Since February 24, Detector Media has been monitoring the Ukrainian segment of social media and the Kremlin-controlled 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: March 31-April 7, April 8-15, April 16-23, April 23-30, May 1-7, May 8-14, May 15-21, the final text for ten months, and a review of the greatest fake stories of the war.
Detector Media documented 30 instances of disinformation from May 22 through May 28, 2023. Throughout this time, propagandists insinuated that the West was provoking revolutions in other nations and advanced the erroneous notion that Ukraine did not exist on 17th-century maps.
“Zelensky Harbors Ambitions of Seizing Power in Ukraine”
As the week began, Detector Media’s analysts discovered propagandist messages asserting that the team at the Presidential Office was purposely prolonging the war to delay Ukraine’s elections. The reports claimed that canceling the upcoming elections was an expected step from Zelenskyy, who wants to stay in power as long as possible. According to the propagandists, Zelenskyy is acutely aware of his failing chances in the subsequent presidential election amidst widespread dissatisfaction due to reportedly losing Ukrainian territories and, consequently, the support of the people.
However, no party in Ukraine is intentionally prolonging the war. It is within Russia’s power to end the conflict any day by simply leaving the occupied territories. Meanwhile, Maria Mezentseva, the head of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, maintains that the Ukrainian government remains committed to following the customary schedule: 2024 for the presidential and parliamentary elections and 2025 for local elections.
“Russia Annihilates Equipment Convoys in a Single Strike”
Analysts noted false claims suggesting that Russia had “destroyed” five Patriot launchers. According to the propaganda, the Russian army purportedly obliterated the entire complex with a single Kinzhal missile. The propagandists provided screenshots from a Ukrainian website as proof, where one individual was allegedly selling remnants from the launchers.
Nevertheless, the individual selling these “spare parts” clarified that he only guessed that the parts came from a Patriot launcher. He usually discovers weapon parts in open fields and either adds them to his personal collection or sells them on online auction platforms.
As for the destruction of five launchers, this is simply false. First, the Pentagon has confirmed that the Patriot system was damaged (not destroyed) during a Russian attack on Ukraine and has since been repaired. Furthermore, Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, stated that it’s “impossible to destroy a Patriot with a single strike,” as the system comprises a command post, radar, and multiple launchers (up to eight units).
These falsifications are disseminated by propagandists to exaggerate the potency of Russian technology and promote the fallacy that Western equipment can be easily obliterated “with a single missile.”
“The Merge of Poland and Ukraine is Imminent”
Throughout the week, Telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin views circulated a distorted claim that Jakub Kumoch, a former adviser to the Polish president, predicted that Ukrainians and Poles would merge into Ukropol, suggesting the impending disappearance of the separate countries of Ukraine and Poland. The authors substantiated their claims with a video of the official speaking in his native language.
In reality, the official in the video didn’t make any reference to the formation of Ukropol. Instead, he emphasized the importance of escalating military, economic, and scientific collaboration between Poland and Ukraine. Jakub Kumoch expressed a desire to counter Russia’s imperial ambitions jointly. However, propagandists twisted the video’s context, neglected to provide a translation, and began propagating the idea of Ukraine’s annexation by Poland.
Such manipulations are employed by propagandists to warp reality, insinuating a so-called integration of Ukraine into Poland. This strategy reflects the Kremlin’s tactic of projecting its own wrongdoings onto others: it’s not Russia that acts as an invader and aggressor, but rather, Poland, which is one of Ukraine’s closest allies.
“The West Only Spreads Discord”
Midweek, anonymous Telegram channels disseminating pro-Kremlin views circulated the misleading notion that Poland accused the West of engineering a coup in Belarus, asserting that Europe is scheming an invasion and the subsequent dismantling of Belarus. The authors of these messages cite the statement of Polish General Waldemar Skrzypczak in an appearance on Polsat News’ “Guest ‘Events’” show.
