COUNTERING RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION AND PROPAGANDA

DIGEST

As of 9 May 2022. ?

Ukrainian Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration

In order to hide its failures in Ukraine, Kremlin’s propaganda is launching?false reports about “incredible” weaponry?of the Russian military and how perfectly it is used in the so-called?“special military operation”.

On 7 May, Russian media stated that?“some Russian tanks turned out to be?so good that US and NATO forces will soon be forced to revise the combat rules of?battle, as well as modernize weapons”.

It is reported that the T-80BVM tanks, which, according to Russian propagandists,?“can reach the English Channel in two days”, performed best.

In fact, the Russian occupiers suffered the greatest losses in the tanks of different types. These losses led to the fact that Russian military leadership made a decision to send to Ukraine outdated equipment that was kept in storage facilities for a long time.?Most of such tanks don’t even have dynamic armour or other?equipment which is necessary for modern combat. The experience of hostilities in Ukraine has shown that no Russian battle tank can withstand such modern anti- tank weapons as American Javelins, British NLAWs, as well as the newly developed Ukrainian systems Korsar and Stuhna.

Moreover, it is worth to note that among the most painful losses for the Russian troops in Ukraine are at least 74 of the latest T-80 tanks, destroyed and abandoned two months ago. By May 9 this number has definitely increased. It is hard for the Russian propaganda to admit that the situation with personnel is no better than the tanks.

This even applies to the depressed Caucasus, with its unemployment. In this context, an anonymous police officer in Ingushetia, where 29.3% of people are unemployed, said that?“currently, anyone can be hired, the only requirement is to sign an agreement to go to Ukraine. Like meat”.

In fact, even the local unemployed understand that the war in Ukraine is not a?“trip for iPhones”. In particular, in April, the local newspaper in the city of Pskov reported that“60 local servicemen had been withdrawn to Belarus at the beginning of the war,?from where they had to be sent back to Ukraine. They refused and returned to Pskov. Most of them are being released now, but some are threatened with criminal cases”.

Also in April, journalist from the town of Abakan, Khakassia district, Krasnoyarsk region, Mykhail Afanasyev wrote that?“11 Rosguardia police officers in Khakassia refused to comply with an order to cross the border with Ukraine and take part in the war. They not only refused to obey, but expressed to the general everything they thought about the “special operation”, as well as justified the illegality of the order?and refused to comply with it”.

As one can see, similar messages appear every month. And this shows one thing: there is an insight into the true nature of the "special operation" in Ukraine. It is also reminder that it is better to live in depressed Russia than to die in the territory of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the fact that Russian conscripts were sent to Ukraine for war has already been confirmed by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation. There are at least 300 soldiers, some?of whom are believed to be “missing”.

In this context, after checking the numerous requests of the relatives of conscripts, a criminal case was opened against the commander of the 247th?Assault Regiment from the city of Stavropol. The official version of the investigation states that?“commander of the regiment was negligent and did not comply with the order?not to allow conscripts to perform combat missions during a special military?operation in Ukraine”.

In?fact, the story of the deal to “sign a contract after 3 months of military?service”?has long been known, but in every way denied. But after the publication of numerous facts about the deaths on the missile cruiser “Moskva”?it becomes increasingly difficult to do so.

That is why criminal cases are being formally opened in Russia, and at the

same time conscripts continue to be sent to take part in the war against Ukraine. Now, for example, they are present in the 217th?Airborne Regiment from the city of Ivanovo, which is fighting in the Kharkiv region.

Russian authorities and propaganda continue to organize pseudo-patriotic actions to celebrate Victory Day.

One of the most famous actions, founded by journalists from the city of Tomsk ten years ago, is called “Immortal Regiment”, during which people carry portraits of their relatives who fought in 1941-1945. However, it was quickly turned into a propaganda event, where people are paid for their participation.

In particular, in the city of Smolensk, the organizers of the event distributed advertisement to the local residents, stating the place of gathering, terms of payment (150 rubles per hour), as well as the task?–?to pass the designated route with portraits of war veterans that will be provided. Such situation is quite typical for other Russian cities and towns.

This initiative was quickly picked up by the authorities. The?“Immortal Regiment”?marched throughout Russia; they began to go to the rallies with flags of various political parties, portraits of Stalin, and “United Russia” Party?attributed to itself the organization of this event.

However, this year, Aleksandr Gusev, governor of the city of Voronezh, went further and offered to come to the event with portraits of the occupiers who died during the invasion of Ukraine. After that, the real creators of the “Immortal Regiment”?asked not to associate themselves with this action and complained about the complete replacement of its original meaning. They explained their decision by saying that “no ideology is greater than the idea of?peace, for which tens of millions of people?from different countries gave their lives during World War II”.

A new invention of Russian propagandists is recognition of the real combat results, achieved by the Ukrainian military, as the successes of Russian troops. In particular, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that?“the Russian?military thwarted a provocation by the Ukrainian General Staff to seize Snake?Island”. It was stated that?“more than 50 Ukrainian saboteurs were killed in an attempt to land on the island”. Neither explanation for such action of Ukrainian military nor video or photo evidence was provided.

At the same time, Ukrainian Defence Ministry confirmed several strikes on Russian troops, deployed on the island. Ukrainian media released videos where UAVs Bairaktar TB2 were destroying Russian boats, anti-aircraft systems and personnel.

?Ukrainian Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration