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Since February 24, Detector Media has been monitoring the Ukrainian segment of social media, as well as the Kremlin media, and documenting the chronicle of Russian disinformation about Russia’s war against Ukraine on a daily basis. Over time, we started doing 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, the final text for ten months, as well as a review of the most ridiculous fakes during the year of the great war.
From May 29 to June 4, 2023, Detector Media identified upwards of 40 instances of disinformation. In this timeframe, propagandists falsely claimed that the West was bracing for Ukraine’s defeat in the war and purported that the Ministry of Health was urging Ukrainians to take shelter from radiation threats.
“Zelenskyy Ignored”
Early in the week, analysts at Detector Media recorded a fake story about the Syrian president seemingly “ignoring” Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conference. The story claimed that the Ukrainian president, who attended the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19, was deliberately ignored by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad when Zelenskyy delivered his speech. Al-Assad reportedly removed his simultaneous translation device, seemingly in protest, particularly when Zelenskyy addressed Russian war crimes.
However, Bashar al-Assad is fluent in English and had no need for an Arabic translation. Reports of the Syrian president’s so-called “protest” were confined to the Russian social media segment.
By disseminating this fake, propagandists aim to create the illusion that Zelenskyy lacks respect in diplomatic circles or is even the subject of protest.
“Ukraine’s Europeanization Just to Spite Russia”
Over the course of the week, we recorded a claim that Ukraine is implementing specific compartments in trains for transgender people in a bid to “Europeanize.” According to these messages, the Ukrainian Railway introduced these exclusive compartments to demonstrate Ukraine’s commitment to “European values.”
In reality, the initiative to introduce female-only compartments is not limited to transgender individuals. This idea initially emerged on Twitter when a user voiced discomfort about sharing a compartment with three men. The Ukrainian Railway’s press office subsequently stated they were open to testing women-only compartments to assess demand. The initiative is designed for women, women with children, and transgender people, primarily to ensure their safety. The public’s support for the petition confirms the demand for such an initiative within Ukraine.
This propaganda is designed to depict Ukraine as a mere puppet of foreign powers and tarnish its image through the narrative of so-called “traditional values.” In actuality, the introduction of women-only compartments is motivated by a basic need for passenger safety.
“The West Is Desperate for a Ukrainian Victory”
During the week, Telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric disseminated a fake news story asserting the West was preparing for Ukraine’s defeat in the war. The messages insinuated that the West had no expectations from Ukraine and was planning its future “as if a counteroffensive had already failed.” The authors cited a Foreign Affairs article as their source.
In truth, the Foreign Affairs article does not suggest planning for Ukraine’s future “post a failed counteroffensive.” The authors of the fake news simply made these claims up.
The authors of the article stated that the West needs to plan for long-term support of Ukraine since there is no definitive plan post-counteroffensive. They re-emphasized that Western officials have continually pledged their support for Ukraine for as long as necessary.
Through such disinformation, the authors attempt to dishearten Ukrainians and weaken their trust in the West as a strategic ally of Ukraine.
“Valeriy Zaluzhnyi’s Double”
Last week, anonymous pro-Kremlin Telegram channels circulated a fake news story claiming that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, had been replaced by a double. The posts declared that the entire military leadership had been “killed off” long ago, with Valeriy Zaluzhnyi being no exception. To substantiate this claim, several videos featuring Zaluzhnyi were attached to the posts, alleging a noticeable change in Zaluzhnyi’s eye color in the most recent videos.
In reality, the propagandists simply selected a favorable frame where the lighting gave the impression of brown eyes, in contrast to their actual gray color. In all subsequent media materials, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi’s eye color appears gray.
It is worth noting that this fake is part of a broader series of propaganda claiming the “demise” of Ukraine’s military leadership, in an effort to demoralize Ukrainians.
“NATO Membership Hinging on a ‘Minor Requirement’”
Anonymous pro-Kremlin Telegram channels circulated a fake suggesting that Ukraine could secure NATO membership if it relinquished territories occupied by Russia as though NATO had imposed such a condition. The authors of these messages referred to an article from The New York Times, alleging that the journalist therein outlined these stipulations.
The article, however, does not mention any such demands made by the Alliance. The journalist merely contemplates the prospect of Ukraine’s NATO membership without including the temporarily occupied territories and draws parallels with Germany in 1955. During that period, the Federal Republic of Germany entered the Alliance, but the German Democratic Republic did not. Germany and the GDR remained divided for an extended period.
The journalist further clarifies that the issue of Ukraine’s territorial integrity will continue to feature prominently on the agenda. The experts consulted for the article underscore that a ceasefire could prove detrimental, given the potential for conflict to reignite.
Russian propaganda habitually exploits anonymous information sources or manipulated quotations, consistently purveying the message that the West is unwilling to assist Ukraine in the war.
“Ukraine Faces ‘Radiation Threat’, According to Health Ministry”
Towards the end of the week, analysts recorded a fake document, purportedly issued by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, warning Ukrainians to beware of radiation risks. The disinformation alleged that the Ministry of Health in Ukraine had released a memo detailing radiation hazards. This document supposedly provided safety measures and recommendations in response to potential radiation risks in and around the city of Khmelnytskyi.
The Ministry of Health has categorically denied the existence of this alleged memo and emphasized that they have not issued any radiation hazard advice related to Khmelnytskyi. Further, the official website of Ukraine’s Ministry of Health contains no memos or mention of radiation threats in Khmelnytskyi.
This so-called “memo” was part of a series of fraudulent claims regarding radiation in the Khmelnytskyi or Ternopil regions. The propagandists claimed that these cities were contaminated with hazardous materials. The Russian propaganda machine seeks to destabilize public sentiment in Ukraine and continually manipulates Ukrainians with nuclear-related threats.
