The Center for Countering Disinformation

#CCD_explains: ⚡️ russia has launched an information operation called "Peace" aimed at obscuring the Ukrainian Peace Formula in the information space of the West, the Global South and Ukraine. The first signs of this operation are the introduction of numerous fake peace plans with various proposals and conspiracy theories claiming that "secret negotiations have begun." According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation and an officer of the Defense Forces, this information campaign is being driven by russian propagandists within russia, as well as on information platforms in Asia and the Middle East, with input from experts, including a network operating in the West. Putin himself actively comments on the "peace initiatives of the russian federation." "The main strategy behind russia's actions is to generate white noise and target segments of society willing to pursue peace at any expense. In truth, russia isn't prepared for a fair peace and is bolstering its military capabilities to prolong the war. By fostering hope about their willingness for peace, they aim to create the illusion that Ukraine is the one resistant to peace negotiations. This is their main narrative crafted for various global audiences," he explained. ❗️According to Andriy Kovalenko, "the only tangible evidence that russia is genuinely prepared for a fair peace will be the presence of its representatives at the second Peace summit. However, currently, the russian federation is actively working to undermine the Peace Formula and substitute it with its own 'plans'." ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_informs: ⚡️ The CCD is continuing its series of publications on the key figures behind anti-Ukrainian propaganda in belarus. Another influential propagandist is ksenia lebedeva, a host on the "belarus 1" TV channel. lebedeva's career took off in 2020 when she began covering the country's protests in a way that favored the lukashenko regime. She has been sanctioned by the EU. Through her TV program and social media, she actively spreads anti-Ukrainian propaganda. ▫️ In May of this year, lebedeva released a propaganda documentary about Mariupol, claiming the city "suffered under the opression of Ukrainian Nazis for eight years" and was "liberated" by russia. According to her portrayal, it wasn't russian troops who destroyed the city, but supposedly "national battalions" during their retreat. ▫️ One of her favorite topics is spreading fakes about the "sale of Ukrainian children to Europe," which is quite ironic, considering it was belarus, not Ukraine, that was recently added to the list of countries sponsoring human trafficking by the U.S. State Department. ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_digest: DIGEST OF ANTI-UKRAINIAN NARRATIVES IN RUSSIAN MEDIA ❌ Manipulation russian ambassador to the United States a. antonov said: "The new US aid package for Ukraine will only lead to new victims." ✅ The russian ambassador is shifting the focus away from russia's aggressive actions, which are the main cause of casualties and destruction. In addition, antonov is trying to put the responsibility for the consequences of the war on the countries providing assistance, instead of recognizing russia's role as an aggressor. ❌ Disinformation russian dictator vladimir putin said: "The crisis in Ukraine arose because of the absolutely cavalier policy of the United States." ✅ Such rhetoric is evidence of yet another absurd and senseless attempt by the kremlin to shift the responsibility for russian aggression to others. But all these attempts are futile, as it is russia that attacked Ukraine. ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_informs: ⚡️ Vlada and Konstiantyn Liberov, hosts of the "Kramatorsk Station" project, showed what Chasiv Yar looks like today. Wherever russia goes, it leaves only ruins and devastation. ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_explains: ⚡️ What do putin's statements at the SCO summit mean? russian dictator vladimir putin keeps trying to discredit Ukraine's peace efforts while expanding his influence among Global South countries. ▫️ During the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit in Kazakhstan, putin reiterated that russia "supports a peaceful political and diplomatic solution to the situation in Ukraine" and claimed that moscow's "peace plan" would supposedly end the fighting. Meanwhile, he accused the West and Ukraine of starting the war. ❗️With these statements, зutin is once again pushing his "peace proposals," which are actually ultimatums with conditions unacceptable to Ukraine. His goal is to divert the attention of the Global South countries in the SCO, which maintain a neutral stance on the war, from Ukraine's peace plan based on the UN Charter and international law. ▫️ putin also seeks to strengthen russia's position in global politics by presenting the SCO as an important "anti-Western" center of power and an alternative to NATO and the EU. ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_digest: DIGEST OF ANTI-UKRAINIAN NARRATIVES IN WESTERN MEDIA ❌ Disinformation "Ukrainian acts of terrorism carried out against civilians & nuclear power plants illustrate a deliberate strategy of violence & escalation, rather than a genuine pursuit of peace," said Jackson Hinkle ✅ With his disinformation statements, Hinkle is trying to demonize Ukraine and the Ukrainian army in the eyes of the international community. In fact, the Armed Forces of Ukraine aim to neutralize the russian army and its means of warfare, i.e., to eliminate the headquarters, ammunition depots and personnel of the russian army. ❌ Disinformation "Imagine if we had taken advantage of russia's proposal for peace with Ukraine that Ukraine was ready to accept and April of 2022. Imagine if we had done that, this war would be over. Russia wouldn't have built up the strongest military, their military would still be at 900,000 not over two million now," said Scott Ritter ✅ Ritter is trying to shift the blame for the continuation of the war from terrorist russia to Ukraine and its partners. In fact, russia, the country that started this war, could easily end it by quitting invading Ukrainian territory and killing the Ukrainian people. ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_explains: ⚡️ How does russia promote its propaganda at the UN under the guise of protecting human rights? russia held a briefing at the UN headquarters featuring "American legal and political experts who recently returned from a trip to Donbas," where they voiced messages discrediting Ukraine. ▫️ Human rights lawyer Daniel Kovalik, United National Antiwar Coalition administrative committee member Christopher Haley, and journalist Jackson Hinkle spoke at the event. ▫️ It's worth noting that all three speakers actively collaborate with russian propaganda. In 2022, they participated in a discussion about the "legality" of russia's invasion of Ukraine from an international law perspective, for which they were criticized by the public. ❗️Through such events, russia aims to justify its aggression against Ukraine and create the illusion of widespread international support for its actions. Russia cynically leverages Western democratic instruments to advance its strategic goals in the information war against Ukraine. ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_informs: ⚡️ The CCD continues its series of publications on the key figures behind anti-Ukrainian propaganda in belarus. Another influential propagandist is alexander shpakovsky, a political commentator and member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of belarus. In 2023, the propagandist was added to the Ukrainian sanctions list. Prior to that, he "appeared" at several events involving children who were illegally brought to belarus "for rehabilitation" from russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. ▫️ In his anti-Ukrainian activities, shpakovsky echoes kremlin propaganda clichés, claiming that Ukraine "bombed Donbas" and that the West "divided Ukrainians and russians, who were one people." ▫️ He constantly emphasizes lukashenko's "peacefulness" and justifies the militarization of belarus by citing an alleged military threat from Ukraine and the EU. Shpakovsky portrays the deployment of russian nuclear weapons in belarus as the restoration of historical justice, claiming that the West "violated the Budapest Memorandum" by imposing sanctions on lukashenko's regime. ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_digest: DIGEST OF ANTI-UKRAINIAN NARRATIVES IN RUSSIAN MEDIA ❌ Fake The director general of "rosatom", a. likhachev, claimed: "The Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the 'Veselka' substation in Enerhodar with drones." ✅ The terrorist state once again accused Ukraine of shelling the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant without providing any evidence for their claims. In reality, the only threat to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant comes from the russian occupiers who have seized the plant and are conducting drone operator training there. ❌ Disinformation russian defense minister a. belousov said: "The West prepared and provoked the Ukrainian crisis and is now deliberately prolonging it." ✅ Another absurd attempt to shirk responsibility for the war against Ukraine. The truth is that russia alone bears responsibility for the aggression, the killing of people, and the destruction of Ukrainian towns and villages. ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA

#CCD_informs: Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation and an officer of the Defense Forces, participated in an intersectoral roundtable on the topic "The role of media in countering disinformation during wartime: between security and freedom. How to enhance effectiveness." The event was organized to discuss important aspects of the interaction between media and state institutions in countering disinformation, especially during wartime. The meeting was moderated by Diana Dutsyk. Participants included Oleksandr Burmahin (member of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine), Ihor Solovey (Center for Strategic Communications, Ministry of Culture and Information Policy), Oleksandr Melnychenko (Department of Counterintelligence Protection of State Interests in the Field of Information Security of the SBU), Olena Froliak (Starlight Media, editor-in-chief and host of "Facts ICTV"), Serhiy Popov (news department director of "1+1 media"), Yuliya Bankova (editor-in-chief of "Liga.net"), and Olexiy Tarasov (editor-in-chief of "Radio NV"). During the event, they discussed how to delineate responsibilities in countering disinformation among various actors: the state, media, and civil society. ❗️In his speech, Andriy Kovalenko emphasized: "The interaction between media and state institutions in countering disinformation is extremely important. The Center for Countering Disinformation regularly collaborates with media and bloggers to combat russian narratives. We will continue this work. Only through joint efforts can we effectively counter disinformation and protect our country's information space." ✅ TG  FB  INST  YT  TW  TT  WA