the border.

According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the exceptions are men of the age of recruitment from 18 to 60, who: have a certificate of deferment of conscription and notification of enrollment in special military registration; who have conclusion on the unfit for military service by the military medical commission; persons who have three or more dependant children under the age of 18; those who raise a child (children) under the age of 18 on their own; who have dependent child with a disability; who are adoptive parents, guardians; whose close relatives died or went missing during the anti-terrorist operation.
18.03.2022
Exposing. Propagandists are filming fake stories as if the Russian military is distributing humanitarian aid in the Kharkiv region.

The head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleg Sinegubov, said, that in some temporarily occupied territories of the Kharkiv region, the Russian occupiers are trying to create a showy positive image: they distribute humanitarian aid, humanitarian aid, food and other goods to alleged civilians.

«"For example, in Lyptsi, Russian propagandists filmed an unknown gym. There is no such room in this settlement. This is a montage and an outright provocation. "The occupiers are creating a false 'picture', removing fictitious people who pretend to be residents of this community and who allegedly rejoice in the 'Russian liberators',", Sinegubov said.
18.03.2022
Fake. The NBU asks Ukrainians to transfer funds to help the Armed Forces.

The National Bank of Ukraine has reported a fraudulent scheme in which emails are sent to Ukrainians on behalf of the NBU asking them to transfer funds to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These letters are sent from helpukraine@bank.gov.ua helpukrainearmy@bank.gov.ua. They contain a link to the crypto wallet to transfer funds. The National Bank of Ukraine stressed that it does not send emails to citizens, especially with a call to help the Armed Forces. The National Bank also added that they do not raise funds in cryptocurrency because they did not open any at all.
18.03.2022
Fake. Test sirens are sometimes turned on to check the working capacity.

The Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine denied this information and reminded of the importance of air raid alarms, as well as the fact that test sirens are prohibited under wartime conditions. The Center also denied similar fakes related to air raid alarms: "There are objects that are detected by air defense, but the air raid sirens are not being activated because of them—it's a fake. After all objects being detected, even if they are small, the siren rings out. People did not have time to hide because the duty officer did not turn on the air raid siren—it's a fake. The siren is activated by the duty officer of the control center, who is present on the spot around the clock."
18.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine is shooting staging of deaths among civilians, probably in Chernihiv.

Pro-Russian telegram channels broadcast a video showing a truck filled with people's bodies in black bags: a man who was supposed to portray a "corpse" smokes, and two more men correct the "corpses" to make them look better in the frame. Russian propaganda claims that the video is a "staging of the Ukrainian government" that allegedly wants to accuse the Russian military of shooting civilians. Russian propagandists claim that this video was recorded in Chernihiv.

This video is from the Russian rapper Husky's "Never" clip shooting, published in March 2021. Earlier, this video was also used to fake "news stories about the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic."

18.03.2022
Manipulation. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ordered the military and terroritorial defense to be stationed in schools, kindergartens, and hospitals.

Telegram channels controlled by the Russian secret services spread mesages that after the attack on the Yavoriv military base, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to permanently change the location of the military and ordered the military and territorial defense to be stationed in schools, kindergartens and hospitals. Some pro-Kremlin telegram channels also report that Azov fighters are already allegedly deploying their forces in civilian infrastructure. These statements are then used by the Russian authorities as an excuse for their air strikes on schools and hospitals. For example, as it was in the case with the maternity hospital or the Drama theater in Mariupol.
18.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine was preparing to seize "lost territories with terrible bloodshed."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spread a fake message that Ukraine had allegedly failed to implement the Minsk agreements, so it was preparing to seize its temporarily uncontrolled territories, which was to be accompanied by "terrible bloodshed." Putin "tore the Minsk agreements to pieces," as US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield said when she acknowledged the "L / DNR" terrorist group. The very fake thesis about the "capture" of the occupied territories has been spread before. In particular, as proof of "Ukraine's preparations for the offensive in the Donbas in March 2022" , a document was distributed on the Lviv region's training camp. Or that Joe Biden allegedly ordered an attack on Donbas and so on.
18.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian border guards died near Kharkiv.

The Facebook page of the head of the State Border Guard Service, Serhiy Deineko, reported that Ukrainian border guards had died near Kharkiv and that the Russian military was threatening to retaliate. Deineko later deleted the post and reported that his page had been hacked. "The war, particularly in the information field, continues. And the aggressor uses all possible ways. Russian propagandists were the first to spread their fake. Despite this, we will continue our struggle, and victory will be ours. Glory to Ukraine!" he said.


17.03.2022
Manipulation. Ukraine renounces its demands and loses in negotiations with Russia.

Russian propagandists actively spread such a message. This information was announced during a regular briefing by the adviser to the head of the President's Office, Oleksiy Arestovych.

""The new topic is the alleged speculation that Ukraine renounces its demands or loses the negotiations. I want to remind you that the principled position of the President of Ukraine is that Ukraine must first be recognized at the international borders as of 1991. Secondly, everything we agree on must be better than before the war. Because then what is the meaning of the victims of the Ukrainian people" — the adviser of President's Office
17.03.2022
Fake. There was an accident at the Aul station in the Dnipropetrovsk region - you need to stock up on water.

Fake messages about an alleged accident at the Aul chlorine overflow station in the Dnipropetrovsk region are spread on social networks, so it is necessary to stock up on water. However, Mykola Lukashuk, the chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk regional council, refuted this message, noting that the Aul Waterworks Municipal Enterprise and the Aul Chlorine Transfusion Station LLC were operating normally.

17.03.2022
Manipulation. Europe has acknowledged that without Russian gas, it will end, or the world will support Ukraine until gas prices rise significantly.

Russian propaganda spreads these narratives in different languages, trying to sow panic among Ukrainians and convince them that the world can change its mind about Russia because of its dependence on Russian oil and gas. The Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine refuted these reports and reminded that the world already has experience overcoming the oil crisis. In 1973, Europe and the United States successfully abandoned Arab energy. The Center also noted that Germany, Poland, the Norwegian company Equinor, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the German company Uniper have decided to stop financing the construction of Russia's Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.
17.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian authorities have left Mariupol to the mercy of fate.

Such information is spread on social networks, but the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council denied it.

"Mariupol is a topic №1 for the President of Ukraine and diplomacy," Oleksiy Arestovych said at the briefing. The Center adds that the Ukrainian troops are trapped by the occupiers' attacks north of Volnovakha and in the environmental protection zone. It is tough and far to go from Zaporizhia — almost 300 km of bare steppe under attacks by Russian aircraft. That is why it isn't easy to unblock Mariupol at once. "Among those who remained in the city, the occupier immediately intensified propaganda, spreading various fakes designed to split thoughts and quarrel people. Do not spread Russian propaganda, and remember that the fate of Mariupol significantly depends on the mood and fighting spirit of the locals!" — added in the Center.
17.03.2022
Fake. Twitter had to label some Ukrainian media outlets as state-owned due to a large amount of biased information.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels spread information that the social network Twitter marked "some Ukrainian media" as state-run because of a large amount of biased information. These posts are illustrated, in particular, by a screenshot from the UNIAN page. The agency is not state-owned; UNIAN belongs to the holding "1 + 1 Media" associated with oligarch Igor Kolomoisky. At the same time, the propagandists do not mention that Twitter has been marking the Russian state media for more than a year, and recently the Belarusian state media. Facebook and Instagram also denote Russian state media.

Twitter marked only one, not "some," Ukrainian publication, the Voice of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada newspaper, which covers, among other things, Russia's war against Ukraine through statements by Ukrainian and foreign politicians and officials, and regarding other official sources. Russian propaganda also invented motivation. They did not explain on Twitter why they decided to mark the Voice of Ukraine right now but said: "We believe that people have the right to know about cases when the profile of the media is related to the state entity. In times of conflict, it is critical to provide access to reliable, evidence-based information and show which profiles are controlled by States parties."
17.03.2022
Fake. "The People's Police of the DPR" received a laptop from the Ukrainian military with information about the targets of the strikes in Donetsk.

The Russian newspaper RIA-Novosti published fake news: "The People's Police of the DPR" allegedly received a laptop from the Ukrainian military with information about the targets of the Point-U strikes, including the government building, radio and television centre, military enlistment office in Donetsk. However, the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine denied this and pointed out that the fake was poorly done — in the photo, allegedly from the computer of the Ukrainian military, the word "objects" (об'єкти) is written with the Russian "э". In addition, the photo was taken on an old laptop, which does not exactly draw on the secret archive of documents of Ukrainian defenders.
17.03.2022
Fake. In the Khmelnytsky region, humanitarian aid is sold in stores.

Such information is disseminated online, but all this is not true. According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, the head of the Khmelnytsky military administration, S. Gamaliy, assured that all humanitarian goods arriving at the military administration are accounted for by acceptance certificates and then transported to other regions.
17.03.2022
Fake. An unknown person with a poster with a provocative inscription appeared live on the state-run Russian-language foreign TV channel UA during the FreeHOME marathon.

The Center for Countering Disinformation reports that this is a fake. "In reality, this action did not take place. The person depicted in the collage is unknown to either the channel or the audience. The photo collage has all the signs of a false image that can be seen with the naked eye," the Center told the TV channel.

The fake came after the editor of Russia's First Channel, Marina Ovsyannikova, broke into a live broadcast with a poster with anti-war slogans.
16.03.2022
Fake. The Russian military did not fire on civilians in Chernihiv.

Russia's Defense Ministry has issued a fake statement that the Russian military allegedly did not fire on civilians in Chernihiv. Instead, "Ukrainian nationalists" are again accused of shelling. Another version of this is a "staging of the SBU."

The Chernihiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office said that the Russian military fired firearms at people standing in line for bread, killing 10 people. It happened in one of the sleeping districts of Chernihiv. Law enforcement officers have already launched a pre-trial investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
16.03.2022
Fake. The SBU, with the support of the West, is preparing a provocation with the use of poisonous substances against civilians.

Russia's Defense Ministry is spreading a fake message that the Security Service of Ukraine is allegedly "preparing a provocation with the use of toxic substances against civilians with the support of Western countries."

The SBU denied the report and noted that the fake spread after the occupiers fired on a peace column near Mariupol and dropped a bomb on the city's drama theatre building. « "Such statements by the invaders are just an attempt to divert attention from another war crime. But no fakes will cover the genocide of civilians and the humanitarian catastrophe in Mariupol, which is being destroyed by Russian missiles and bombs," the SBU said.
16.03.2022
Fake. Azov held hostages at the Mariupol Theater, but Russian aircraft did not consider the building a target for destruction.

Russia's Defense Ministry and Russian media are spreading fake reports that Azov fighters "could have held civilians hostage" at the Mariupol Drama Theater, but that Russian aircraft allegedly did not bomb the building and "did not see it as a target for destruction." Russian propagandists accuse Azov of this, which allegedly mined and blew up the theatre.

Russian aircraft launched an airstrike on the Mariupol Drama Theater, the city's largest shelter for civilians. Mariupol City Council said that a Russian plane deliberately dropped a bomb on the building, resulting in the entrance to the bomb shelter being destroyed. Information about the victims is being clarified.
16.03.2022
Message. Zelensky may not return to Kyiv after meeting with US President Joe Biden in Brussels.

Pro-Russian telegram channels spread information that rumours about Zelensky's quick escape are well-founded. Such reports assure, that the President of Ukraine may go to Brussels to meet with US President Biden, who will visit Belgium on March 24. Such texts predict that Kyiv will be blocked in a few weeks, and Zelensky will not be able to return there after the meeting.

There is no reason to claim this. There is also no official information that would confirm the planned meeting between Biden and Zelensky.
16.03.2022
Deep fake. Zelensky said it was difficult to be president and announced Ukraine's capitulation.

The video, in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talks about how difficult it is to run the country and announces Ukraine's capitulation to the war with Russia, is a deep fake. Before the video appeared online, hackers hacked a news feed on Ukraine 24 and released the same fake message allegedly from President Volodymyr Zelensky about the "surrender." Instead, the president recorded a video address, calling the fake a "childish provocation," urging Russians to lay their arms down.

Volodymyr Zelensky did not record a video urging Ukrainians to surrender. Earlier, the SBU warned Ukrainians that Russian propaganda was preparing similar deep fakes, on which Zelensky would call on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.
16.03.2022
Fake. In Ukraine, 15 million people maintain strong ties with Russia.

Russian propaganda media disseminate such information regarding the Russian Ministry of Defense. Such reports say that most Ukrainians have always advocated for good relations with Russia, and about 15 million "still have strong ties with the Russian Federation." The text also lists the areas in which friendship and assistance from Russia are allegedly most sought after.

However, this is fake. According to StopFake, the Russian Defense Ministry does not say based on which information these conclusions were made. Instead, according to Ukrainian national polls, most respondents believe that Russia's goal of invading Ukraine is destroying the Ukrainian people.

Read more
16.03.2022
Fake. The Time journalist worked for American intelligence and was killed by the Ukrainian military.

Russian propagandists are spreading a fake that Time journalist Brent Reno, who was killed in Irpen, worked for US intelligence and has experience participating in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Brent Reno worked on the TIME Studios project on the global refugee crisis. He came to Irpen to film reports on the city's evacuation and to photograph the aftermath of the Russian shelling.

Despite the confirmed circumstances of the shelling of journalists, Russia is lying that the American journalist was allegedly killed by "Ukrainian Nazis". Serhiy Leshchenko, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, said, that Russian propaganda was questioning Renault's status as an American journalist to reduce the tragedy and lie to Ukraine. The Center for Combating Disinformation added, that this case demonstrates that Russia is doing everything possible to prevent journalists from recording war crimes against the Ukrainian population.
16.03.2022
Fake. Zelensky called on Ukrainians to lay down their arms.

On March 16, hackers broke the news feed on Ukraine 24 TV channel and published a fake report allegedly from President Volodymyr Zelensky about the "surrender". Instead, the president recorded a video address, calling the fake a "childish provocation" and urging Russians to lay down their arms.

