NATO member states are providing outdated weapons to the Ukrainian army in order to get rid of “scrap metal” and renew their warehouses with state-of-the-art military equipment and weapons, according to a new false narrative promoted by Russian media. In fact, the Ukrainian army received modern weaponry from the West, which helped it liberate several districts in the southeast and northeast.
After the liberation of the Crimean peninsula and the occupied territories in Donbas, anti-Russian foreign companies will be entitled to tear apart these territories, the Russian media writes, quoting Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. In fact, the Ukrainian leader spoke about projects designed to rebuild Ukraine, with the help of foreign companies. The president’s speech makes no mention of “Russophobia” or “tearing apart” Ukrainian territories, as the Russian propaganda claims.
The EU's initiative to establish a special tribunal for the war crimes committed in Ukraine, which will cooperate with the International Criminal Court, has been presented by Russian propaganda as an attempt to hide Brussels' involvement in the commission of these crimes. In reality, the EU has not committed any crime on the territory of Ukraine, but it has supported Kyiv's defensive efforts in the face of Russia’s aggression.
Of the 57 thousand women drafted into the army, only 6,000 remain on the frontline, the rest having been killed or taken prisoner, the Russian media writes, accusing president Volodymyr Zelensky of killing his own people in the Russian-Ukrainian war. In fact, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, only 101 women were killed in action, and many of those enrolled didn’t even see combat, as they work for auxiliary structures of the Armed Forces deployed to various regions of the country.
Ukraine’s military campaign on the territory of Crimea is tantamount to the USA declaring war on Russia, and Moscow may answer by bombing Washington, the Russian government media writes, quoting a Moscow official. In fact, Ukraine is entitled to recapture this territory, and the international community has never recognized the illegal annexation of Crimea or it being part of the Russian Federation.
According to the Russian state media, Ukraine is selling electricity to the Republic of Moldova, and the country's leadership is getting rich, while Ukrainians are left to live in cold and darkness. In reality, Kyiv stopped exports on October 11, after the first phase of missile attacks, and the Republic of Moldova is supported during this crisis by Romania.
According to a propaganda narrative carried by the pro-Kremlin media, German society is outraged by the EU's decision to provide financial assistance to Kyiv in the context of the war, with such discontent reflected in the pages of national newspapers. In reality, only a few comments from Die Welt newspaper were selected and presented as the opinion of all Germans. Also, the news translated into Russian was intentionally misrepresented.
The losses sustained by Ukraine’s army are so huge, that Ukrainian pupils are forced to donate blood for the servicemen, according to a propaganda narrative disseminated by the Russian media. In fact, underage children are forbidden from donating blood in Ukraine, and the authors of this false narrative made other errors that clearly prove the story was fabricated.
The conflict in Ukraine is a civil war involving the same people, formally divided into two different states, according to the Russian state media, citing a State Duma deputy from Vladimir Putin's party. In reality, the war in Ukraine is a military aggression by Russia, against a neighboring state and people, condemned by the international community.
Kyiv politicians want to prolong the war against Russia indefinitely in order to accumulate as much wealth as possible, the Russian government media writes, quoting a commentary published by a left-wing German newspaper. In fact, Ukraine expressed willingness to take part in peace negotiations, but later rejected the idea due to Moscow’s ultimatums and its attacks on civilian objectives, also as a result of victories obtained on the ground by the Ukrainian army.
The United States and its Western allies have been arming Ukraine since 2014 in order for it to start a war with Russia, writes the Russian press, which resumes, in another form, the narrative according to which the West and Ukraine are responsible for the war. In reality, Ukraine was invaded by Russia, and the provision of arms to Kyiv was a reaction to Russia’s aggression.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are mobilizing only Russian speakers in the southeast, so that once they are dead Kyiv can bring Ukrainian speakers from western Ukraine to these depopulated areas, reads a propaganda narrative disseminated by the Russian government media. In fact, losses on the battlefield prove that the army comprises many servicemen from western Ukraine, and the percentage of eastern recruits have gone up due to their resistance to Russia’s large-scale invasion.
Russia is careful when bombing Ukrainian infrastructure because it knows this brotherly people does not support the neo-Nazis in power, reads a false propaganda narrative published by Russian media. The article quotes a controversial American political theorist, known for spreading countless conspiracy theories and for his enthusiastic support of Vladimir Putin.
According to the ruling of the International Court of Justice, Russia was not involved in the downing of aircraft MH17, which was transiting the airspace of Donbas in 2014, pro-Kremlin media writes. In fact, the Dutch tribunal has recognized Russia’s involvement in this crime against civilians.
The Western secret services were preparing an attempt on the life of the Russian president during the meeting of the G20 leaders, that is why Vladimir Putin refused to participate in the summit, writes the pro-Kremlin press, also stating that the West regularly resorts to terrorism. In reality, there was no threat of an attack, Putin refusing to come to Indonesia amid the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Kherson. Moreover, Russia itself is resorting to terrorist methods, trying to demoralize the population of Ukraine through bombings.
