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Since February 24, 2022, Detector Media has been monitoring the Kremlin media and the Ukrainian segment of social media and documenting the chronicle of Russian disinformation about Russia’s war against Ukraine on a daily basis. Over time, we started making regular reviews. You can read the latest ones here: May 1-7, May 8-14, May 15-21, May 22-28, May 29-June 4, June 5-11, June 12-18, June 25-July2, and the final text for ten months, and a review of the most ridiculous fakes published during the year of the full-scale war.
From June 3 to July 9, 2023, analysts at Detector Media recorded more than 30 disinformation releases. During this time, the propagandists convinced that the Ukrainian counteroffensive was a complete "clown" and told how the Western elites were dragging Ukraine into the LGBT+ trap.
"The USA wants to protect its weapons in Ukraine"
At the beginning of the week, analysts described messages about US officials seeking to provide Ukraine with the Iron Dome system, allegedly to protect its weapons. The authors referred to the material of the international television news channel PressTV.
However, the material does not contain such information. The USA has been considering the transfer of the "Iron Dome" in order to strengthen the air defense of Ukraine. This was explained by the fact that the Patriot system can shoot down ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, but is less effective in intercepting low-flying small drones. "Iron Dome" can handle such drones. And the material focused solely on that aspect.
By using the rhetoric of "protection of weapons", propagandists seek to hint at the alleged low combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian army. They also try to show that for the USA the protection of weapons is more valuable than the protection of Ukrainians.
"Ukrainian military resells cars"
Also, anonymous Telegram channels that broadcast pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread a fake saying that the 92nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is reselling ambulances for which it previously collected money from Ukrainians. Information about the collection for the brigade (and its results) is added to the publications, and cars are compared with those from ads on the OLX site.
However, these cars differ in brand and appearance. On the OLX site, the cars have Ukrainian and European civil license plates. Whereas a vehicle registered with a military unit has military numbers in black. This can be seen in the fundraising posts for the 92nd Brigade.
That is, the propagandists did not provide any strong evidence that Ukrainian troops are reselling cars for which funds were previously collected. The authors used random ads from the OLX platform.
"No Zelensky — no war"
During a week, we recorded a fake, allegedly placing an advertising banner in New York with the inscription: "No Zelensky — no war." The authors attached alleged video evidence to the messages.
In fact, the video is edited. The footage from Fifth Avenue, taken even before the start of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, was used as a basis. But there is no corresponding banner even now: on fresh panoramas of the street in Google Maps and video images of the street. The absence of the banner was also confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Consulate General of Ukraine in New York.
By spreading such fakes, propagandists are trying to discredit the president of Ukraine and create a false impression that they no longer want to support Ukraine abroad. They also shift the blame for the full-scale war to Ukraine.
"The counter-offensive turned into a show - Zaluzhnyi"
Russian media and anonymous Telegram channels, which broadcast pro-Kremlin rhetoric, spread the manipulation, as if Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that the West was turning the counteroffensive into a "show." The publications refer to Zaluzhnyi's interview with The Washington Post.
In fact, in an interview, Zaluzhnyi explained that there is no need to perceive the counteroffensive as a show. He noted that people can fight for a bet and predict the winner in advance. However, every day every meter of land "is given to great losses and blood." And commenting on the progress of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, he emphasized that, despite the lack of a number of necessary types of weapons in the Defense Forces, the Ukrainian army advances every day, even if it is only 500 meters. Therefore, he is "annoyed" by statements that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is advancing "slower than expected."
"Naked Jens Stoltenberg"
In the middle of the week, we managed to record a manipulation in which it was claimed that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was walking naked on the streets of London. The publications were accompanied by a photo and linked to the Daily Mail publication.
The Daily Mail did publish a photo of a naked man in London and indicated that it was taken on June 27. However, there is no mention anywhere that this is Jens Stoltenberg, as the propagandists write in their messages. It is also clear from the photo itself that it is not him. Moreover, on June 27, the Secretary General of NATO was at a conference in The Hague.
"Pregnant women go to the front"
Propaganda media and anonymous Telegram channels, which broadcast pro-Kremlin rhetoric, have spread the manipulation that pregnant women are being conscripted in Ukraine and have sewn special uniforms for this purpose. As proof, they cited a screenshot from the UNIAN website, which refers to a new uniform for female military personnel.
The mobilization of women in Ukraine is only voluntary. And volunteers began to create uniforms for military servicewomen, including pregnant ones, at the request of women in the military themselves.
In this way, agitprop tries to discredit the government and intimidate Ukrainian society. Like, the Russians are winning on the battlefield, so they started conscripting pregnant women.
"Western Trap"
At the end of the week, we analyzed the message of Russian propaganda, as if the West is dragging Ukraine into the "LGBT+ trap". The anonymous telegrams wrote that representatives of the LGBT+ community do not serve in the Ukrainian army, because the Ukrainian leadership simply pretends to support "Western values". The authors added that the West is trying to drag Ukraine into the "LGBT+ trap" from which Ukraine will not get out.
Such a thesis is baseless. Representatives of the LGBT+ community serve in the Ukrainian army. In addition, in 2018, the association "Ukrainian LGBT military for equal rights" was created in Ukraine. The founder of this organization is Viktor Pylypenko, a volunteer of the Donbas battalion at the time, and now a fighter of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians, Viktor Pylypenko, who was the first to come out as a combat veteran. The organization explains that it currently has 300 LGBT+ military personnel, including 20 couples, and these are only those who have an active social position. Of course, there is no "LGBT trap" either.
