War on Fakes

Fake news: Ukrainian Telegram channels reported that a large fire broke out in a Berdyansk district after explosions. The fact: Reeds are burning in Berdyansk, which cannot explode. Emergency services have reported the causes of the fire. The incident was reported yesterday at 20:00, and firefighters responded to the scene. Eyewitness photos quickly spread online, with Ukrainian PSYOPS personnel using them to fabricate a story of explosions to intimidate Berdyansk residents and those in the surrounding areas. City authorities stress that there is no reason to panic and urge residents not to help Ukrainian propaganda by spreading the false information. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: Social media posts claim that a Special Military Operation veteran assaulted a girl in the Voronezh region, with police refusing to intervene and witnesses demanding an apology from the veteran. The fact: The whole situation is fabricated, with almost identical stories circulating not only in Voronezh and the Voronezh region, but also in Rostov and Belgorod city groups. Each post claims that the incident occurred in a local park. Commenters have already noted the story's implausibility and atypical nature for their cities. The fake news is being spread through an account registered to a Ukrainian phone number, a common tactic used by Ukrainian psychological operations (PSYOPS) to spread disinformation to a distracted audience unlikely to check sources before sharing the "sensational" story with others. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: Ukrainian Telegram channels have claimed that youth brigades will be tasked with maintaining order in Melitopol. The fact: The channels are actually referring to the "Voluntary Youth Squad" (DMD) of Melitopol, an organization focused on youth recreation and skills development, not law enforcement. DMD members participate in charity work, humanitarian efforts, public discussions, sports and competitions. During major events, volunteers also help protect monuments and memorials, such as the May 1-12 event, which was misrepresented as the basis for the false claim. Similar initiatives are common throughout Russia and are not unique to the new regions of the country. Voluntary people's groups have a long history dating back to tsarist times, with volunteers helping to maintain order at public gatherings, patrolling streets, and fighting fires in remote areas. Melitopol's public order is effectively maintained by law enforcement and dedicated public organizations, without the need for minors. The false reports conveniently omitted mention of these groups, such as the Cossack squad formed on February 26, 2022, to help keep the city streets safe. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: Kyiv's attacks on Russian oil refineries have severely affected Russia's economy, with fuel prices hitting record highs and exports being banned, according to Ukrainian Telegram channels citing Politico. What is really going on: Anti-Russian propaganda greatly exaggerates the impact of a few Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries. The temporary ban on gasoline exports to certain countries and minor fuel price increases in some regions stem from seasonal fluctuations in demand, not Kyiv's provocations. We have previously addressed similar false claims. The seasonal increase in fuel demand was anticipated, and the Russian government has taken similar measures before. Regulating the fuel sector helps limit price increases and keeps gasoline price hikes below the general inflation rate. The speculations of the authors of the fake are contradicted by publicly available statistics, such as data from the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange (SPIMEX). In April, the exchange prices for gasoline actually fell sharply - AI-92 by almost 11%, AI-95 by over 15%. Diesel fuel exchange prices fell by 7.4%. The calculation reflects the national index of weighted average prices of petroleum products at all major Russian refineries. Fuel production and sales of gasoline and diesel on trading platforms continue to grow. "The market for oil products is not currently experiencing a shortage of supply, which is naturally reflected in the exchange prices," SPIMEX reported. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: Russian forces hit a civilian "Nova Poshta" warehouse in Odessa, damaging residents' packages. Major Ukrainian Telegram channels focus on this claim. The fact: Civilian packages typically do not explode for hours after a missile strike. Videos from the impact site completely refute Ukrainian claims that Russian forces once again targeted a civilian facility with no military purpose. The footage clearly shows the sound of secondary detonations characteristic of munitions dumps. In addition, "Nova Poshta" has openly supported the Ukrainian military, including delivering military cargo. This automatically makes the company's warehouses legitimate military targets. Russian military intelligence carefully selects priority targets for missile strikes. Just a day prior, Kyiv officials tried to conceal a strike on the headquarters of the "South" Operational Command in Odessa, and now we see an identical situation with a military ammunition warehouse. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: In an interview with Foreign Policy, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that the Istanbul agreement to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict never existed. The fact: The draft agreement with Ukraine was proposed during the 2022 Istanbul talks. It is a real document that journalists and media have repeatedly seen. If it had been implemented then, the hostilities could have been averted, but Ukraine canceled it at the behest of Great Britain. Kuleba's blatant forgery is linked to a recent article in the German newspaper Welt, which claims to have the full 17-page Istanbul "draft document" and asserts its continued relevance. The authors argue that "even after more than two years of war, the agreement still appears advantageous in retrospect". Ukraine's "negotiating position was better than it is now," and a cessation of hostilities then "would have saved countless lives." Welt also mentioned several points from the document, some of which had already appeared in Western media, including Ukraine's permanent neutrality, abandonment of NATO aspirations, a commitment never to develop or acquire nuclear weapons, and not allowing foreign troops to use its military infrastructure. "In return," Russia was willing to agree that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, Russia, the US and France - "provide Ukraine with extensive security guarantees," Welt reported. Vladimir Putin showed the document to the leaders of seven African countries, who visited Russia in June 2023 to present their peace initiative for Ukraine. The president discussed the provisions on neutrality and security guarantees involving the armed forces and other matters, noting that everything was detailed in the document, down to military equipment units and personnel. