Millions of Ukrainians are encountering Russian propaganda every day. It spreads through TV, radio, media, social networks and by word of mouth. To defeat the enemy, we must fight it on all fronts. To this end, we have prepared a daily compilation of Russian fakes.
Today, the russian information space is reacting to the attack on the cruiser “Moskva” off the coast of Odessa. The flagship of the russian Black Sea fleet, it was struck by two Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, set ablaze and abandoned by the crew. The ship was one of the symbols of russian pride and military might, so the attack caused a giant uproar in the russian media space. Some propagandists call for “revenge” for the ship’s destruction, others are searching for someone to blame among the military high command. The myth about the invincibility of the russian Black Sea Fleet is completely shattered.
The narratives about the US sponsored biolabs are making a comeback, probably caused by the need to fill the media space while the propaganda machine recovers after the “Moskva” destruction. A lot of attention was given to the russian energy sector, with the emphasis on the “Europe is going to freeze without us” message. There were news stories about apparent bombardments of russian territory by Ukrainian forces, probably as groundwork for justifying future escalation of the war by moscow.
Main fake narratives:
- US developed anti-russian bioweapons in Ukraine
- Ukraine is being controlled by the west
- Russians don’t commit war crimes
- World is blind to Ukrainian war crimes
- Ukrainian refugees are causing crime
- Sanctions against russia are destroying Europe
- The world is dominated by russophobia
FAKE: Ukrainian soldiers are high on American drugs
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Disproof:
Let’s face it, things are not going as planned for russia. Ukraine was supposed to be a cakewalk, Ukrainian soldiers were supposed to surrender at the first sight of the mighty “liberators”, Kyiv was supposed to fall in three days. Instead, it’s day 50 of the war and the russian army hadn’t achieved any of their initial objectives, while taking massive losses. Their attacks in the north of the country were repulsed, their elite units there decimated and routed. Ukrainian capital stands, Ukrainian resistance is getting stronger, Ukrainian allies are sending more and more weapons into the country. This is the opposite of the quick and easy victory the kremlin was counting on.
This does not go well with the tales of russian military might that propaganda fed to the world for decades. The russian army was supposed to be invincible, able to defeat any nation on the planet without breaking a sweat. russian propaganda needs an explanation, preferably one that does not mention that the russian army is a paper tiger built by kleptocrats.
And they came up with one: Ukrainians fight this well not because they protect their homes and families, but because they are drugged out of their minds. On American drugs. Given by evil Americans. And Ukrainians are armed with evil western weapons, which is unfair. And it’s all a giant conspiracy, and russia was lured into Ukraine.
So, it is all good, the russian army is not incompetent and unprepared, it just fights a Bond-esque super villain. At this point, it would not be a surprise to hear that Russian warships were attacked by mutated lazer-dolphins.
FAKE: Ukrainian soldiers sell their vehicles to russia
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Disproof:
Russia desperately requires a win. And if there is none on the battlefield, they are trying to fabricate one. And this is what they came up with.
On a clearly staged video (there is even an establishing shot), we can see a man in Ukrainian camo apparently selling an armored personnel carrier to russian soldiers. The fact that the deal is being filmed does not disturb the man. The video is supposed to reinforce the russian narrative about the complete demoralization of the Ukrainian army. Apparently, Ukrainians are so demoralized after successfully routing russian forces in the north, that they sell their combat vehicles for rubles, knowing that rubles will be the future Ukraine currency.
The main problem with russian propaganda is that it shows the audience what the propagandists themselves want to see: a groveling, subhuman enemy without courage, honor or dignity, selling his country for a couple of rubles. But reality is quite different, and tens of thousands of dead and wounded russian soldiers can attest to that.
Be advised: russia is waging a full-scale information war against Ukraine. There are multitudes of new fakes swarming through the mass-media every day. To protect you and your family, be sure to obtain and share your information only from official sources.
Official information channels:
· Office of the President of Ukraine
· General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces
· Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
· Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
· Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
· Ministry of Internal Affairs
· State Emergency Service of Ukraine
· State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
· Centre for Strategic Communication
· Centre for Desinformation Resistance
· State Special Communications Service of Ukraine
Information about transportation and infrastructure:
· State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine
· Boryspil International Airport”
· Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority
· Danylo Halytskyi International Airport Lviv
· State Service of Ukraine for Transport Safety
Keep calm and trust only official sources. Ukraine will prevail!
The material was prepared by ZMiST. Please follow ZMiST on Twitter and Facebook.
