Українською читайте тут.
Since February 24, 2022, Detector Media has been monitoring the Ukrainian segment of social media and the Kremlin 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. Read the latest ones here: April 8-15, April 16-23, April 23-30, May 1-7, May 8-14, May 15-21, May 22-28, and May 29-June 4, the final text for ten months, as well as a review of the most ridiculous fakes over the year of the great war.
Between June 5th and June 11th, 2023, Detector Media identified over 30 instances of disinformation. During this time, Russian propagandists falsely insinuated French backing for Russia and suggested the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant had undergone "self-destruction."
"Ukrainian Forces Advancing Towards Moldova"
At the beginning of the week, Detector Media analysts identified a fake news story alleging that the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, had authorized the Armed Forces of Ukraine to enter her country to "address the Transnistria issue." The narrative proposed that Sandu did so during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on June 1st and that this signifies the Moldovan president's affirmation of her support for Ukraine and its forces.
However, the Moldovan President's Office denied this information and called it fake. And at the meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Maia Sandu said that Ukraine is currently safeguarding Moldova's security and that their country respects Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and its internationally recognized borders.
By spreading this message, propagandists are trying to show that the Armed Forces of Ukraine want to escalate the war and drag other countries into the conflict. Allegedly, Ukraine is ready to do whatever it wants with the territories of neighboring states, especially when the military "gets permission."
"Europe's GDP Is Plummeting, According to Dictator Putin"
Additionally, throughout the week, we noted the spread of a narrative that the EU's GDP is spiraling downwards to perilously low numbers while Russia's GDP is purportedly on an upward trajectory. The disseminators attribute these claims to a declaration purportedly made by Russian President Putin at a plenary session of the Eurasian Economic Forum.
However, the European Commission recently released its Spring Economic Forecast, which projects that the GDP of EU nations will experience a growth of 1% in 2023 and is expected to further grow by 1.7% in 2024. Consequently, the assertion regarding a decline in the EU's economic indicators, specifically GDP, is baseless.
In relation to Russia, economic analysts at Trading Economics highlight that in the first quarter of 2023, Russia's GDP diminished by 1.9% compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Preliminary estimates suggest that in 2022, Russia's gross domestic product contracted by at least 2.2% under the most favorable circumstances and up to 3.9% under the grimmest of scenarios. The European Commission predicts Russia's economy will continue on this downtrend in 2023.
Thus, the Russian authorities seek to indoctrinate their citizens with the belief in a stable economy, implying Russia hasn't experienced any repercussions from its full-scale invasion. This manipulation is targeted toward securing the populace's allegiance to the government.
"Footage of the Kakhovka HPP Explosion"
The preceding week was marked by anonymous pro-Russian Telegram channels disseminating a video that supposedly documented the bombing of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant's dam. The authors alleged that the video depicted Ukrainian soldiers attacking and ultimately destroying the dam and further bolstered these assertions with so-called "video evidence."
In reality, these videos were circulated by pro-Kremlin outlets last year. The video depicts the demolition of a bridge at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, not the dam or the hydroelectric power plant itself. The detonation is believed to have occurred on November 11, 2022, the day Russian forces were retreating from the right bank of the Kherson region.
Through such tactics, Russian propagandists attempt to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the Western world and shift responsibility for their own atrocities onto their victims. It is a strategy of mirroring their actions to distract and misdirect.
"Delivery of Faulty Equipment to Ukraine"
Anonymous pro-Russian Telegram channels have spread a manipulation that Australia intends to provide Ukraine with Hawkei armored vehicles equipped with defective brakes. The authors cite a report by the Sydney Morning Herald as their source.
In truth, the newspaper did not mention that Australia had greenlighted the delivery of these armored vehicles. The aid package is set to be announced in July during Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to the NATO summit in Lithuania. Regarding the equipment, the Australian army expressed objections to the proposed transfer to Ukraine, citing defective brakes in the vehicles. Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan views this as an excuse, explaining that the military wishes to evade any "uncomfortable situations" should the brake issue prove real. As the Australian army utilizes this particular armored vehicle, the military is well-acquainted with its operational specifics. A decision regarding such a provision is being considered in light of several characteristics. No mention was made in the article of any intentional supply of malfunctioning equipment.
Through such disinformation, Russian propagandists aim to paint a picture that the West is reluctant to back Ukraine in the conflict, is skeptical of its potential victory, and is supplying it with defective equipment.
"La tour Eiffel russe"
Over the week, a manipulation was disseminated in the Georgian Facebook segment, suggesting that the Eiffel Tower in Paris had been lit in the colors of the flags of Belarus and Russia. Multiple photographs of the Eiffel Tower in different colors accompanied the posts.
However, the image of the Eiffel Tower in red and green was taken in 2016, and the colors are representative of Portugal's flag, not Belarus's. During the final tournament of the European Football Championship, telecom company Orange launched a campaign to illuminate the Eiffel Tower in the colors of the participating countries that would generate the most reactions on social media. Despite Russia being among the 24 teams participating, no media report suggested that the tower was illuminated in the colors of the Russian flag.
Regarding the photograph in the Russian flag's colors, it likely underwent digital manipulation, as it can only be located within the Russian social media segment. Hence, the post authors have twisted the photo's context, with one of the images potentially being edited.
Through spreading such manipulations, Russian propagandists attempt to discredit the West, foster disappointment among Ukrainians, and imply that international partners' support is weakening. They suggest that even Europe has "sided" with Russia.
"Olena Zelenska's Nudist Beach Vacation"
Last week, anonymous pro-Russian Telegram channels disseminated a fake story suggesting that Olena Zelenska was holidaying on a nudist beach in Israel. The authors accompanied the posts with photographs purportedly of the First Lady, allegedly taken on April 25, 2023. They also added that Olena Zelenska was vacationing in Israel while Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "orchestrating arms deals in Europe."
The truth, however, is that the photo circulated by the authors features a Russian TV presenter, not Olena Zelenska. This photo surfaced online in October 2022.
Furthermore, on April 26, 2023, Olena Zelenska participated in a British-Ukrainian library friendship ceremony alongside King Charles III and Queen Camilla. On April 27, she addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe live from Kyiv, discussing the forced removal of Ukrainian children to Russia.
By persistently spreading false information about Olena Zelenska, Russian agitprop aims to undermine her reputation amongst Ukrainians and Western partners, with the ultimate goal of eroding Ukraine's international support.
"Self-Destruction of the Kakhovka HPP"
As the week concluded, analysts noted the spread of a claim stating that the Kakhovka HPP had "self-destructed." The authors penned that the dam's collapse was not attributable to any party but rather to environmental factors, and the Kakhovka HPP had spontaneously collapsed due to age.
Contrary to this, the Chief Engineer of the Ukrhydroproject Institute, Mykola Kalinin, affirmed that the Kakhovka HPP was engineered and constructed to withstand a nuclear strike from outside. Thus, any suggestion that it fell apart spontaneously is completely unfounded. The expert added that the dam was built to withstand external threats but not internal ones. In his opinion, the destruction was caused by several simultaneous explosions coming from inside. The blasts went unnoticed as the bulk of the explosives were positioned inside the dam, beneath ground level.
Through such tactics, Russian propaganda seeks to whitewash Russia and deny its crimes.