Read more
16.03.2022
Fake. Territorial Defence Forces units in Volnovakha planned an attack on Donetsk.

Russian propaganda media disseminate such information. The reports claim that the Territorial Defence Forces units in the town of Volnovakha planned an attack on the territories not under Ukraine's control. It is also stated that "all children and patients were allegedly evicted" from schools and hospitals to accommodate the units' personnel.

However, this is a fake, which was refuted by the fact-checkers from StopFake and found out that the published documents do not confirm this and refute the thesis about the "Ukrainian attack on Donbas". Read more
16.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian military trades in organs of dead and wounded Ukrainian soldiers.

Russian media are spreading a fake statement by Communist Party Chairman Gennady Zyuganov that the Ukrainian military is allegedly "selling the organs of Ukrainian soldiers killed or seriously wounded" during Russia's war in Ukraine (which he still calls a "special operation"). This fake was spread back in 2015, but it was about Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who died in the anti-terrorist operation zone. At the time, Russian propagandists even edited a video in which a former SBU officer allegedly told about "the organization of a special medical brigade that received orders from Western countries to sell the organs of servicemen and civilians killed in the anti-terrorist operation zone." The Security Service of Ukraine denied such "information", noting that some footage from the video had already been found online.

In addition, Ukrainian defenders killed in the war with Russia are buried in churches where possible. Instead, Russia does not even take the bodies of its soldiers, so Ukraine has to turn to the Red Cross to help remove the Russian military's corpses.
16.03.2022
Fake. You do not need to hide in shelters and basements during an air alarm.

Messages of this content are sent in Viber chats and other messengers in Transcarpathia. The text allegedly advises an experienced military man, but his name is not mentioned. An unnamed military man "advises" not to hide in the basement during the "air alarm" signal and calls them "mass graves" because, in his opinion, being in them is deadly. The message ends with a request to disseminate information to relatives to "help them survive."

Such advice from anonymous experts should not be trusted, as they can harm a person's life. In the case of air alarm, the algorithm of actions recommended by official institutions, regional military administrations should be followed.
15.03.2022
Fake. In the Rivne region, unknown people drive cars and ask people for the addresses of military units.

Such information is disseminated on social networks, telegram channels and Viber chats. The authors of such reports note that a car is driving in the region, the passengers of which are asking for the addresses of military units to deliver food there allegedly. However, the text asks for "inquisitive" to report to the police or territorial defence immediately.

According to the fact-checkers of the "Liar" project about the SBU data in the Rivne region, all this is not true.

Read more
15.03.2022
Manipulation. The network distorts data on the number of dead in Mariupol.

The Mariupol City Council pointed this out. "There is various information about the number of people killed in Mariupol by the hostile actions of the Russian occupiers - from several hundred to tens of thousands of people. But the official and confirmed information as of the end of March 14, 2022, is about 2357 dead Mariupol. All other data related to this are not true. Therefore, we ask you to trust only official information from verified sources," the statement reads.
15.03.2022
Fake. The occupiers want to control the Brest-Lutsk-Ternopil-Chernivtsi road.

Volyn telegrams and Viber chats spread reports about Israeli intelligence, which reported that Russia increased its military contingent in Brest. Such reports argue that this could mean that the occupiers are preparing to take control of the Brest-Lutsk-Ternopil-Chernivtsi road to cut off arms supplies from Poland and Romania.

The fact-checkers of the Liar project refuted this information. "Adviser to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Arestovych reassures residents of the western regions. He says the Russian army will not have the resources to attack another area. He stated this in one of the broadcasts on the "Direct" TV channel, "the statement reads.

Read more
15.03.2022
Fake. Volunteers do not provide humanitarian aid in the Lviv region.

The fake is spreading on social networks that the humanitarian headquarters of the Lviv Regional Military Administration are filled with goods, and volunteers allegedly do not give them out. LODA head Maksym Kozytskyi denied this information, noting that 80% of the aid received by the humanitarian headquarters of the Lviv region is immediately given to defenders at the front and civilians who remain in hotspots. The rest is distributed among IDPs.
15.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military blew up a double of the Mriya plane.

Social networks spread information that to block the runway at the Gostomel airport near Kyiv, the Armed Forces of Ukraine blew up a "double" of the world's largest An-225 "Mriya" aircraft, which is allegedly not ready to fly, and with an actual "Mriya" aircraft allegedly everything is ok.

However, all this is not true. Fact-checkers from VoxCheck have already refuted fake. The Russian occupiers blew up the "An-225 Mriya" plane, and the published photo in fake messages was taken at least four years earlier," the statement said.Read more
15.03.2022
Exposing. Kramatorsk residents receive a message to Viber from a Russian number requesting to install the Kramatorsk application.

Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko urges citizens not to follow these messages and delete them immediately but install the application exclusively through Google Play Market and AppStore. Instead, the mayor emphasizes that Kramatorsk residents can get information from official sources: the Kramatorsk City Council website, the institution's Facebook page, the telegram channel and the Kramatorsk e-application.
15.03.2022
Manipulation. Leaflets calling for the expulsion of Ukrainian Nazis are being distributed in Poland.

Such information in the media is disseminated by Kremlin propaganda. For example, such reports say that leaflets calling for the "expulsion of Ukrainian Nazis" are distributed in Poland. According to StopFake, pro-Kremlin propaganda has been using the same illustration with the same appeal since 2016, which only confirms the systematic and purposeful approach to inciting hostility towards Ukrainian citizens.

"Agitprop assures that anti-Ukrainian leaflets are being pasted in Poland. However, the same illustration propagandists try to pass off as such "leaflets" is repeated in all reports. The message is mostly spread in anonymous groups Telegram, the Russian social network "VKontakte". The fact that these actions are planned is evidenced by the fact that dozens of profiles of seemingly ordinary users and groups publish messages of the same content. At the same time, some of the users who spread it, according to their information about themselves, are related to the Russian armed forces," the fact-checkers note.

Read more
15.03.2022
Fake. Troops of the so-called "LPR" discovered mass burials of civilians in the area of ​​the Popasna railway.

Several Kremlin media disseminate such information regarding the so-called "LPR forces". According to StopFake, the killings of civilians are attributed to the Ukrainian army, which allegedly "drove people out of basements and used them as human shields".

“There are no photos and video evidence of such "burials". However, this is not confirmed by locals. On the contrary, the Russian occupation forces continue to fire on civilian targets and kill the civilian population of Ukraine," the fact-checkers wrote.
15.03.2022
Exposing. Users of bots or "live" accounts send messages in chats to find out the extent of the bombing and the exact location to correct the fire.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, they write in the chat rooms of the newly shelled cities. Therefore, they can be detected by the same standard messages.

"Under no circumstances tell anyone the exact location of the projectile and do not post the video at the time of impact. Your "exclusive" can cost someone their life. This information is especially relevant to opinion leaders and owners of thousands of telegram channels!" the statement reads.
14.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military fired on the civilian population of Donetsk.

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine refuted the fake spread by pro-Kremlin telegram channels, alleging that the Ukrainian military fired on civilians in occupied Donetsk from the Tochka-U missile system. In the videos distributed by the occupiers with the alleged "moment of ammunition and consequences," you can see only a tiny explosion, not typical of the complex "Point-U". The "consequences of the explosion" also do not correspond to the "Point U" projectile; in particular, there is no clear place where the projectile hit, although a typical funnel should have remained. This fake was supposed to "demonize the Armed Forces in the eyes of Western partners and the population of Russia itself..

Read more
14.03.2022
Fake. The enemy marks new points for laser attacks in cities.

Messengers are spreading the word that the enemy has developed a new way to warn of attacks on peaceful cities and residents. The report says that enemy reconnaissance groups in the city turn on lasers. According to the report, the green colour allegedly means a place for attacks and provocations; orange or yellow indicates the proximity of the enemy. However, all this is fake.

According to expert Dmitry Zolotukhin, this is technically impossible because a traffic light with a powerful emitter is not visible for 600 meters.
14.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainians are fleeing abroad due to pressure from the Ukrainian authorities.

Unbelievable, but the new fake of the Russian Ministry of Defense looks like this: "Ukrainians under pressure from the Ukrainian authorities are forced to flee to Romania, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary." Also, the Russian Defense Ministry said that at checkpoints, "not equipped rest areas, not organized food and medical care, refugees are forced to stay in the cold and cold, many of them with young children," and those travelling by car are stuck in traffic jams for tens of kilometres. Cars and pedestrians need to stand in line "2-3 days".

First, today the State Border Guard Service announced no queues, neither car nor pedestrian, at almost all border crossings. Secondly, volunteers helped refugees at the borders on both sides.

Third, people are fleeing abroad from shelling in residential areas, from air bombs and Grads, which kill Ukrainians by the Russian occupiers. And this is obvious - because neither queues at the borders, nor long waits in traffic jams, nor evacuation trains, in which people stand for twenty hours, did not exist in Ukraine until February 24.
14.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military fired a missile at the Bangladeshi-flagged Banglar Samriddhu.

This information is spread on social networks, but it's fake, as VoxCheck checkers found out.

"The Russian navy inflicted the missile strike on the ship. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, on March 2 at 17:25, Russian naval forces launched a missile strike on the ship Banglar Samriddhu (flag of Bangladesh), which was in the port of Olbia in the Mykolayiv region. A Bangladeshi citizen was killed when a rocket hit. The vessel entered the port on February 23 and was waiting for loading at the №363 berth without the possibility of exiting due to illegal navigation warnings about restrictions on navigation from the Russian navy," the statement reads.
14.03.2022
Message. The goal of the West is to undermine the economic potential of Russia and Belarus and worsen the quality of life of its citizens.

Russian politicians and the media are spreading this statement, trying to further turn citizens in Russia and abroad, especially in Germany and France, against the "collective West".

НIn fact, this statement is manipulative, as most of the sanctions imposed on Russia are aimed at the country's political leadership, elites, defense and financial sectors, etc. And the purpose of these economic measures is not to undermine the so-called potential of Russia and Belarus, it is a response to aggression and full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
14.03.2022
Fake. The tank attack on Mykolaiv is expected at 14:00.

Vitaliy Kim, the head of Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, reported that an old fake recording with allegedly his voice about tank attack on Mykolaiv at 2 PM has been shared on social media. Kim added that there were no tank groups near the city.
14.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military abducted a UN representative in Kharkiv.

Such information is spread by social media users. It is reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine kidnapped a United Nations representative in Kharkiv, and also arrived at the UN base in Kramatorsk and confiscated employees’ vehicles.

It is not true. Fake has already been refuted by fact checkers from VoxCheck. Ukrainian armed forces fighters did not abduct the UN representative in Kharkiv. Read more
14.03.2022
Fake. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine has released a staged video of how Ukrainian disposal experts defuse aviation bomb.

This information is disseminated on the Internet regarding the video where Ukrainian disposal experts defuse a high-explosive air-dropped bomb OFZAB-500. The messages say that these types of bombs have thin lining, and when falling the weapon would have exploded. According to StopFake, propagandists claim that there are no traces of a falling bomb on earth.

“Some users on Twitter are also skeptical about the video and think that it was staged since the experts defuse the bomb without any type of protection. However, this video was released on the official page of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The video features OFZAB-500 high explosive fragmentation incendiary bomb that is prohibited by the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons for use in areas of civilian concentration. Defusion was executed in Chernihiv, on March 9, after another bombardment of the city by russian aviation.” - fact-checkers write.
14.03.2022
Fake. Video of Zelensky’s visit to the hospital with wounded Ukrainian defenders was recorded in advance - back in February.

This information is spread by russian propagandists and Ukrainian pro-russian politicians. In particular, by Illia Kyva. These messages say that on the video Zelensky is escorted by Inna Derusova who died while performing a combat mission on February 26, in Okhtyrka, Sumska oblast.

In fact, the video didn’t show Inna Derusova but Tetiana Ostashchenko who was appointed as Commander of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the summer of 2021. Read more
14.03.2022
Fake. Residents of Kherson rejoice at the arrival of Russia.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels spread a fake that people in Kherson were "rejoicing over the arrival of Russia". During the March 13 celebration of the city's liberation from Nazi aggressors, locals allegedly "welcomed the arrival of Russian troops" in the city. In fact, on March 13 in Kherson, several thousand people took part in peaceful action with posters and Ukrainian flags. They also chanted "Go home", "Go home while alive", "Ukraine above all", "Glory of the nation — death to enemies", "Russian soldier, go f*ck yourself", "Kherson is Ukraine", "Russia is a shitbin, Ukraine gonna win." Later, at a rally, the occupiers opened fire. In addition, the SBU previously reported that occupiers were brought Russians from occupied Crimea to the city to create a "picture for the Russian media."
14.03.2022
Fake. Zhytomyr regional council announced an emergency evacuation of citizens.

The website of the Zhytomyr Regional Council was hacked on March 13 — it published a fake announcement about the emergency evacuation of citizens. The fake message also called for "not to resist the occupiers." For some time, the site stopped working, and the Zhytomyr Regional Council reported a cyber attack.

14.03.2022
Fake. SBU introduces new rules of communication.

The Security Service of Ukraine has denied the fake information that all phone calls and messages, and calls on Whatsapp, Twitter, and Facebook will be recorded in Ukraine.

Details here and here.
14.03.2022
Fake. 180 foreigners were killed near Lviv by Russian missiles.

Russia's Defense Ministry claims that "at least 180 foreign mercenaries were killed and a large consignment of foreign weapons" destroyed due to Russian missiles hitting military installations in the Lviv region on the morning of March 13. The report refers to the shelling of the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in the village of Starychi, Yavoriv district, Lviv region.

In a comment to CNN, Markiyan Lubkivskyi, a spokesman for Ukraine's Defense Ministry, denied the presence of foreigners in the centre at all and called the fake "untrue and purely Russian propaganda." According to the Lviv Regional Military Administration, and 134 were injured in the shelling of the Yavoriv test site, where the centre is located.
13.03.2022
Fake. In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, evacuated children left without custody can be adopted in a matter of hours.

