Russian propagandists have fabricated leaflets and falsified regional media reports in an attempt to discredit Ukrainian defenders.
Russian Telegram channels are circulating images of alleged leaflets supposedly posted around the city of Sumy. These flyers, falsely attributed to the Sumy City Council’s Health Department, claim that “quarantine measures” have been introduced in the city. Residents are allegedly being asked to limit contact with Ukrainian servicemen, especially those returning from the front lines near the Sumy region’s border.
This is entirely false. The photos of the leaflets are taken in a way that makes it impossible to verify their actual location. Moreover, there are no announcements about any “epidemic” or “quarantine measures” on the official website of the Sumy City Council, nor have there been any such statements from the Health Department.
Additionally, the fake flyers list an incorrect area code for Sumy. Instead of the correct code (0542), the propagandists used 0541 — an error that further exposes the fabrication. According to the phone verification service Getcontact, the number mentioned on the flyer does not exist.
In essence, Russian propagandists printed fake flyers using the official logo of the Sumy City Council’s Health Department (taken from its website) and fabricated a false narrative in an attempt to sow panic and discredit Ukrainian troops who are defending the region from Russian aggression.
Separately, Russian Telegram channels are also sharing a manipulated screenshot from a local online news outlet in the Sumy region. The fake story reports a house fire in which a man born in 1989 was allegedly injured, claiming he was a soldier from the 95th Air Assault Brigade who started the fire to avoid returning to duty after leave.
This is also false. The original article from the local news outlet Vash Shans (Your Chance) states that the injured man was born in 1959. According to Ukrainian law, the maximum age for military service is 55 for soldiers and sergeants, and 60 for senior officers — making it impossible for someone born in 1959 to be an active-duty soldier.
These disinformation efforts are aimed squarely at undermining the credibility of Ukrainian forces and spreading panic among the civilian population in the Sumy region. The ultimate goal of Russian propaganda is to turn local sentiment against the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Previously, Russian propagandists spread a fake story about a boy allegedly killed by Ukrainian soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region.
Andriy Olenin