According to a propaganda narrative circulated in the Russian media, the French are calling on their government to stop its policy of sanctions against Russia and also stop supporting Ukraine because the interests of its citizens must come first. The thesis is substantiated only by quoting one far-right politician.
After the visit to Kherson of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, a gruesome massacre of civilians will commence, which is why residents are asked to steer clear of the city center, reads a propaganda narrative promoted by Russian government media. In fact, both the Ukrainian army as well as Kyiv leaders were greeted as liberators, while new information started to surface after Russia’s retreat regarding war crimes Russian troops might have committed.
Ukraine will cede the Lviv region to Poland and will pass a law on this matter before the end of the year, according to the Russian media. In reality, no such bill is registered or discussed in Ukraine, and the information is just a fabrication of Russian propaganda.
Belarus and Russia are forced to create a joint military group to defend themselves against a potential NATO aggression, fascist provocations by Poland and terrorist actions by Ukraine, according to propaganda narratives carried by the two countries’ media. In reality, Belarus is not targeted by any foreign power, but it has allowed Russia to use its territory for the aggression against Ukraine.
The unemployed in Ukraine will be sent to the front, according to a false narrative disseminated by Russian state media. In reality, the government in Kyiv wants to attract people who have lost their jobs into the process of rebuilding the Ukrainian infrastructure, part of a project symbolically called the “Recovery Army”.
In light of the severe shortage of servicemen, the government of Ukraine is offering up to 20 thousand hryvnya (tantamount to some 500 USD) for every man a citizen brings to military enlistment offices, the Russian government media writes. In fact, such methods are illegal on the territory of Ukraine, and Russia is the one that is forcefully recruiting servicemen to offset its losses.
Unprecedented mass protests have been staged in Romania against NATO and the authorities’ support for Ukraine, pro-Kremlin news agencies write. In fact, Romania never saw any massive anti-NATO or anti-Ukraine protest actions, and the recordings in question do not show people shouting anti-establishment slogans or displaying protest banners that would suggest such large-scale actions. Moreover, the images published to support the idea of a protest were taken in a different season or even in a different country.
Israel will not provide Ukraine with weapons lest they should be sold to Iran, according to Kremlin-linked media, which deliberately misquotes former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In fact, the Israeli politician’s statement is taken out of context, while Israel refused to supply weapons to Ukraine for different reasons.
Foreign diplomats are leaving Ukraine, knowing a large-scale attack from Russia is imminent, the Kremlin-linked media writes, referencing the example of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia. In fact, Serbian diplomats left Kyiv in the early stage of the war, in March, and have not yet returned. This war propaganda narrative is designed to sow panic and confusion at the level of Ukrainian society.
Russia withdrew from PACE in March 2022 because it doesn’t have any gay MPs, which is something mandatory for all member states. This false narrative was fostered by the chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin. In fact, Russia withdrew because it was about to be excluded from PACE due to its invasion of Ukraine. The topic has been relaunched in the public sphere after PACE designated Russia a terrorist state.
Just like in World War II, European countries have joined efforts as part of a Nazi international in order to destroy Russia, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. In fact, the former USSR and Nazi Germany reached common ground to divide Europe and attacked Poland together. Similarly, Russia is today an aggressor state, and the West has merely provided Ukraine with assistance to bolster its defenses.
Russia is showing restraint in its war in Ukraine and most recently did so when it bombed infrastructure in response to the damage to the Kerch bridge, Russian media reports citing an extremist politician/political scientist in Poland. In reality, the massive attack killed dozens of civilians on Ukrainian territory, and rockets hit homes, parks, critical and social infrastructure, for which Russia was accused of terrorism.
Very soon, over half of Ukraine’s armed forces will consist of foreign combatants, which means NATO has a direct involvement in the war in Ukraine, a Russian government media narrative reads. In fact, the Ukrainian Foreign Legion comprises a limited amount of forces, while NATO leaders have repeatedly made it clear the Alliance will not take any military action in this war.
Ukraine's president has ordered the use of a so-called “dirty” bomb, which contains radiological material, in the south of the country, according to a Russian state media propaganda narrative. In reality, Ukraine does not produce dirty bombs, nor does it intend to attack its own population, while nuclear blackmail is increasingly present in the speeches delivered by Russian politicians.
Lviv is preparing to host a referendum on the annexation of this oblast to Poland, which will be held with the blessing of president Zelensky, the Russian government media writes. In fact, the organization of a referendum in Lviv was never brought into discussion, whereas Poland has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine and its territorial integrity.
International observers from Western states have confirmed that the referendums in Donbass and in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions met the democratic standards, Russian state media say. In reality, the Western states did not send observers to the so-called referendums, and the “experts” cited by the Russian media are born in the West, but have lived in Russia for many years and support the Kremlin's policies.
A general in Kyiv has announced that the Ukrainian army has lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the war with Russia, according to a propaganda narrative launched by the pro-Kremlin media to sow panic in Ukrainian society and discourage resistance. In reality, General Sergey Krivonos spoke of civilian casualties as a result of Russia's war against Ukraine.
