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Since February 24, 2022, Detector Media has been monitoring the Ukrainian segment of social media and Kremlin media and documenting a daily chronicle of Russian disinformation about Russia’s war against Ukraine.
From August 2 to 8, 2026, Detector Media analysts documented 10 disinformation narratives. In particular, Russian propagandists spread fakes about an artificially created video of an “anti-war rally” featuring the Ukrainian flag, rumors about Patriot missiles being destroyed in the Kyiv region, a fabricated story about “cutting off the Dniester” for Moldova, and conspiracy theories about the “staging” of the strike on the SBU building.
A fake about a Polish shipment of Patriot missiles destroyed in the Kyiv region
Following a Russian drone strike on an ammunition depot in the village of Myla in the Kyiv region on August 29, which caused a massive detonation and the deaths of civilians, pro-Russian Telegram channels launched a fake claiming that “Patriot missiles supplied by Poland” had detonated there.
This fake was mainly spread by Polish-language communities.
An example of a post from Polish-language Facebook that spread the manipulation. Source: Demagog.pl
Ukrainian official bodies reported that conventional ammunition, mines, and drones were stored there. For example, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the first strike hit a Defense Forces depot, “which definitely should not have been there,” and that it contained “missiles, mines, other ammunition, and unmanned aerial vehicles” — with no mention of Patriot missiles.
The fake was intended to undermine Polish-Ukrainian cooperation and exploit the dissatisfaction of some Poles over the provision of Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
This is not the first similar case: in July, during an attack on Kyiv, the Russians also hit an ammunition depot amid residential buildings — at the time, Detector Media debunked rumors about weapons containing depleted uranium. It is telling that the topic of Patriot missiles regularly becomes a target of Russian information operations. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine is separately investigating the tragedy in the village of Myla from the perspective of international humanitarian law — specifically, the placement of ammunition near civilian buildings.
Natural drought or a “water blockade of Moldova”: Manipulations surrounding the falling water level of the Dniester River
Against the backdrop of rivers across Europe experiencing falling water levels, Russian media accused Ukraine of “provoking a water catastrophe” and unilaterally blocking the Dniester for the residents of Moldova.
An example of a disinformation message. Source: StopFake
In fact, the reduction in water discharge from the Dniester Hydropower Complex is a temporary measure adopted by the joint intergovernmental Commission of Ukraine and Moldova to preserve drinking water amid critically low water levels. The Dniester basin is experiencing the worst drought in recorded history, which is why water-use restrictions are in effect in both countries. Russia exploited a natural disaster to stoke hostility between the neighboring states.
Accusing Ukraine of staging the Russian strike on the SBU
Following the Russian drone strike on the SBU building in Kyiv on September 4, Russian propaganda media claimed that Ukraine had “staged” the attack on the head of the service’s office itself in order to justify future strikes on Russia’s civil aviation.
An example of a disinformation message. Source: SPRAVDI
To support the fabricated version, Russian propaganda also distorts the meaning of Zelenskyy’s earlier remarks about the dangers of flying over Russia. The president did not threaten civilian aircraft and explicitly stressed that Ukraine did not intend to attack them. He was referring to the fact that, because of the war launched by Russia, the active use of drones, and the operation of air defenses, Russian airspace can no longer be considered safe.
The impact of the enemy drone and the damage to the building were documented by international agencies, Reuters and Associated Press. The claim about “threats to civil aviation” distorts Ukraine’s warnings to ICAO about the danger of flying over the aggressor’s territory due to active hostilities and the operation of air defenses.
Thus, propagandists combined two separate events and resorted to the conspiratorial claim of a “Ukrainian staging.” The purpose of this narrative is to shift responsibility for the Russian strike onto Ukraine, discredit a possible response to the attack, and portray the state that is the victim of aggression as a threat to civilians in advance.