The information is being spread on the wen that evacuated children who lost their parents in areas with no combat operations can be quickly adopted. In particular, the reports say that children can be adopted in a few hours in Ivano-Frankivsk region. However, the head of the regional military administration Svitlana Onyschuk denies such information.

“There is information that a child can be adopted in two or three hours, even without documents. This is not true. The adoption procedure remains unchanged. All the children we are currently under supervision. Our educators also take care of them. They are examined by doctors. We take care of children as if they were our own,” Onyschuk said.
13.03.2022
Phishing. Ukrainians are getting letters on behalf of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) asking them to support the army.

The NBU notes that they do not send such letters, and the messages received by people contain payment details of fraudsters.

“The National Bank of Ukraine urges citizens to be vigilant and careful in the information space. Please note that the National Bank does not send letters to citizens by e-mail. All information on financial assistance in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and humanitarian purposes is published exclusively through the official channels of the National Bank—on the official website page and social networks of the NBU," says the statement.
13.02.2022
Fake.After March 12 it would be impossible to withdraw cash from Ukrainian payment cards.

Such information has been spread online. Such messages say that money from payment cards had to be withdrawn in cash on March 12, because on that day the System of Electronic Payments of the National Bank of Ukraine (SEP) was working, and in the next few days it will not be possible to do so. However, this is a fake, which was refuted by the National Bank of Ukraine.

According to the report, SEP works every day — 23 hours and seven days per week. Read more
13.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian missile shot down Romanian helicopter.

Russian propaganda is spreading information that Ukrainian missile allegedly shot down a Romanian helicopter. In such messages, propagandists refer to the "official" statements of the Romanian side. However, according to StopFake, the Romanian Ministry of National Defense immediately eliminated such scenario.

"The plane crash in Romania happened on March 2, and since then Russian propaganda has been actively working to artificially involve Ukraine in it. Articles that a Romanian helicopter was shot down by a Ukrainian missile have been published by Tsargrad, Pravda.ru, Podmoskovye Segodnya, Newsfront and others,” the fact-checkers write. Read more
13.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine was preparing an attack on Belarus.

Statements that Ukraine was preparing an offensive against Belarus are widely spread on Russian websites. Such materials refer to the words of the self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

In fact, the Ukrainian army has not planned, does not plan and will not plan any aggressive actions against Belarus, writes StopFake, citing the words of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov. "Any attempt to accuse Ukraine of preparing an attack on the Republic of Belarus is a provocation and an excuse for involving the Belarusian army in Russia's war against Ukraine," the statement said. Read more
13.03.2022
Disclosure. Russia has prepared a manual on spreading fakes about Ukraine.

The so-called manual has been distributed to anonymous telegram channels. It was noticed by the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council. The manual stated four basic rules for creating fakes: it should be banal and with a touch of absurdity; the fake should contain a powerful message and leave room for audience’s own fantasies;it should take into account local peculiarities and be repeated many times.

The Center urges not to succumb to information provocations and not to share unverified information from anonymous sources in chats or direct messages. Read more
12.03.2022
Fake. An explosion took place in Mukachevo, Zakarpattia.

Такі Such information has been disseminated on social media. However, this is not true. According to the Mukachevo City Council, everything is calm in the city. This morning an air raid siren was heard in the Zakarpattia region, but there were no explosions in Mukachevo.

"In Mukachevo, as well as in Zakarpattia, after the all clear signal, everything went back to normal," said the City Council.
12.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine refuses to repair power lines at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

According to StopFake, in fact, Ukraine is ready to start the renovation of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant at any moment, but Russia is preventing this. The International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group call on Russia to immediately restore Ukraine’s control over all nuclear facilities.

Read more
12.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine does not need Kherson, it has surrendered the city.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, the enemy is producing a wave of disinformation aimed at the residents of Kherson. "Kherson is the only large Ukrainian city that has been under temporary Russian occupation since the beginning of a new phase of the war. Russian propaganda is actively "working" with the minds of the local residents, and through its agents in Kherson is spreading false messages that are beneficial to Russia and discredit the actions of the Ukrainian authorities," the Center said in a statement. Among the messages there are the following: "Kherson has been left", "Ukraine does not need Kherson", "Ukraine has left the civilians without means of subsistence."

In fact, this is not the case at all. "Ukraine will never leave the people of Kherson in trouble. Сonsidering the situation at the front line, the Ukrainian army is reckless to start fighting within the city, sacrificing civilians. Ukraine highly appreciates the efforts of the local residents, who, despite the temporary occupation of Russia, go out to rallies in support of Ukraine," the Center added.
12.03.2022
Fake. Lists of citizens whose utility bills are canceled during martial law have been created in Ukraine.

This fake is refuted by Zakarpattiaoblenerho (electric utility company in Zakarpattia). According to the company, in recent days they have received calls from consumers saying that in Ukraine there are lists of citizens whose payment for utilities during martial law will be canceled. In fact, this is not true. "Such fake messages are aimed at destabilizing the situation and destroying the system of public utilities in Ukraine!", says the statement. Please be reminded that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has banned the fines in case of late or incomplete payment for housing and public utilities during martial law. However, this does not mean that there is no need to pay for public utilities during the war.
11.03.2022
Fake. A bridge was mined in Kam'yanets'-Podil's'kyi.

The head of the Khmelnytsky regional military administration, Serhii Gamaly, denied information about the mining of the bridge over the Smotrych River in Kam'yanets'-Podil's'kyi ( the bridge is called "Running deer"). Gamaliy said that the bridge is guarded by territorial defense fighters and there is always someone there.
11.03.2022
Phishing. Ukrainians are getting phishing letters which "increase information security".

These letters have been sent on behalf of government agencies. The letters allegedly contain instructions on improving information security and include a website link for downloading "critical updates". The download of the file lead to comuter damage by the Cobalt Strike Beacon malware. Under no circumstances should you follow the link and download the file. If you have received or opened this letter, please notify cert@cert.gov.ua.

11.03.2022
Fake. Putin has the support of Svatovo.

The Luhansk regional state administration reported that ten unknown people in Svatovo impersonated the local residents and recorded a video in support of the Putin regime. The occupiers are distributing this video and propaganda letters. This is psychological pressure, the purpose of which is to "expose to as many Ukrainians as possible that everyone is supposedly waiting for Russia." The Luhansk regional state administration has also made public the instructions on recording such videos.

Read more

11.03.2022
11.03.2022
Manipulation. Zelensky is ashamed to declare war.

Pro-Russian Telegram channels share a common message that the world and international organizations are not calling the Russian invasion of Ukraine a war because "Zelensky is ashamed to declare it." All the while, the President of Ukraine has repeatedly called the Russian invasion of Ukraine a war, while the Russian Federation denies this fact and uses a number of terms among which are "Special Operation" and "Rescue Operation." Within this "operation" Russian occupants strike objects of civilian infrastructure and kill civilians.

The statements that other countries do not call the events occuring in Ukraine "a war" are incorrect. The posts in question give the example of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine which called the war "Putin's conflict in Ukraine." The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has repeatedly called the Russian invasion a war and has called for its cessation in his addresses.
11.03.2022
Manipulation. The Criminal Code has been repealed in Ukraine.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are spreading this thesis, criticizing the new law on ensuring civilians' participation in Ukraine's defence. Such reports argue that civilians can allegedly kill anyone if they believe that "the victim committed aggression against Ukraine." The same law stipulates that civilians may use weapons in the same way as the military ("the use of firearms by civilians is similar to the use of weapons by servicemen in carrying out their tasks to repel armed aggression against Ukraine").

In addition, the alleged "abolition" of the Criminal Code is a blatant lie. After all, other laws - №7116 and №7124 - increased criminal liability in Ukraine, namely for looting and treason or sabotage.
10.02.2022
Fake. The British Minister of Defense stated that service members who fight in Ukraine would probably be prosecuted after their return.

Russian propaganda media spread such reports amid the proliferation of a volunteer movement in which EU and NATO troops are coming to defend Ukraine. Such reports cite a falsified translation of a statement by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

In fact, according to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council the official translation of the official's statement does not say a word about the foreign legion and the punishment of its members.
10.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military was hiding ammunition within the energy blocks of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plan and attempted to attack the station.

In reality, the Zaporizhzhia NPP was captured by the Russian military, although propaganda media sources state that Ukraine handed over the station to them after "negotiations." Additionally, Russian media state that their military allegedly fought off a "carefully planned attack from neo-nazis of the Zaporizhzhia NPP" and of the Russian "patrol." All of this is false.

Read more
10.03.2022
Fake. Pregnant with a photo after the shelling of a maternity hospital in Mariupol — a model.

In the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom, Russian media and propagandists spread a fake that a pregnant woman from a photo taken after the maternity hospital in Mariupol was a model, blogger Marianna Pidhurska. However, the blogger's Instagram shows that she is really pregnant. Also, judging by geotags and messages on her Instagram, she permanently lives in Mariupol. One of her last posts is a list of shelter cities in Mariupol.

The Russian embassy in Britain also wrote that the photo was taken by Yevhen Maloletka, a well-known Ukrainian photographer. However, the embassy released a photo taken by another photographer, Mstyslav Chernov.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that "two-stage explosions occurred near the G3 Hospital in Mariupol." According to him, the airstrike is "a completely staged provocation to support the anti-Russian excitement in the Western audience." The Russian media spread this lie. Russian propaganda also spreads the statement of Russia's official representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzi, who said on March 8, "all staff of the maternity hospital №1 in Mariupol were expelled, the Armed Forces equipped it with a firing position." In fact, on March 9 in Mariupol, the maternity hospital №2 was bombed.

Read more


10.03.2022
Message. NATO is deliberately not closing the sky above Ukraine to drain Russia.

These kinds of messages are being transmitted in pro-Russian telegram channels. On the "Panchenko" telegram channel, NATO's position is characterized as cowardly due to its continuing refusals to close the skies above Ukraine. In the message, it is also said that NATO is interested in prolonging the war (even though the channel calls the war itself a conflict.) The core idea is this: the longer the war, the weaker Russia becomes and Ukraine is being pitied by no one. In reality, there are no official reasons to state the above. This rhetoric only discredits Ukrainian allies in this war.
10.03.2022
Fake. Arsen Avakov was killed in Kharkiv.

Russian propagandists have spread fake news that former Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov allegedly died during the Russian bombing of Kharkiv. Avakov recorded a video in response to this message. "First I want to see how Putin dies, his stinking empire falls apart, and Ukraine wins and prospers! This is what would happen! And together with many Ukrainians, I am here in Kyiv! There is no f*cking way you will succeed, comrade propagandists,", — he said.
10.03.2022
Exposing. Some international media are again spreading fakes about the Azov Battalion and the activities of neo-Nazis.

The Chinese edition of the Global Times published an "investigative material" accusing the Ukrainian Azov Battalion (which later became a regiment) of "neo-Nazism" and the US government of financing radicals. According to StopFake, in this way, they want to demonize Azov, and this allows Russia and its apologists to fan the myth of the alleged rise of radical right-wing sentiment in Ukrainian society.

Read more
10.03.2022
12:45
Fake. The United States planned to use Ukrainian birds and mosquitoes to transmit disease to Russia.

It's hard to believe, but Russia's Defense Ministry continues to report "findings" that seem to confirm the "development of biological weapons" in laboratories allegedly set up by the Pentagon in Ukraine. For example, on March 10, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had found evidence of "experiments with bat coronavirus", hinting that it was in Ukraine that they could create a covid. Earlier, the pro-Russian anonymous telegram channels and the Russian media wrote a lot about the fact that the COVID was created in Ukraine with the help of the Pentagon багато писали проросійські анонімні телеграм-канали та російські ЗМІ – the last wave of such fakes was at the end of 2020. But this time, the Russian Defense Ministry added more fantastic details. Now they have come up with a "project to study the transfer of pathogens of birds migrating between Ukraine and Russia," The Pentagon tried to create birds that would carry "African swine fever and anthrax" to Russia. Moreover, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, Foreign Minister Lavrov and propagandist Tina Kandilaki, all these viruses were "adapted to the Slavic ethnic group". For this purpose, biological samples collected in Ukraine were allegedly sent from Ukraine to the United States.

In general, the United States planned to use not only birds but also insects as weapons against the Russians: "Adaptation of viruses to the Slavic ethnic group in Ukrainian laboratories is the most terrible and dangerous threat to our country. There is no war worse: there is protection against a missile flying in our direction, but against a mosquito infected with polio or meningitis (no)… "- writes Kandilaki. Lavrov also announced today the creation of "ethnically oriented" biological weapons in Ukraine. However, Lavrov and the Russian Defence Ministry have not yet decided how mosquitoes will distinguish Slavic-Russians from Slavic-Ukrainians, and how migratory birds define Kandelaki's state borders.

It will be recalled that there have never been "American Pentagon bio laboratories" in Ukraine — this is a Russian fake, which has been circulating since 2010 and has been debunked many times. Only during the war in Ukraine was it denied by the Pentagon, the US State Department, EU representatives, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

10.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine threatens the European Union to cut gas transit.

This statement is spread in the Kremlin media with the emphasis that Ukraine is blackmailing the EU by cutting the transit of gas in order to obtain new arms supplies and air defense. According to StopFake, this is not true.

"Officially, representatives of the Ukrainian government say that any restrictions on gas supplies should be a part of a package of sanctions against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine," the fact-checkers said.

Read more
10.03.2022
08:42
Message. The United States wants Russian troops to destroy even more cities in Ukraine.

Such messages are spread in telegram channels controlled by the Russian secret services. In particular, this message was posted on the ‘Resident’ telegram channel. Such messages state that the United States is afraid of Putin and his threats.

In fact, this statement is manipulative and has no evidence. In this way, Russian propagandists probably want to discredit Ukraine's ally and neglect all the support Ukraine has received from the United States.
10.03.2022
Fake. Zelensky is ready to admit that Crimea is Russian and that the "republics" in Donbas are independent.