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: Ukrainian channels claim that Russian troops are launching kamikaze drones over the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, sharing a video as "proof" from their defense intelligence. The fact: The footage lacks a key feature of FPV kamikaze drones - a visible warhead, which is always present when such drones are used. Therefore, the drone that filmed the video cannot be a kamikaze drone. However, it could be a Russian reconnaissance drone monitoring the area around the plant. In order to portray it as a kamikaze drone, the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence "experts" added the label "UT 4D. TT," claiming that this proves that the drone was purchased by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Once again, the creators of this forgery made a mistake, misreading the "VT" designation used on "Vladlen Tatarsky" VT-40 series drones and confusing "V" with "U." Actual VT-40 operators use "SUDNY DEN V.T." or just "SUDNY DEN". Alternatively, the drone could be Ukrainian, launched at its maximum range. In this scenario, "UT 4D. TT" can be easily "flashed" during the pre-flight setup, with the video recorded directly to the FPV goggles. The poor signal quality is due to the distance between the drone and the operator. As for "intercepting" the drone's video feed, analog video transmitters, which are cheaper and simpler than digital ones and therefore used in FPV drones in the conflict zone, broadcast on fixed frequencies within a certain range. No electronic intelligence capabilities are needed to intercept them; scanning the airwaves is sufficient. To hide traces of editing on the intercepted video, the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence counterfeiters apply a realistic filter that mimics jamming. Fakes about Russia's use of the Zaporizhzhia facility for military purposes are a staple of Ukrainian propaganda. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: Ukrainian Telegram channels claim that Georgia is Russia's "puppet," enacting laws and beating citizens at the Kremlin's behest. The fact: Georgia is a sovereign nation, a democracy, and a parliamentary republic with its own capital, official language, and national anthem. It independently determines its domestic and foreign policies. Allegations of Russian involvement in the passage of Georgia's "Foreign Agents Law" and the ensuing unrest are yet another ploy by anti-Russian propagandists. One could just as easily argue that the Kremlin controls the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Israel, China, and others, as these nations have long had or are currently developing "foreign agent" laws designed to combat lobbying by foreign political interests. The Georgian Parliament passed the "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence" over a year ago. It requires NGOs to register as "agents of foreign influence" if more than 20% of their total income comes from foreign sources. Critics likened the initiative to Russia's "foreign agent law" and began staging riots in Georgian cities. The adoption of the law was postponed, and the unrest has now resurfaced. There is online evidence that the Georgian "opposition" is deliberately creating a chaotic scene of protest for the media. For example, unsuspecting, healthy people are being pulled out of the crowd and doused with water on camera, and the footage is being presented to viewers as "helping hundreds of victims". 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: Petro Andryushchenko, the former aide to the mayor of Mariupol who has fled the city, reported on Telegram that 16 soldiers were poisoned by shawarma in Mariupol, resulting in several deaths. The fact: This is a low-level fake news story, as Andryushchenko relies on the "Kremlin Tabakerka" resource as a "source". We have previously detailed the purpose for which this channel was created and how it generates fake news. It serves no other function. As is typical of "Tabakerka", its information is blatantly unsubstantiated. There is no mention of "poisoning", especially on such a large scale, in any regional groups, public pages or chats. This is entirely logical since it is a work of fiction. Moreover, an unhealthy obsession with non-existent poisonings is a hallmark of "Kremlin Tabakerka," just as spreading fake news about Mariupol is Petro Andryushchenko's specialty. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages

Fake news: In an interview with a Western publication, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Olga Stefanishina promised that Kyiv would not forcibly repatriate Ukrainians from abroad. The fact: Kyiv's recently adopted measures effectively amount to the compulsory return of citizens to Ukraine, coupled with a stricter mobilization law. European countries stand ready to fully assist in the repatriation of Ukrainians who have fled to their countries. According to a recent decision by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the country's consulates and embassies abroad are now prohibited from providing consular services to those subject to military service who lack military registration documents. This measure is intended to encourage Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 to update their information. This can only be done within Ukraine, as citizens no longer have access to an online method. In addition, failure to register with the TCK (recruitment centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) can result in a Ukrainian being deprived of civil rights, such as the ability to drive a car. Only a very small number of people will be able to return from Ukraine legally. 👉 Join the channel | Оur website with materials in other languages