Contrary to what propagandists claim, the Polish general didn’t allege that the West was orchestrating a coup in Belarus. They have merely twisted his statement. What he actually emphasized was the potential for events similar to the recent occurrences in Russia’s Belgorod region to take place in Belarus. The general was referring to subversive activities in Russia carried out by Russians fighting on Ukraine’s side. He explained that the Belarusian military could face a comparable situation, and Poland should be prepared for this, standing in support of a democratic uprising in its neighboring country.
By spreading this manipulation, propagandists seek to portray the West as a malevolent entity sowing chaos in other nations, mirroring Russia’s actual behaviors and painting other countries as the aggressors.
“Ukraine Deliberately Flooding its Own Territories”
The Detector Media team identified a fake suggesting Ukraine was intentionally raising the water level of the Dnipro River with the intent to flood the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and create conditions for crossing the Dnipro, including the capture of the ZNPP.
The propagandists’ assertion of an increased water level in the Dnipro is merely a result of the annual spring flood. According to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, this year’s water rise in rivers is more substantial due to significant rainfall, causing flooding in riverbed areas, including Zaporizhzhia. Additionally, Kostiantyn Danko, a hydrologist and Ph.D. in Geography, confirmed to StopFake that flooding of the Zaporizhzhia NPP is impossible as its “infrastructure is designed by default for maximum levels in the Kakhovka reservoir.” He pointed out that the structure was built to withstand all risks, both natural and human-made, and the dam could endure high-speed water pressure. The only potential threat could be a breach due to the continuous shelling of the dam by Russians.
Through such manipulation, Russian propagandists aim to divert blame for Russia’s crimes onto Ukrainians. They allege that Ukraine is destructively flooding its infrastructure and placing hundreds of people in harm’s way.
“The Land of the Cossacks in the 17th Century”
Propagandists circulate a video of Valery Zorkin, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, presenting Putin with a replica of a 17th-century French map that allegedly does not show Ukraine. Putin contends that Ukraine is an artificial state created by the Soviet government, stating, “Well, we know that these lands were merely part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and later pleaded to join the Tsardom of Muscovy.”
However, this claim is false. For instance, Valery Zorkin presented the Russian autocrat with a copy of an authentic map drawn by French cartographer Guillaume Sanson, which clearly delineates Ukraine, labeled as Vkraine ou Pays des Cosaques (Ukraine, or the Land of the Cossacks). This map is accessible on the Gallica website, a digital library platform of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and its partners. Interestingly, the map does not depict Crimea as part of Russia; the peninsula is outlined as a separate entity, the Crimean Khanate, in the 17th century.
Naturally, borders have evolved over history. For instance, during Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi’s era, the territory of the Ukrainian state extended to areas of what are now Russian regions.
Russian propaganda consistently perpetuates the notion that Ukraine never existed and was allegedly created by Lenin. Propagandists use this claim to justify the full-scale invasion as if they were reclaiming their own and restoring historical justice. However, civilized nations rely on international law, not propaganda-based interpretations of history.
“If You Want to Be in the EU, You Have to Fight”
As the week drew to a close, analysts identified a fake claiming that EU citizenship was being offered as a reward for military service in Ukraine. The messages insinuated that residents of Africa or the Middle East were being summoned to participate in the war against Russia on Ukraine’s side. The authors of these messages attached a screenshot from a job recruitment site, which ostensibly invited individuals to enlist in the Ukrainian army with the assurance of expediting the process of acquiring EU citizenship.
In fact, this is a lie. A representative of the EU Commission clarified that the announcement is entirely unrelated to any EU initiatives, and no such programs have been developed or funded by the EU. He expressed his conviction that the announcement is a facet of a disinformation campaign directed at Ukraine and the European Union. Moreover, there is no formal document signifying “EU citizenship.” Citizenship in the EU is conferred by being a citizen of one of the EU member states.
By circulating this fake, the authors aim to portray Ukraine as lacking defenders. They insinuate that people are being recruited to fight on the battlefield by using various lures, such as the promise of “EU citizenship.”