This information is spread as propaganda through the Russian media. In this way, they proliferate the idea that Ukraine is ready to surrender and capitulate in the near future.

Fact checkers from StopFake disproved the story. According to their report, President Zelensky had not spoken about Ukraine's intention to recognize Crimea and the Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics as Russian. He has reiterated that the responsibility for the deaths of Ukrainians lies entirely on Russian terrorists and Putin personally. Read more
9.03.2022
22:50
Fake. The shelling of the maternity hospital in Mariupol is staged.

Russian media and propagandists have spread fake information that the March 9 shelling on the maternity hospital in Mariupol was staged. Propagandists spread similar statements that there were no staff or women in labor present at the maternity hospital. Instead they allege that only Azov fighters had been based there. The Russian media referred to a fake report on the Russian website Lenta.Ru (published before the bombing of Mariupol), which stated that the city maternity hospital №2 in Mariupol had been seized by "fighters of either the Armed Forces or Azov battalion.” Russia 1 further reports that the maternity hospital had been bombed by Right Sector fighters.

In reality, the air raid on the maternity hospital by Russian occupiers was confirmed by the President of Ukraine, local authorities, as well as the police. As a result of the air strike, 17 people (children, women, doctors) were injured, three died, including one child – a girl. The police have launched an investigation under Article 438 (violation of the laws or customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
9.03.2022
20:00
Manipulation. Ukrainians are sent phishing "letters of approval for cash security."

They are sent from the "Minister" mailbox (mariya@posish.club) with the subject "letter of approval of cash security". In addition, the email contains a "support.xlsx" attachment that downloads malicious FormBook software when opened. Suppose you have opened a file as an attachment. In that case, the government's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UA) advises you to immediately change passwords to accounts stored and used on your computer, email clients, browser passwords, and more.

9.03.2022
Fake. Jews are being attacked en masse in Ukraine.

According to the Institute of Mass Media, according to the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Osman Moshe Reuven, some Hebrew and English-language media spread the news that in Zhytomyr, "local Ukrainians are attacking Jews en masse." However, this is fake. According to the Zhytomyr rabbi, there were no such situations.

Read more
9.03.2022
11:38
Message. Russia does not aim to overthrow the current government in Ukraine.

Such a statement by the speaker of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zakharova is quoted by pro-Russian telegram channels. However, this is manipulation because even at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities called it a process of so-called denazification and demilitarization, and the current leaders of Ukraine — a bunch of Nazis.
9.03.2022
11:31
Message. The Ukrainian military destroyed bridges in vain because the Russian army could move without them.

Pro-Russian telegram channels spread the thesis that the Russian military could cross rivers without bridges, so the Ukrainian military vainly destroyed them. In such reports, the actions of the Ukrainian army are called the destruction of Ukraine, and the Russian military is praised because, according to propagandists, they can cross the river on military equipment.

The Ukrainian military blocked bridges to prevent the occupiers from advancing and occupying new Ukrainian cities.
9.03.2022
Fake. Ukraine evacuates only international students from Sumy.

Russian propaganda media spread such a message which is not true. As a result, civilians were evacuated from the city: international students and Ukrainian residents.

Read more
9.03.2022
13:50
Manipulation. Ukrainian politicians do not die in the war with Russia.

The pro-Russian anonymous telegram channel "Legitimate" wrote that the governor of the Mykolaiv area Vitaly Kim called on inhabitants of Mykolaiv "to prepare Molotov cocktails" but didn't warn that all who "will take in hands an incendiary mix" can shoot. Kim asked to collect tires and then pay them and stop the Russian tanks with smoke. In addition, the pro-Russian telegram channel lied, noting that no Ukrainian politician, whose cities are controlled by the Russian military, was killed. In fact, on March 6, the Russian occupiers shot dead Gostomel Mayor Yuri Prilipko as he was distributing food and medicine to residents. And the mayor of Bucha, Anatoliy Fedoruk, was injured.
9.03.2022
Fake. In Ukraine, all government websites have been hacked.

Russian propagandists have been spreading such information on social networks since the beginning of March. Allegedly, due to the hacker attack, "755 websites of the Ukrainian authorities" were hacked, and "the entire government Internet" stopped working.

According to VoxCheck, these are sites with the domain gov.ua. "Some posts include screenshots of several such sites, which now display calls for the Ukrainian military to "lay down their arms," as well as fake appeals on behalf of Volodymyr Zelensky that he allegedly signed a peace treaty with Russia," VoxCheck writes. However, all this is fake. According to fact-checkers, hackers hacked only specific sites of regional authorities. Read more
9.03.2022
12:15
Fake. Ukraine was preparing an offensive on Donbas in March 2022.

Pro-Kremlin media are spreading a document - a "secret order of the commander of the National Guard of Ukraine" - which allegedly states that "Ukraine was preparing an offensive" on the occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in March 2022. In addition, the published documents refer to a training fee in the Lviv region. However, the National Guard told StopFake that the document published by the Russian media was not secret and had nothing to do with Donbas, nor did it mention any offensive targets. In addition, the Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly stated its commitment to a diplomatic approach to resolving the conflict in Donbas and Crimea.

Read more

9.03.2022
11:30
Fake. More than 2 million Ukrainians want to be evacuated to Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Defense is spreading unreliable information - allegedly, 2.5 million Ukrainians are asking to be evacuated to Russia. Instead, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is constantly updating data on Ukraine, which shows that from February 24 to March 8, 2022, about 99,300 Ukrainians left for Russia (5% of the total number of refugees). In total, about two million people left Ukraine due to the war, most Ukrainians going to Poland and from there to other European countries. At the same time, the Russian media is trying to create the impression that Ukrainians are helping the Russian military, fleeing Ukraine to Russia and seeking residence and citizenship certificates. According to StopFake, these plots are staged.

Read more
8.03.2022
Exposing. Russian propagandists are trying to sow panic among the population of Ukrainian cities.

In particular, according to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, in Berdyansk, the occupiers are distributing leaflets, the main narrative of which is the need for Ukraine to join Russia. Furthermore, the text of such leaflets speaks of Russia's alleged struggle against Nazi groups, including the Azov Regiment. The statement reads that the enemy presents all this as an unalterable version of events," the statement reads.

Propagandists are also conducting propaganda radio broadcasts in Mariupol. "The enemy is threatening the city's population, noting that the only way to survive is to stop resisting, surrender weapons and leave the city through ''humanitarian corridors'' created by Russia. But the propaganda methods of their propaganda of the 1940s do not work for Ukrainians," the Center reports.
8.03.2022
18:00
Fake. Ukraine threatens to seize Russia.

Pro-Kremlin media are spreading a message about "Ukraine's aggression against Russia", in the framework of which they created a new fake - allegedly "the Ukrainian leadership is threatening to seize Russia." According to StopFake, this fake is dispersed regarding the "decision" of the National Security and Defense Council, which allegedly states that "Ukraine can launch an invasion of Russia." This fake news is based on a letter from the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Alexei Danilov, who spoke about the criminal prosecution of the Russian leadership for their crimes in Ukraine.

Read more
8.03.2022
15:29
Exposing. The occupiers are massively sending proposals to the leaders of Ukrainian cities and regions to surrender.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, the proposal to cooperate with the Russian invaders with promises of saving lives and enrichment was received by the mayor of Irpen Olexander Markushin. The mayor replied that Irpin is not for rent or sale.

"A similar proposal from the aggressor to start negotiations and hand over the city came to the deputy head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Roman Semenus. Again, the enemy received an angry response," — the Center said.
8.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian military mines apartment buildings in Mariupol.

This statement is spread by Russian propaganda media but illustrates the news with the explosions that the Russian military staged in Irpen. “Fake also published propaganda Telegram channels. The message appeared simultaneously on dozens of channels. But the propagandists did not provide any additional details, except for the statements of the separatist Denis Pushylin, ”StopFake writes.

In fact, according to the Mariupol City Council, Mariupol and Volnovakha are under constant fire from the occupiers, who began to mine the city. Read more
8.03.2022
08:01
Fake. There is a problem with water quality in Kyiv.

It is rumoured that delays in logistics caused by the war have cut off chlorine supplies to the capital's Vodokanal. This has allegedly led to a deterioration in drinking water quality. However, this is not true.

This fake is refuted by the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council. Kyivvodokanal has sufficient reagents stocks for water disinfection following sanitary requirements. The centre adds that 40% of water in Kyiv is disinfected without chlorine, more modern reagents.
7.03.2022
20:05
Fake. Anthony Blinken, during his visit to Lithuania, said that the Russian army is far superior to the Ukrainian one and can "grind" it.

The Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council states that this is deliberate misinformation in the framework of the information war against Ukraine.

"In fact, in an interview with CNN on March 6, US Secretary of State E. Blinken said that the Kremlin leader's war against Ukraine was doomed to failure and that despite gaining control of some Ukrainian cities, Putin was destined to lose because of the courage and fierce resistance of Ukrainians." - it is said in the message.
7.03.2022
19:35
Manipulation. The Ukrainian authorities blocked the Shariy channel because they fought for ratings and popularity.

Such messages are broadcast by telegram channels administered by Russia's intelligence services. In particular, the Cartel telegram channel writes that the authorities "envied Shariy's initiative, the help to the people that he organized as soon as the government did not do so”.

Actually, YouTube video hosting blocked the channel of propagandist Anatoliy Shariy in Ukraine. The hosting said that the content on the Shariy channel is not available due to complaints of illegality. Earlier, Meta Corporation blocked a Facebook propagandist on the territory of Ukraine. Read more about who Anatoliy Shariy is at the link.
7.03.2022
15:56
Manipulation. Western countries are abandoning sanctions against Russia and do not want to give Ukraine EU candidate status.

The telegram channels administered by the Russian services are widely spreading the message that Western countries will gradually abandon the sanctions imposed on Russia due to the attack on Ukraine. In particular, the Gossip Girl writes channel that while NATO "refuses to provide weapons and close the skies over Ukraine, the West does not even want to give EU candidate status. That's all you need to know about Europe's support!" There is a similar message about Great Britain.

There are no official grounds to say that Western countries refuse to help Ukraine and lift sanctions en masse. On the contrary, such a message is beneficial to propagandists to give the impression that "everything is gone" Ukraine was left without support in the fight against Russia.
7.03.2022
Fake. Former Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Valery Chaly advocated for Ukraine's declaration of neutrality.

This fake is spread by Russian propagandists. However, this is a lie that has already been refuted by the fact-checkers from StopFake.

“Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States (2015-2019) Valery Chaly did not make any statements about the need to declare Ukraine a neutral status. On the contrary, Chaly emphasized that the Constitution of Ukraine clearly determines the country's integration aspirations," — said in the report.
7.03.2022
09:53
Fake. To stay in touch, you need to send an SMS to 5010 and join the promotion for free.

The SBU office in the Vinnytsia region has warned about a new fake sent to mobile phones. «Everyone who has run out of money on a mobile phone and is not able to top up the phone number, send an SMS to number 5010 with any text, the communication campaign is automatically connected for free. Please disseminate this information», — the statement reads. The SBU of the region urged to use only official sources of information.
7.03.2022
Fake. Conscripts and cadets from Russia are not fighting in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have repeatedly stated that only professional soldiers, officers and contractors, are involved in the war in Ukraine. However, this is a lie. According to StopFake, there is some evidence that Russia uses conscripts in the war with Ukraine. In particular, this was confirmed by a member of the Russian Federation Council, Lyudmila Narusova. "On Friday, March 4, she announced during a meeting of the chamber about significant losses among conscripts," the fact-checkers wrote.

More details
7.03.2022
Message. Propagandists claim that the West, not the Russian Federation, is trying to kill Volodymyr Zelensky.

Here they again draw on the narrative of "external governance" to remind us that Ukraine is a pawn of the collective West. They use a variety of metaphors and comparisons. In particular, they talk about the events in Ukraine as a TV series with screenwriters from Hollywood. The main character - Volodymyr Zelenskyy - can quickly become an antihero or die mysteriously at the end of the series.
7.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military ignored the green corridor and took civilians hostage, in Irpen.

Propagandists are spreading information on the Internet that the Ukrainian military has thwarted an evacuation in Irpen and taken several of its citizens hostages. In this way, Russian propaganda seeks to denigrate and discredit the Armed Forces. The Russian military began attacking Irpin in the Kyiv region in the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to StopFake, during the green corridor, the aggressor deliberately blew up the railway on the way to the city - as a result, two cars of the evacuation train derailed.

More details
7.03.2022
09:53
Fake. Territorial defence exceeds its authority.

Russian propagandists say that territorial defence detains, searches and inhumanely treats civilians for no reason. They give no evidence, but they keep repeating that the territorial defence consists of "criminals" with weapons.
7.03.2022
09:47
Message. A group of telegram channels administered by the Russian special services continue to discredit Ukrainian territorial defence.

Anonymous propagandists claim that looters pretend to be a territorial defence to "clean" apartments. They say that looters don't leave witnesses, so no one can tell about their crimes. However, if there are no witnesses and no one can tell, how do the anonymous telegram channels know about it.
06.03.2022
17:34
Fake.Evidence of secret biological experiments in Pentagon laboratories is being destroyed in Ukraine.

Today in the Russian media, in particular in RIA Novosti, there was a fake that allegedly on the orders of Foreign Minister Viktor Lyashko in the "Pentagon laboratories in Ukraine" on February 24, the day Russia attacked Ukraine, destroyed the cultures of pathogens that they were stored. And that this "order" seems to be evidence of the development of components of biological weapons in Ukraine. Russian media also published photos of the documents - without the minister's signature and with many grammatical errors. There is no word in these "documents" about "secret experiments" or "biological weapons development", but only a list of pathogens stored in Ukrainian laboratories - as in other laboratories around the world - and claims that they were destroyed. The list of what was allegedly destroyed by "order of the Ministry of Health" includes anthrax, as well as diphtheria, candidiasis and common urinary tract infections. According to the DM, Minister Lyashko is now preparing to refute this fake.

UPDATED March 7: The Ministry of Health has denied reports of alleged "emergency cleanup of the US Department of Defense-funded military-biological program" and "destruction of particularly dangerous pathogens" at the Poltava and Kharkiv Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The fake about the existence of "US biological laboratories in Ukraine" was created in Russia during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych (2010 - 2014), and was actively spread in all countries of the former Soviet Union that joined the Nunn-Lugar program, under which the Pentagon allocated funds to modernize laboratories which working with various pathogens. Fakes about the creation of biological weapon in them were spread in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. At the same time, Russia was also a member of the same program until 2021. Covid and Viktor Medvedchuk (Ukrainian pro-Russian politician) gave a new life to the fake about the Pentagon's biological laboratories, claiming that it was through them that Ukrainians became ill with measles and that biological weapon being developed in them. Now the Russian Defense Ministry is spreading this fake again.

6.03.2022
14:04
Fake. Ukraine is working on the development of nuclear weapons.

The Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council says that the stories about the nuclear weapon in Ukraine is a myth of the Russian government. This is done in order to position Ukraine as a country that develops a nuclear arsenal.

In particular, propagandists claim that in recent years Kyiv has had an active interest in uranium mining. They also state that Ukraine was close to creating a nuclear charge based on spent nuclear fuel in a few months. The propagandists say that Kyiv used the Chornobyl zone to produce plutonium and make a "dirty bomb", the simplest radiological weapon, consisting of radioactive material and explosives. Finally, they claim that the United States assisted Ukraine in its nuclear program and that the nuclear device was assembled on the basis of the School of Physics and Technology of University of Kharkiv. However, according to the Center, everything mentioned above is untrue.
6.03.2022
Manipulation. A group of telegram channels administered by Russian intelligence services claim that Zelensky is using civilians as a weapon against the Russian military.

Manipulators involve the fact that Ukrainians are not evacuated from cities that are regularly under attack. Detector Media recorded such rhetoric on the fourth day of the war, but it is very dangerous to evacuate civilians in large numbers, both then and now, without green corridors.

The propagandists explain that Zelensky is deliberately making sacrifices among the civilians in order to maintain the image for the media and foreign partners. As if, that's how Ukraine is asking for weapons.
6.03.2022
Manipulation. Anonymous telegram channels administered by Russian intelligence services are trying to undermine credibility of official Ukrainian government concerning the reports on war losses.

Propagandists claim that the tactic of hiding the real number of deaths in Ukraine has already been adopted. Supposedly, it has been worked out since the beginning of the war in Donbass. They claim that no one inform relatives about deaths, but instead it is reported that soldiers went missing. However, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and volunteer organizations have been running the database of dead and missing Ukrainian soldiers and civilians since 2014.
6.03.2022
Disclosure. To spread panic among Ukrainians, panic messages were sent online from newly created "patriotic" accounts with Ukrainian symbols in Ukrainian and Russian.

According to the Ministry of Defense, such posts state that “Everything is lost!”, “Help Kyiv (Kherson, Chernihiv, etc., depending on the operational situation)”; “We were all abandoned!” etc.

The Ministry of Defense urges Ukrainians to filter information and trust only verified sources.
6.03.2022
Fake. Thousands of foreign students were taken hostage by the nationalists.

This information was spread by the president of the enemy country, Vladimir Putin. He said that “foreigners were taken hostage by Ukrainian nationalists—more than six thousand young students have been held at the station for three days.” The information was widely spread by Russian media and through telegram channels.

However, this is a cynical lie, which is refuted by fact checkers from StopFake. According to the statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine denies the allegations that the Ukrainian authorities have created obstacles for the departure of residents of the surrounded cities. More details.
6.03.2022
Fake. Once received the firearms from the government, Ukrainians start looting and killing civilians.

According to StopFake media, there is no evidence of the murder of civilians, as well as looting, performed by the members of Territorial Defense Forces or the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Instead, there exists plenty of documentary evidence of murders of the civilian population, performed by the Russian military during its invasion into Ukraine.

More details
5.03.2022
11:30
Fake. Ukrainians will be called from unknown numbers to target air bombs.

The State Special Communications Servicedenied the fake information that Ukrainians will be called at night from unknown numbers to target air bombs. Experts explained it is impossible to establish the exact location of the person. Accordingly, it is impossible to set targets for air bombardment as well.

4.03.2022
22:20
Manipulation. Phishing letters from Ukr.net are allegedly sent to Ukrainians.

They are sent from the box muthuprakash.b@tvsrubber.com with the subject "Attention". The letters allegedly write about an attempt to log in from an IP address in Donetsk and call for an immediate change of the password at the link. Under no circumstances should you follow the link and enter the password, because then the attackers will have access to the e-mail.

More details

4.03.2022
19:52
Fake. The so-called letter of the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov about the "extraordinary meeting of the NSDC Office of Ukraine" is being spread in pro-Russian telegram channels.

In fact, this document does not exist, as well as the so-called “meetings of the Office”. Such form of work does not exist in the Office of NSDC. The fake letter says that the meeting should consider issues related to the alleged "destruction of the Armed Forces", "NATO's refusal to help", the "conflict between the Armed Forces and Azov", and other delusions.

The Center for Counteracting Disinformation at NSDC states states that this information is fake and provocative.
4.03.2022
Phishing. Ukrainians are allegedly receiving letters from the press service of Suspilne (the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine) asking them to download the attachment.

According to the company's website, Suspilne did not send letters with such call. “The letters ask to “unpack” the file and run the program. We ask you not to do this under any circumstances! After all, attackers can steal your personal data in this way. Also keep in mind that the official newsletter from the Suspilne comes from the official mail press@suspilne.media,” the statement says.
4.03.2022
17:16
Fake. Television tower in Melitopol was taken over, occupiers are now broadcasting Russian TV.

Such information is shared online, but according to the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine, this is not true. “No digital television transmitter on the TV tower in Melitopol is currently working. Broadcasting in Melitopol is carried out with the help of an analog transmitter located outside the TV tower, which is not related to Broadcasting, Radiocommunications & Television Concern,” — the statement says.
4.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian army is bombing the residents of Donbass.

This information was shared by French journalist Anne-Laure Bonnell. Fake has already been refuted by fact-checkers from StopFake. According to the report, since the beginning of the open invasion of Ukraine, the Russian occupation forces have been intentionally shelling residential areas and civilians in Donbas.

More details
4.03.2022
16:36
Fake. Volodymyr Zelensky left Ukraine.

In Kherson region, the occupiers are spreading another fake that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has left the country. But this is not true. Olena Shulyak, the head of the Servant of the People political party, writes about this. “The President is in Kyiv. He is with his people! The footage broadcasted in the Kherson region by occupiers is a lie,” the statement reads.
4.03.2022
16:45
Fake social media pages of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense were created on the web.

The Ministry of Defense reminded that their page has a verified badge. In addition, fake pages launched paide advertising. The Ministry of Defense say that they do not buy ads at all. Instead, the Security Service of Ukraine urged not to open the advertisement launched by Russia. «There are scripts hidden under the pictures to gain access to the Telegram channels», — the intelligence service said.

4.03.2022
16:00
Manipulation. Ukrainians are getting phishing “letters of justice”.

Government officials and citizens of Ukraine recieve emails with malicious software attached. They are sent from the mailbox jowhar@xintongwood.club with "Letter" in the subject line. Under no circumstances should you open and download attached files.

More details
4.03.2022
Fake. There is information spread on the web that at the beginning of the war, on February 24th, the people of Mariupol tried to disarm the Ukrainian military and take control of the checkpoints.

However, as VoxCheck writes, this is not true. "The video that was allegedly recorded in Mariupol, which shows outbreaks and should confirm this fact, was actually shot in late January," the fact-checkers note.

More details.
4.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainians are grateful to Russia for humanitarian aid and liberation.

Russian and pro-Kremlin media spread fake information that Ukrainians are allegedly grateful to Russia for “the humanitarian aid and liberation”: “the Russian military provides local residents of the liberated settlements with food supplies.” The Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine denied this information, emphasizing that the Russian military does not provide any humanitarian aid to the citizens, and Ukrainians do not welcome the occupiers “with smiles on their faces”.
4.03.2022
12:43
Fake. Western partners became frightened and abandoned Ukraine.

According to the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, such fake is dispersed by enemy propaganda. “This lie has been spread in order to demoralize Ukrainians and break our powerful resistance to the Russian invasion! Now the world is more united than ever! We are given weapons, ammunition, planes, financial aid! And these are the real actions that everyone sees,” the Center says in a statement.
4.03.2022
10:30
Fake. The Ukrainian military is intentionally not releasing civilians from Mariupol.

Such fake is spread by the Russian media. In particular, sm.news, Channel One Russia, Argumenti.ru, Vzglyad, Moskovskij Komsomolets, TASS and others. However, according to StopFake, these statements are untrue. In fact, the city is being blocked by the Russian occupiers, shelling critical infrastructure and preventing food from entering the city.

More details
3.03.2022
20:30
Fake. Edemus tags have appeared on Google maps, Russians use them as targets for shellings and air strikes.

On March 3, there was information on social networks that new Edemus tags had appeared on Google maps in Kyiv en masse, with their help the Russian military targeted artillery shelling, missiles or air strikes.

The map shows Edemus as buildings of district administrations, hospitals, maternity hospitals, kindergartens, retirement homes. In fact, Edemus is a network of funeral services. The State Special Communications Service said that the information about the "new tags" is not true and stressed that Google in Ukraine has limited the ability to add new labels to maps. The appearance of such information in the Service is called an information-psychological operation to sow panic and misinformation among the population.

3.03.2022
20:20
Fake. Melitopol is waiting for Russia.

Such message has been spread on Russian propaganda television. In particular, RT channel broadcasts a story from March 2, in which military correspondent Murad Gazdiyev, at the entrance to the city, claimed that "it was not possible to get to the city of Melitopol, although the situation is calm." According to StopFake, the video shows the recording time—14:43. “But just at that time a big pro-Ukrainian march took place in the city and united the people of Melitopol. According to the local residents, two people were wounded by the Russian military during the march—they opened fire from the seized Security Service of Ukraine building," the statement said. According to RT correspondent, locals are allegedly wearing white ribbons to support the Russian army. But the residents of Melitopol deny it.

More details
3.03.2022
20:00
Fake. Kherson and Vinnytsia have capitulated, they are asking to join Russia.

Pro-Kremlin media and the web spread fakes that Kherson and Vinnytsia regions have surrendered and are asking to join Russia. The head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, Hennadiy Laguta, denied reports in the pro-Russian media that say that the Kherson region is allegedly asking to join the Russian Federation. The Vinnytsia Regional State Administration also stated, that Russia was trying to spread information that Ukraine had capitulated. "But Ukrainians do not give up! No one can break Ukrainians," the Vinnytsia authorities added. The Kyiv Regional State Administration also warns of possible misinformation. The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security urged неnot to believe the fakes of the occupiers.
3.03.2022
17:45
Fake. Zelensky called on Ukrainians to lay down their arms.

A picture where the President Volodymyr Zelensky allegedly calls on Ukrainians “to lay down their arms and stop fighting” was shared on social networks. Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine warned that Russia was preparing a fake about the alleged capitulation of the Ukrainian leadership and government.

More details

3.03.2022
17:05
Fake. PrivatBank warned about a fraud scheme with SMS and bailiffs.

The messengers began to spread an old fake that PrivatBank had warned about a fraud scheme in Russian. The warning said that users recieved messages from “bailiffs” about the “seizure of property” as if, after you open it, all the money would be charged off fom the card.

This message has been spreading since 2017, when similar ads appeared in the branch of the Russian “Sberbank”. It was distributed in Ukraine in 2020, when the fake was denied by the project “Behind the Ukrainian News” (“По той бік новин”).

3.03.2022
16:50
Fake. The strategically important objects shelled in Dnipropetrovsk.

Fake voice messages have been spread on social media, with employees allegedly saying that "troops from the south plan to shell infrastructure facilities in Dnipropetrovsk." This information was shared on "Stop Fake Dnipro", the channel of the Dnipro authorities. The channel reminded that "Dnipropetrovsk" has not existed since 2016.
3.03.2022
Fake. Belarusian pilots cannot fight in Ukraine because they died long time ago.

When Ukrainian intelligence published lists of the leadership of the Air Force of the Republic of Belarus who were involved in the shelling of Ukraine, agitprop immediately responded and said that these lists included Marfitsky and Zhuravlevych, who died long ago. According to StopFake, the propagandists claim that these people could not take part in the war against Ukraine because they allegedly died in 2009. But statements that Ukraine is creating fakes to accuse Belarusian pilots are not true.

More details
3.03.2022
Fake. The Ukrainian military is surrendering positions en masse, their leadership has left them, and Russia has taken care of them.

According to StopFake, this is not true, because the videos disseminated by the pro-Kremlin media involved actors portraying Ukrainian military, and the same video series is used in different publications.

More details
3.03.2022
14:08
Fake. 1000 orphans are heading to Uzhhorod.

There has been information on social media that children are moving to Uzhhorod en masse and therefore, there is a need to collect all the necessary stuff for them. In particular, mattresses, clothes, etc.


However, this is a fake, which was refuted by the Uzhhorod City Council. Children from cities where hostilities are currently underway do come to Uzhhorod, but not in such numbers. “On March 2, about 30 children under guardianship arrived in Uzhhorod by train, they went to Italy the next day. Also, 7 children from the orphanage arrived on March 3rd, they are going to move abroad as well. All children who come to Uzhhorod with their parents, without legal representatives or with them, are getting the necessary assistance: people meet them at the train station, help to settle, provide with food, etc.,” the statement says. It is added that orphans and children in foster care mostly stay in Uzhgorod for 1-2 days, and then go abroad.
3.03.2022
11:40
Fake. Television Center "Suspilne Kherson" is under the control of Russian troops.

The Russian occupiers seized the premises of the Kherson branch, but the Public Broadcasting in Kherson continues to work and inform people. "We work remotely to provide you with information about everything happening in the region on the site and on social networks," - said said in a public statement.
3.03.2022
11:30
Fake. Lists with the personal data of Russian diversion intelligence group members have been shared.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, citing Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, warns that the "lists with personal data of Russian diversion intelligence group members" were thrown by the enemy: the list includes real Ukrainian security officers, who are pretended to be "enemies". The purpuse of this is to sow chaos so that Ukrainian defenders would fight against each other.
3.03.2022
Fake. УкраїThe Ukrainian military uses foreigners as a "living shield".

Propaganda messages are spreading on the Internet that Ukraine is "doing everything possible to ensure the return of Indian students from Kharkiv to their homeland" because they are "taken hostage by Ukrainian security forces who use them as human shields." This was reported by the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council.

It is another fake. "Ukraine promotes the evacuation of foreigners as much as possible. Ukrzaliznytsia has organized evacuation corridors for them. The railway forms foreign groups to transport them in separate carriages, and volunteers with foreign languages ​​work at the stations. "As for isolated cases of domestic conflicts involving foreigners, they are taking place against the background of their misunderstanding of the UZ rules on the priority evacuation of women and children (regardless of race and origin) and are fueled by enemy propaganda," the statement said.
2.03.2022
Fake. Signal messenger is hacked.

The official telegram channel of the Verkhovna Rada (The Parliament of Ukraine) denied the information about the hacking of the Signal messenger reffering to company's developer. "Messengers with end-to-end encryption are much more secure," the parliament channel said.
2.03.2022
Manipulation. The enemy is actively using phishing on the information front.

Attackers can send files of any format (from links to videos) to any of your accounts (from mail to Viber). It's important not to open links and files you don't expect, even if they were sent by contacts you know.
2.03.2022
Fake. Russia is installing antennas to listen to Ukrainian conversations.

Fake information is being spread on social networks that the Russian military is allegedly installing antennas to listen to Ukrainians talking on the phone.

«The enemy is trying to intimidate us, sow panic and, most importantly, silence us. After all, it was thanks to information from the population that a significant amount of military equipment and manpower of the occupier's army was destroyed. Now is not the time to be silent. We must work together to destroy the enemy as much as possible», — the State Special Communications Service said.
2.03.2022
Fake. An old Russian fake about allegedly "the worst" virus found by McAfee agency "yesterday" was spread in Ukrainian telegram chats.

According to the open sources, this fake was distributed three times: in 2015, 2016 and 2017 in the WhatsApp messenger. We urge you not to read Russian channels and not to transfer fakes from them.
2.03.2022
Fake. Some Ukrainian regions have capitulated and are now creating the "Federal Republic of Ukraine".

Since February 27, pro-Kremlin resources have been spreading fake information about the capitulation of Ukrainian regions and creation of the pseudo-formation "Federal Republic of Ukraine", which is allegely formed from Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Chernihiv and other regions of Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reports. Earlier, the Ukrainian governmenment warned that Russian propagandists could resort to provocations and fakes, including the alleged capitulation of Kyiv.

Currently, all Ukrainian cities are resisting the occupiers. Ihor Terekhov, the Mayor of Kharkiv, says that the city will survive and repel the enemy's attack. In Chernihiv region it is relatively "calm" at the moment. The head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration Vitaly Kim reported that there are many bodies of the Russian invaders in the city, and civilians are chasing out the Russian soldiers in the region. Battles were taking place in Sumy region for several days, but no one has surrendered the city to the occupier.
2.03.2022
Fake. Information is spreading on the internet that Ukrainian nationalists took over 20 SMM OSCE automobiles.

According to the fact-checking organization StopFake, this information is not true. OSCE Mission`s representative in Kramatorsk commented on this item to StopFake. He denied the message about SMM OSCE automobiles taken over.
2.03.2022
Manipulation. Russian Telegram channels speculate on the news in Ukrainian mass media about the mobilization of men aged 18-60. They claim that the mobilization is compulsory, saying that all men are mobilized.

On February 24, president Zelensky ordered general mobilization. However, it doesn’t mean that everyone with no exception will be called up.
2.03.2022
14:11
Fake. There has been information spread on the web that the Facebook page of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is fake.

However, this is not true, writes the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council. "In fact, this page was created by the Strategic Communications Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the statement says.
2.03.2022
13:40
In Telegram, there has been created fake channel of Verkhovna Rada (The Parliament of Ukraine)..

The parliament urged users to report on the fake account https://t.me/verkhovna_rada_ua.

More details
2.03.2022
Message. Pro-Kremlin telegram channels spread information that Ukraine is not declaring war on Russia.

In particular, subscribers of one of such channels (“Сплетница”/the Gossip Girl) ask: "if Ukraine does not declare war on Russia, does it recognize that it is only a special operation to clean the country from the Nazis?"".

In fact, it is a manipulation. Ukraine imposed martial law and recognized Russia's aggression against Ukraine as a real war since February 24, the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion. This way, using manipulations, the aggressor seeks to shake up the situation and reduce Ukrainians’ confidence in their government.
2.03.2022
12:10
Fake. SSU introduces new communication rules.

Security Service of Ukraine has denied fake information that phone calls would be allegedly recorded in Ukraine, and messages and calls in Whatsapp, Twitter and Facebook as well.

Details are here and here.
2.03.2022
Fake. Ukrainian rocket has hit Kharkiv city center.

In fact, Freedom Square has been hit by a Russian cruise missile of the "Caliber" class, as a result third of the building of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration was destroyed, according to Stop Fake. Despite this, information spreads throught the network that on March 1, Ukraine deliberately fired a missile at Kharkiv. Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko reports that a "Caliber" cruise missile has hit in Freedom Square. The combat radius of "Caliber" cruise missiles is about 2,500 km. There are no such missiles in the service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
2.03.2022
Fake. The Mayor of Kharkiv plans to capitulate the city.

Pro-kremlin telegram channels spread the information that the Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov plans to capitulate the city to the occupants. To confirm this piece of fake news they share a video episode that has been cut from his speech. “Now in this situation and in the times before, it’s impossible to settle things without diplomacy. We had to get around the table and negotiate. There’s this situation but we have to find a compromise. We have to act in a way so no one is hurt.” - the video says according to StopFake. However, in this video, they cut out the beginning of the Mayor’s thought. It starts from the cut-down phrase “by agreement”. In addition to the general words like “in this situation”, “then”, “we”, “get around the table and negotiate”, “there’s the situation”, “we need to reach the agreement”, there’s no concrete information.” - fact-checkers write. That is why such types of messages shouldn’t be trusted.

Information about Kharkiv’s capitulation is fake. Kharkiv is Ukrainian city that has been under the destructive shellings of russian occupants, and by spreading fake news, the enemy wants to cause panic and shutter the situation.
2.03.2022
Manipulation. There is no gas left in the underground gas storage sites of Europe.

Russian media outlets are spreading the information that the entire volume of gas, pumped to underground storage back in the summer, was taken away. This information is published with a reference to Gazprom and allegedly data from Gas Infrastructure Europe.

However, StopFake denies this information. "Europe's underground storage is indeed lower than usual. But the information that all the gas was taken is not true. The latest data on storage shows that in various European countries as of February 25, the volume of gas fluctuates within 20%," the statement says.
2.03.2022
Fake. Viber chats are spreading voice messages in Russian from an unknown person, who warns that he knows from "verified" sources about a lift of Belarusian planes, which are allegedly maneuvering in Ukraine.

The author threatens that the planes are able fly to any point of Ukraine’s territory. The fact-checking project "NotaEnota" writes that such information has the only purpose—to sow panic. "That is what collaborators and invaders do when they record and distribute unconfirmed messages," the statement says.
2.03.2022
Fake. “Farm” marks have appered on Google Maps, they are made by Russian diversion intelligence group to launch missile or bomb strikes on Ukraine.

This information is refuted by the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council. “Farm” marks on Google Maps in Kyiv and Ukraine appered as a result of a failure that occurred in 2019. It is not related to the current war," the statement says.

It is noted that volunteers who contacted Google's office in Palo Alto reported to the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. According to them, the marks are already being cleaned.
2.03.2022
Fake. The delivery of chlorine in Uzhhorod will be stoped due to the war.

In Uzhhorod's city council this information was denied: "Infromation on suspension of delivery of chlorine for Uzhhorod's Vodokanal, due to what the dosage of chlorine is reduced and, accordingly, the quality of drinking water spoils, and therefore even brushing your teeth is safe only with boiled water - fake. Administration of the utility company assures: "There are enough reagent stocks for disinfection of water, in accordance with the requirements of the state sanitary norms for drinking water (DSanPIN) ", - was said in the message.
1.03.2022
Fake. You have to destroy the so-called ground positioning devices that you see in the field—this information with photos has been shared on the web.

However, the photo shows a common device, a home weather station, writes fact-checking project "NotaEnota".

"It is not necessary to destroy them. These devices are used to measure and analyze different indicators such as air temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, since the indicators available on the Internet do not always correspond to the real situation in a particular village or town. On the plus side, everyone has become more meticulous about everything they see around. However, you don’t need to destroy everything you do not know. It is better to reinsure yourself and ask specialists. Report such cases to the police,” the statement says.
1.03.2022
18:25
Fake. UN will evacuate Ukrainians.

Social media spread the information that Ukrainians will be evacuated by UN forces. Personal data is being asked for this purpose. The UN Development Program told the Center of Strategic Communications and Information Security that this information was untrue and false.

My name is Violet Fatima and I work for the United Nations, we would like to know if there is anything we can do to help you, from tomorrow we will start evacuating people from Ukraine on our United Nations plane. As we try to evacuate people from Ukraine to neighboring countries such as Belarus, Poland, Serbia, we have a special airspace pass, and if you are interested, write to me in my mailbox, only for people who are currently in Ukraine, for more information you you can send me a direct message or visit our website.
1.03.2022
17:50
Fake. A headquarters was set up in Kherson to gather information on the movement of troops and equipment.

The Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine said that in the Kherson telegram channels are now spreading contacts with an unofficial message about gathering information on the location and movement of troops, equipment and more. The Center reminded that the only channel of data collection is the official SBU chatbot.
1.03.2022
15:27
Fake. The fake information is being spread about evacuation trains to Odessa and Kharkiv.

It's being said that in order to get into the train you need to sign up for the list. Ukrzaliznytsia emphasizing: the company does not keep lists of people who will be evacuated by the railway. “Do not give your personal data. Trust only verified information!”, wrote in the office. >

Friends, an evacuation train of 25 wagons is being organized from Kharkov to Western Ukraine! Will leave tomorrow, 03/02/2022. The time will be informed today at lunchtime, because the train is not on schedule. The final destination too. Who plans to travel, please call 066-600-13-73, Ekaterina. You will be added to the telegram chat, where you will need to specify the number of people, your full name and contact phone number.
1.03.2022
Message. Propagandists speculate on the destruction of infrastructure.

They claim that the entire infrastructure of Ukraine is destroyed. So Ukraine will not be accepted into the EU. They assure that the EU will feed Ukraine with promises, but no one will accept or give real funds for reconstruction.

1.03.2022
Message. Anonymous telegram channels administered by Russia's intelligence services spread a conspiracy theory about the root causes of Russia's war against Ukraine.

They claim that Ukraine and the West have conspired to overthrow Putin's regime "with the help of the Ukrainian case."
1.03.2022
14:00
Message. Propagandists spread fake information about conditions in which Russian captives are held. They say Russian captives are being held with cruelty, abused, and humiliated. At the same time, propagandists say that Ukrainian captives are held by Russian invaders with humanity.

The country's leadership has repeatedly stated that Ukraine provides all captives with necessary medical help. By spreading such a statement propagandists want to discredit the Ukrainian army.
1.03.2022
13:31
Message. Propagandists discrediting Ukrainian territorial defense.

They spread stories, supposedly from «witnesses», who are afraid to die not from Russian invaders but from armed Ukrainian citizens. Propagandists try to reassure people about those who joined the territorial defense. They claim territorial defenders as vigilantes, who now have legal weapons. Russian propaganda machine is trying to undermine people`s trust in territorial defense and disrupt the esprit of the Ukrainian defenders.
1.03.2022
13:24
The Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council warns that the occupiers have launched an information attack on Ukrainians, mostly seniors, using phone calls to spread panic.

“Please do not pick up the phone from contacts you do not know, especially if they are frequently repeated and displayed from different geographical points. We urge everyone to ignore such information terrorism and explain to relatives that threats and misinformation do not pose a threat to your life, but are intended solely to shake the psychological state", the Center said.
1.03.2022
Fake. The stories about fallen Ukrainian soldiers of 2014-2020 are presented as current losses in order to undermine the fighting spiritThis was reported by StopFake.
1.03.2022
Message. Propagandists coordinated discrediting Ukraine's application for EU membership.

They got an old manual on "external governance" and began to explain why Europe and the world will not really help Ukraine, invest money here and join the EU. Propagandists repeated the narrative of "Ukraine as a colony", saying that no one will take on foot, only pretend. The propagandists underestimate all the statements of European politicians in support of Ukraine because they explain that they just pretend.
1.03.2022
12:08
Manipulation. Anonymous telegram channels administered by Russia's intelligence services are trying to sow doubt and discredit the Ukrainian military.

So they write that the situation with power outages and accidents at substations in Kharkiv is not so clear. Allegedly, the mayor blames the Russians for this, but anonymous telegram channels claim - "it is not clear."
1.03.2022
Manipulation. Anonymous telegram channels administered by the Russian special services write that Ukrainian troops are mining cities en masse.

At once, they warn civilians to be careful, they say, "be careful and do not let the children go, or they will explode, and they will then say that this is a sabotage group."
1.03.2022
Fake. Terrorists have published information about «Ukrainian troops replacing ammonia storage facilities» at the «Azot» company’s plant (Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine).

This information is another fake, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. The «Azot» company claimed that its chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk poses no threat to residents of the city and the region at the moment.

«The company has completely produced (processed) all the ammonia and cleared the chemical storage facility. Due to the start of military operations, the plant ceased production altogether: all the key workshops were shut down, and the plant stopped producing chemical fertilizers. The remains of the finished products (chemical fertilizers) as well as chemicals that were stored on the territory of the plant have been fully removed from its territory and transported outside of the Luhansk Region,» — the company said.
1.03.2022
Fake. To save the electric power system, one should unplug all devices.

ВUkrenergo says that the Ukrainian electric power system works stably in an autonomous mode. “Same as in the past days, the network power frequency is maintained at the level of 50 Hz. All nuclear, hydroelectric and heat power stations in Ukraine are working. We haven’t lost control of any major and crucial object of the electric power system. All the objects are under increased security and safety measures. Thus, there are no reasons to forcefully or voluntarily cut down the consumption of electric power. You don’t have to switch off electronic devices in the evening to reduce the consumption unless there is an urgent need for that.”, the agency informed .
28.02.2022
23:45
Fake. The Russian military are setting up mobile connection equipment that might interrupt the Ukrainian networks.

The Security Service of Ukraine refuted the information spread on social media regarding the fact that the Russian military are setting up the mobile connection equipment that allegedly might interrupt the Ukrainian networks, collect all the data from a phone and identify the location of a user.

More details

28.02.2022
18:50
Fake. Russian troops will start “jamming” mobile communications in the near-front zone to launch a disinformation campaign about the Ukrainian capitulation.

The Security Service of Ukraine denies this information and says that Ukrainians have stable connection and know that its temporary shutdown might be only possible for special operations to clean up enemy diversion intelligence groups.

28.02.2022
18:55
Fake. Separatist Telegram channels continue claiming that the Ukrainian troops regularly and against all the rules shell particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

This contradicts with their other point stating that the Ukrainian military stepped back further into Ukraine, without fighting back.

Detailed review of disinformation and manipulation about Ukraine on Telegram channels can be found here.
28.02.2022
17:55
Message. Russian media and Telegram channels are speculating on evacuation of civilians.

Therefore, they have created several conspiracy theories on why the Ukrainian civilian population are not being evacuated from the cities with the life threat. Key points of Russian disinformation are the following: “no centralized evacuation means that the Ukrainian government wants the war and spends all its resources solely on the war”; “civilians are not being evacuated on purpose so that the number of deaths among civilian population is higher and Russia could be blamed for this”; “civilians will be forced to participate in the war”. In fact, evacuation of civilians in the time when a city or village is under shelling - is dangerous. Evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people under shelling and no access to shelters in an empty field impose more threat than protecting them in a city.
28.02.2022
17:16
Message. Propagandists discredit Ukraine's intentions to negotiate peace.

They claim that the President's Office is not interested in peace and wants a "war to the last". In his statement, Volodymyr Zelensky explained: “I will say frankly, as always, I do not really believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try. So that no Ukrainian citizen would have doubts that, as president, I did not try to stop the war, when there was even a small, but still a chance."
28.02.2022
Fake. . Deputy Kyva stated that the war in Ukraine was caused by “the work of the West”.

Such a statement was made by the Ukrainian people’s deputy from the Opposition Platform — For Life on air at the Russian “First Channel”. “None of us in this studio could imagine that the war would start”, he said. He claimed the day of the attack to be “the most terrible day in the history of the united peoples - Ukrainians and Russians - and said it was caused by “the work of the West”.

In fact, the war in Ukraine was started by Russia. Before that Illya Kyva has already asked the president of Russia to “help” Ukraine.
28.02.2022
15:08
Message. Propagandist telegram channels spread information that allegedly Ukrainians feel apathy, despair and unwillingness to resist.

Such channels say that they talked to Ukrainians or received messages from subscribers. This information is not true. On the contrary, information about solidarity and assistance to those in need is coming from different parts of the country.
28.02.2022
14:00
Manipulation. A phishing attack has begun against Ukrainians.

Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said that the Russian FSB, under the guise of the Security Service of Ukraine, sends phishing letters of non-existent evacuation. The letters contain links to files of an indeterminate nature. Under no circumstances should you follow links, open attachments, or install anything.
28.02.2022
14:00
The scammers have created the fake website of the «Come Back Alive» foundation.

Yet, you still can reach the official pages of the «Come Back Alive» foundation here and here.

Детальніше
27.02.2022
21:45
Fake. Kyiv is surrounded and evacuation is impossible.

On the evening of February 27th, Russian media shared a fake that Kyiv was allegedly surrounded by the Russian military and all exits from the capital were blocked, making it impossible to evacuate. This information was refuted by Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He also said that fake social media pages of government officials begun to appear on social media. In particular, his fake Instagram account was created.
27.02.2022
17:26
Fake. The dam that blocked the water in the Crimea was blown up.

Social networks and Kremlin media sources spread a fake video of Ukraine allegedly blowing up a dam blocking water from the Dnipro river, so that “the water went” to the occupied Crimea. The leader of the Crimean occupation administration, Serhiy Aksyonov, says that the dam was destroyed by "our military (occupiers — DM)".

According to StopFake, the video does not show the dam that blocks the water supply to the occupied Crimea. This can be seen in the photo.

The mayor of Tavriya Mykola Rizak also said that the information that the water blockade of the peninsula has been lifted is not true, as a number of preparatory works are needed for the water to flow, and none of them have been done.
27.02.2022
16:30
Fake. In the Kyiv region, in Vasylkiv in particular, the population is getting evacuated.

Such announcements have appeared on the internet during the day. However, the Vasylkiv City Council denies this information. “The Territorial Defense Forces and Kyiv Regional Council are not evacuating the population due to the residents' life threat in the region. In some districts of the region, the situation is complicated, but controlled, because of russian occupation troops’ attempts to take over our cities and, eventually, Kyiv”, — the city council informed.

People are also asked to stay in safe places, shelters, at home. Don’t leave them.
27.02.2022
15:01
Fake. Ukraine gives out firearms to the prisoners.

Propaganda channels in Telegram, as well as Russian sites Pikabu and Yaplakal, are spreading the document, according to which the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has issued the order to propose the inmates in Ukrainian prisons enlist in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in exchange for clemency. The document without signature or stamp is claimed to be issued by Serhii Hrechaniuk, the chief of the enforcement of sentences Department.

As reported by the Department in response to the appeal of StopFake, such a document has never existed. This is a fake aimed to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
27.02.2022
14:57
Fake. At the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the Ukrainian National Guards serve together with the Russian military.

Russia's propaganda channel Channel One filmed a staging in which it said that the Ukrainian Guards allegedly ""surrendered voluntarily without a fight and are now serving with the Russian military together"" at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

The National Guard of Ukraine refuted this fake, emphasizing that their servicemen did not open fire on February 24, 2022 just to avoid threats and violate articles of the IAEA Convention, according to which nuclear power plants are not subject to military aggression.

Детальніше
27.02.2022
14:26
Exposing. Ukrainians are receiving messages from Russian numbers that civilians are safe.

It is known, that Russian troops are attacking not only military facilities but also street battles, known cases of shelling of buses, ambulances, and kindergartens. Civilians are dying.

Screenshot: You are civilians, you are safe.
27.02.2022
Fake. Energodar and Zaporizhzhia NPP were left without protection of law enforcement officers. "Pro-Kremlin telegram channels spread information claiming that the entrance to Energodar, next to Zaporizhzhya NPP, was left without law enforcement officers control. This is a lie refuted by StopFake.

Such posts say that "the city authorities dismissed all security officers, leaving only ten or twenty people from the territorial defence in their cars." But on February 24th, Dmytro Orlov, the mayor of Energodar, reported about restrictions on entry and exit to the city of Energodar. "Entry and exit from Energodar by road to Primirna is restricted as of today. Exit and entry through the main road are currently available but carefully controlled by law enforcement and the military. The checkpoint has been restored. Vehicles will be inspected and documents checked, ” he said.
27.02.2022
12:15
Fake. "Stay safe" in Viber means that the account was hacked by Russia. Misinformation is being spread on social networks that the "Stay safe" label in Viber's messenger allegedly means that Russia has hacked into an account, that "Viber is already being listened to and read by the occupiers. " According to StopFake, the "Stay safe" label actually reminds users that they need to monitor their communication and secure transmission of information.
27.02.2022
12:15
Fake.Saboteurs add people to groups as if to help, pretending to be local In different cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, people in messengers join different local groups as if to help each other. For example, in Kharkiv, one of such groups is called "Pereklychka rayoniv" (eng. "Roll call of districts") - this was reported by the People's Deputy from Kharkiv Victoria Kinzburska. "If you are automatically added to a chat called " Pereklychka rayoniv" immediately leave the group - there are half of the saboteurs, learn information about the city," - she wrote. The State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine reports about similar groups and chats: “Attention! The network is spreading information that people in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities are being added to chats, ostensibly to help each other. There are threats that such channels are created for saboteurs to mislead people and lull them to sleep. " Be careful about which groups you join and what you report to unknown users.
27.02.2022
00:35
Fake.Enabled geolocation on your phone helps the enemy home-in on a target.

This has been reputed by the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine, but they still ask Ukrainians not to share publicly any media with geotags. "Android or iOS smartphones don't send the location. If you want to disappear, you need to enable the aeroplane mode. It's possible to send a message with one's location by accident, for example via Telegram or Viber. Don't share any directions or location tips on public chats. This kind of information should only be shared only in private message with someone you know, but it's even safer to share it in a telephone conversation" –, Service says.
27.02.2022
00:00
Fake.A landing party landed on Sofiivska Borshchahivka.

Photos of the alleged landing on Sofiivska Borshchahivka are being spread on social networks. Victor Tregubov, co-founder of the "Demokratychna sokyra" party and editor-in-chief of the "Petro i Mazepa" website, denied landing. According to him, the photo shows gaps from air defense shells. "Babel" also denied this information.
26.02.2022
22:00
Fake. Russia isn't at war with Ukrainian people. Many Ukrainians receive this kind of message from a Russian phone number. That is not the case. On February, 24th, 2022, during a video appeal President Zelensky has announced a martial law due to the Russian invasion. Russia has initiated a large-scale offensive on Ukraine and carries out heavy rocket fire on Ukrainian cities. "Russia has carried out air strikes on our military infrastructure and our State Border Guard Service. In a number of Ukrainian cities explosions can be heard. We declare martial law on the whole Ukrainian territory", – said Volodymyr Zelensky. Verkhovna Rada has supported the introduction of martial law in Ukraine. 300 deputies casted affirmative votes.
26.02.2022
Fake. A hydroelectric power plant was seized in Kyiv. False information spread in the network that Russian troops had seized hydroelectric power plants in Kyiv.

In fact, the hydropower plant is controlled by Ukrhydroenergo. “The building of the Kyiv HPP is reliably protected from the enemy. Preparatory work is underway to possibly raise the gates of the spillway dam. If necessary, we will gradually drain the water from the Kyiv Reservoir. The staff of the station is on site and will not allow the sudden detonation of the dam. Accordingly, there will be no flooding of Kyiv, ” - Ukrhydroenergo said. The head of the company noted that there was a cross-fight yesterday, from the right bank to the left, but after the shootout Kyiv HPP resumed its work. "We are doing our job. To date, there is no threat in Kyiv to blow up the dam. I would like you to get information exclusively from official websites, ” - said Ihor Syrota.
26.02.2022
Fake. The "Polytyka strany" channel (almost 155,000 subscribers) continuously published videos of hostilities and damage to property and equipment, apparently without verifying their veracity.

For example, they disseminated information about Kadyrov's military vehicles, photos of which are "published by Russian telegram channels, claiming that they are already somewhere in Ukraine." Such videos and posts should not be trusted.
26.02.2022
17:17
Message. Russian propagandists are trying to discredit the Ukrainian military leadership.

They claim that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is allegedly overcrowded with agents who "transmit information about every step of the Ukrainian military." It is important to understand that discrediting the government is generally a common tactic of Russian disinformation. In this case, Ukraine's military victories clearly show that the Ukrainian military leadership is doing its job well and professionally.
26.02.2022
16:50
Exposure. New users are actively joining local Kyiv groups on social networks. They also write direct messages in Telegram.

Readers report this to Detector.media. Such users pretend to be residents of specific houses in order to gain trust and find out how many people are in the house, where the nearest places to eat are and how to get to other places in Kyiv.
26.02.2022
15:55
Exposure. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) informed that the temporarily occupied Donetsk may become a subject of provocation – blowing up industrial tanks with chemicals.

It is planned to blame the Ukraininan military forces for this sabotage against the civilian population. The SBU stated that, unlike the Russian occupiers, Ukraine does not resort to such methods. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba stated that the message of Russian propaganda about the alleged possibility of Ukraine preparing an attack with a "dirty bomb" on the territory of the Russian Federation is a sick fake.
26.02.2022
15:15
Fake. Russians continue to say that they aren't targeting civilians, that they're only destroying some military objects. At the beginning they said, that there aren't civil casualties but after massive spreading of photo and video evidences they changed tactics. Now they say that it's Ukrainian army, who's responsible for civil casualties. They conflict with their own statements, because part of the message tells about randomness, like "Ukrainian army, accidentally, mistakenly bombed a residential house". In other posts they say about treacherous ukrainian soldiers, which are ready to shell civilians just to blame Russia.
26.02.2022
15:00
Message. Russian telegram channels are massively spreading false information about the course of the Russian war against Ukraine.

They are trying to persuade that "there is NO military success on Ukrainian side." Amid these claims, the propagandists call on the Ukrainian military to lay down their arms.
26.02.2022
14:44
Fake. Pro-russian media are spreading the speech of Putin’s deputy Dmitrii Pieskov saying that Ukraine refused to negotiate..

This is fake. Ukraine hasn’t refused to negotiate. Zelenskyi’s spokesperson Serhii Nikiforov announced that yesterday.
26.02.2022
13:30
Fake. False ambulance contacts are being spread in Kharkiv.

There are messages saying that instead of “103”, people in Kharkiv should use other 10-digit numbers to call an ambulance. However, this is another fake.
26.02.2022
10:40
Disclosure. Relatives and friends of the Ukrainian military receive calls from the numbers of servicemen and are given fake information about their condition and whereabouts.

This was reported by the National Guard of Ukraine.They ask to inform relatives and friends about actions in such situations. "If there are such calls, then ask a question that only you two know the answer to, for example, the name of the kindergarten you went to; the number of the school where he studied; mother's birthday.
26.02.2022
9:36
Manipulation. “Detector Media” readers report that unknown persons are joining the group chats of apartment buildings’ residents in Telegram and Viber.

As of now, there’s such information about several chats of residential buildings in Kyiv. It’s important to verify new members, as propagandists often use this tactics to collect information and spread fakes.
26.02.2022
9:36
Exposure. Russia uses various and sometimes non-obvious methods in the information war. For example, Russian propaganda replaced the translation in Google to discredit the Ukrainian army.

If you wanted to translate the phrase "Armed Forces of Ukraine", you got "Evil forces of Ukraine". Team of Detector.media makes every effort to change this.

Updated: We made it ;)
26.02.2022
Ukrainians receive fake text messages and in messengers demanding to lay down their arms and with threats.

Some of them have calls to surrender weapons, fake information that Zelensky surrendered, threats. All this is not true. The Ukrainian army does not lay down arms, Zelensky does not flee the country. The Armed Forces hold the defense. In particular, in Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the night was difficult, but there are no Russian troops in the capital. There are sabotage groups in Kyiv, there have been several clashes. 35 people were injured, including two children.
26.02.2022
8:00
Fake. The Ukrainian military surrenders and lays down weapons.

The information that the Ukrainian army is retreating and surrendering weapons is spreading across the Internet. However, this is another fake. It was refuted by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who published a video address to Ukrainians. "There is a lot of fake information on the Internet now as if I'm calling for weapons to be laid down and de-evacuation. So: here I am, we will lay down no weapons, we will defend our state, because our weapons are our truth", Zelensky said.
25.02.2022
21:05
Manipulation. Russian Telegram channels are trying to prove that the devices and tags that the Ukrainian military is calling to being destroyed because the enemy is using them to bomb are not dangerous.

Anonymous reporters are trying to label everything to confuse Ukrainians about what needs to be identified and destroyed.
25.02.2022
20:11
Fake. The city of Sumy surrendered to the enemy.

There are a lot of fakes spreading about the situation in the Sumy Region. This was announced by the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi.

According to him, the military remains in the city and no one surrenders to the enemy. «Don't be fooled! Sumy and other district centers of the region are under our control! The authorities are here», he said. Zhyvytskyi also denied fake news about the poor provision of territorial defense, calls for the surrender of regional cities, and negotiations with the enemy. He added that the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) misinformed people in the region and said that the Sumy region had surrendered to the enemy.
25.02.2022
20:00
Fake. Chornobyl is on fire.

On February 25, a fake was spread on social networks about an alleged fire at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Allegedly, a video of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant fire was published to confirm this fake information.

Those shots were taken from the HBO TV series "Chernobyl".

25.02.2022
19:56
Manipulation. . Ukrainians began receiving messages from the Russian number, which is supposed to be the "official hotline of Russian forces". Russian forces have no official line; reports are being sent for psychological pressure.

25.02.2022
19:54
Exposure. Residents of Chernihiv are warned that representatives of the military registration and enlistment office do not go to apartments and shelters to mobilize men (such cases were recorded in Chernihiv).

The Chernihiv Regional State Administration asks the city residents not to follow such people and not to enter into a discussion with them.

25.02.2022
19:14
Fake. The war is lost, Russian tanks are in Kyiv, Zelensky must resign.

This message is spread by Ilya Kiva the People's Deputy from a pro-Russian and Eurosceptic political party: Opposition Platform — For Life, on his telegram channel. He urges everyone to be objective but claims that all the stories about the victories of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in battles with Russia are supposedly faked. He says that there are already a lot of Russian tanks and special forces in Kyiv and that they are preparing to storm the administrative buildings.

Kiva also states that "Zelensky and his mono-majority are involved in the current situation in the country." In fact, according to official data, since the beginning of the open large-scale invasion of the Russian-occupation forces into Ukraine on February 24, they have lost more than 2,800 soldiers, 80 tanks, and 516 armored vehicles. The Ukrainian military keeps the defense in many cities of Ukraine.

25.02.2022
18:30
Fake. Ukrainian defenders of Zmiinyi Island surrendered voluntarily and without a fight.

On February 25, Russian media, including RT, RIA Novosti, Ukraina.ru, KP.ru, Lenta.ru, and propaganda telegram channels, disseminated fake information that 82 Ukrainian soldiers allegedly voluntarily surrendered their positions on Zmiinyi Island to the Russian invaders, writes StopFake media.

Propaganda resources are also spreading a fake that Ukrainian defenders have written receipts stating that they will no longer participate in hostilities. On the evening of February 24, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported , that two Russian ships had fired on the island, and later communication was lost with the island. In addition, the infidels used the international maritime communications channel to intimidate the defenders of the border — the recording of this conversation was published in the public domain. According to him, the Russians demanded that the Ukrainian border guards surrender: "I am a Russian warship. I propose to lay down arms and surrender in order to avoid bloodshed and unjustified victims. Otherwise, you will be bombed". In response, the Ukrainian defender of Zmiinyi said: "Russian warship, f*ck you!".

25.02.2022
18:00
Fake. Ukrainian Military personnel who stop resisting will be able to get to their families without hindrance.

Such a message is sent to men in Kherson. The text also calls the resistance "unnecessary", and at the end of the message a signature is added — Vladimir Putin. The text of the message in the screenshot: All Military personnel of the Ukrainian army who decide to stop unnecessary resistance will be able to leave the combat zone without hindrance and return to their families. Vladimir Putin".
25.02.2022
17:10
Fake. A bridge was blown up in the village of Poliske.

Korosten Deputy Mayor Natalia Chyzhevska denied reports of a bridge being blown up in the village of Poliske, Zhytomyr Oblast, near Korosten.



She also showed an undamaged railway crossing in Korosten.

25.02.2022
15:36
Manipulation. Renat Kuzmin said that Ukraine started this war 8 years ago.

As stated in the message of the People’s Deputy from the pro-Russian party Platform — For Life, “Alexander Turchynov started the war in Donbas eight years ago, disguising it as the ATO.” In the same message, Kuzmin called the events during the Euromaidan an armed seizure of power and summed up that “we are to blame for everything that happens.”

However, the ATO in Ukraine started in 2014 not to fight against Russia, but to repel Russian aggression. Already on February 24, 2022, after a full-scale attack by Russia, the Verkhovna Rada supported the introduction of martial law in Ukraine. Three hundred People’s Deputies voted for this decision. On February 24, Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with Russia. On February 25, President Zelensky called on Putin to sit down at the negotiating table.

25.02.2022
15:26
Fake. In the Sumy region, a bridge was blown up near the village of Bishkin, Lebedyn district.

Suspilne (national public broadcaster in Ukraine) reports: the information that is spread on the Internet about the blown-up bridge is not true. The information about the demolition of the shops of Khimprom (liquidated chemical enterprise) and other chemical companies in the region is also fake.

According to the Suspilne, the possible testing of alarm systems in Sumy is also fake. “If the civil defense siren goes off, this is no drill!" — the message says.
25.02.2022
14:34
Fake. Pro-Russian telegram channels spread information that units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not take part in hostilities.

Such reports say that only battalions of Ukrainian Nazis are fiercely opposed. However, this is another fake, because according to official data, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fighting the enemy at all locations. Official information about this can be found on the website of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense.

25.02.2022
14:12
Manipulation. Armed Forces of Ukraine started Ukrainization.

People's Deputy of Ukraine from the party Opposition Platform for Life Vadim Rabinovich claimed that Ukraine had chosen the wrong time for that. Thus, the people's deputy reacted to reports from the Verkhovna Rada that the Ukrainian military communicates exclusively in Ukrainian. "Sprehenführer Kremin should be pleased — it's nonsense that the Russians are ten kilometers from Kyiv, and the core point is that the soldiers do not speak the language of the aggressor," — wrote Rabinovich.

In fact, the message about the language of communication of the military appeared so that the Ukrainians could better identify the fighters of the Ukrainian army.
25.02.2022
14:00
Fake. Videos and photos of the supposedly Russian invasion of Ukraine are widely spreading all around Facebook. All these attacks in the live stream are fake, says Bloomberg.

According to Bloomberg, all these videos and screenshots are from the game on the military theme - Arma 3. Under the post with Arabic Arma 3 video, marked as "latest news" the author left the comment which says a live stream from the Ukrainian borders was documented by journalists.

These videos were seen by over 110 000 people and posted over 25 000 times on Facebook. Facebook deleted all fake materials after Bloomberg News asked the owner of the Facebook Meta Platforms to comment on the situation.
25.02.2022
13:30
Fake. The Ukrainian military crushed civilians with equipment.

Pro-Russian telegram channels spread fake information that Ukrainian soldiers allegedly panicked and ran over a civilian's car with military equipment.

Along with this message, a video from the Obolonskyi district of Kyiv, in which armored vehicles of the occupiers - service members of the Russian Armed Forces - ran over a civilian's car, is being distributed.

25.02.2022
13:25
Fake. Local authorities will test alert systems in Ukraine.

Again, we recorded reports in local groups in different parts of Ukraine about sirens being tested on February 25 at 1 p.m. There were no sirens, and local authorities denied planning such testing. We encourage you to obtain information only from official sources. Sirens sound when you need to go to the shelter.

25.02.2022
12:53
Fake. Russia is not a threat to the civilian population in Ukraine.

The Kremlin media and propagandists claim civilian Ukrainians are allegedly not in danger during the full-scale offensive of Russian troops on Ukrainian cities.

This is not the case. In particular, on February 25, during a morning air attack on Kyiv, one of the fragments of a Russian rocket hit two residential buildings. As a result of the Russian attack, the section erupted and the house collapsed. An hour after the attack, Russia continued to bomb Kyiv's residential areas.

More details

25.02.2022
12:12
Manipulation. A pro-Russian politician Yevgeny Muraev insists that negotiations with Russia are needed right now and in any case.

He adds that it will be a capitulation, not a negotiation, as it was necessary to agree on neutral status, implement the Minsk agreements, and recognize Crimea as Russian "eight years ago." And now, the conditions of capitulation will be stricter. Also Muraev has previously called for the recognition of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR". Now he calls Russia's war against Ukraine "trials that must be seen as opportunities".
25.02.2022
11:23
Fake. Local viber chats are reporting that a siren will go off on January 25 at 1 p.m.

Sirens go off when there is a need to hide in a shelter. Be vigilant and check official sources!
25.02.2022
11:00
Fake. Russian troops landed in the Obolon district of Kyiv.

Information that Russian forces have landed in Obolon in Kyiv is spreading in the network. However, the Adviser to the Head of the President's Office, Oleksiy Arestovych, denied this information during another briefing.

“"There are many fakes like that — enemy's troops landed in Obolon, Russians are already here and so on — these are simply elements of disinformation that is being carried out. There will be more messages like those. Don't trust them; use only official sources of information," said Arestovych.

25.02.2022
10:27
Fake. Anonymous telegram channels and other messengers are spreading information allegedly on behalf of the Security Service of Ukraine.

The report says that the Security Service of Ukraine requires Ukrainians to follow the link in order to "pass the inspection".

The agency says that this link , similar to the website address of the Security Service of Ukraine, but it is fake and does not lead to its online resource. In fact, the link will prompt you to add a new device to your account. After that, the enemy will have access to all your chat history (except secret chats), and will be able to write on your behalf, - said the Security Service of Ukraine, urging not to follow the link or scan the QR code.
25.02.2022
10:00
Fake. Pro-Russian Telegram channels, in particular @spletnicca, spread information that Volodymyr Zelensky had allegedly deceived Ukrainians and the army until the last day and banned the media from publishing an accurate picture of what was happening.

"In two or three days, we will all be surprised how our country found itself in such a situation, and it's just because Kvartal decided to have fun and lie to the end!" - said in a statement.

It is not true. After Russia attacked Ukraine, the President of Ukraine immediately imposed martial law. On February 24, Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with Russia. Ukrainian media promptly cover the situation in the country and work around the clock. In particular, on the morning of February 25, most of the Ukrainian TV channels broadcast information marathons.
25.02.2022
9:20
Manipulation. Propagandist Tetyana Montyan spreads false information that "the Ukrainian Armed Forces should be blamed for the destruction of the residential buildings in Kyiv".

Similar information is being spread by many other Russian propagandists. They claim that the Ukrainian authorities are happy with the destruction and casualties only to be able "to shout about Putin's barbaric punishers".
25.02.2022
Manipulation. Telegram channels spread the video message supposedly from the former member of the National Corps. He said that "his brothers laid down their arms" and spread the message which said, "We were preparing for 8 years and lost it all after 2 hours".

The press center of the National Corps denied the fact that this person had ever been a member of the National Corps. According to the press center, the National Corps didn't mention it publicly because they thought it wasn't worth such attention.
25.02.2022
8:36
Manipulation. A phishing attack has started against Ukrainians.

Citizens receive emails with attached files of an uncertain nature. Such messages can also be sent to messengers. Under no circumstances should you follow the links or open attachments.

24.02.2022
23:00
Fake. Everyone needs to disconnect from the power grid at 11:30 pm because Ukraine is switching to a different energy system.

The National Energy Company Ukrenergo called this information fake and officially stated that the power system was operating normall. "Nothing needs to be turned off, and no one connects anywhere at night," posted Ukrenergo's Facebook page. Similar refutations were published on the pages of regional energy companies.

More details
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Мабуть, ще ніколи якісна журналістика не була такою важливою, як сьогодні.
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