The InfoLight.UA research and analysis group presents a new monthly product – the “Top Disinformation of the Month” study. In it, we will highlight the most serious, in our opinion, disinformation campaigns of the Russian Federation in the Ukrainian and global information field, with a special emphasis on those that have a long-term destructive effect.
The research results will be presented in the form of infographics with additional explanations.
1. THE ATTACK ON FEBRUARY 5
This campaign was launched immediately after the previous one failed – about “a major three-pronged offensive in February 2023” which we studied. The peculiarity of the new campaign was the way it was spread – through the “horizontal” connections of the military: personal messages, group chats, chats of combat units, etc. This allowed it to spread quite substantially and at the same time go unnoticed by Ukrainian counterintelligence at the first stage.
It has not yet been established through whom this information was introduced into the Ukrainian information space. Later, this information was published by telegram channels.
2. BUDANOV KILLED THE MONASTERY
The former journalist, who is known for being the first to “receive official accreditation in the so-called DNR,” disseminated information from “reliable sources” that the helicopter carrying former Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky and his colleagues was shot down by an unknown Stinger system on the order of the head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Kirill Budanov.
No evidence was provided, and the video with the accusation received millions of views. In June 2014, Revedzhuk received accreditation as a journalist in the DPR terrorist organization as a journalist for Channel 112. In this capacity, he gave interviews to Russian media in which he criticized the “oligarchs who seized power after the Maidan”.
Co-founder of the NGO “All-Ukrainian Civil and Political Human Rights Movement “25 PERCENT“. Another co-founder is Myroslav Oleshko. Registered on 02.05.2019.
He is a co-founder of the NGO “All-Ukrainian Battalion Brotherhood”. Other co-founders include Amina Okuyeva, Viacheslav Fursa, Valeriy Shashkin, and Nadiya Kuramshyna. The latter three are regular subjects of scandals and accusations of working for Russia. Nadezhda Kuramshina is known professionally as a “crier”, a supporter of the “DPR” and the “Russian world”, a favorite of Zakharchenko and Medvedchuk’s six” . The organization itself was constantly accused of provocative activities and cooperation with Russian special services.
He spread a rumor that Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former press secretary, Yulia Mendel, was “pregnant by the President.”
He is currently in Austria, where he is spreading conspiracy theories about the “fifth universal,” which he uses to proclaim the elimination of the current government in Ukraine and to promote a monarchy after Ukrainians elect a non-Jewish president.
3. BIOLOGICAL SABOTAGE BY CHOLERA
Residents of Russia began receiving messages in messengers that “in connection with the situation in Ukraine, a biological diversion of cholera is possible.” The message was accompanied by a photo link to a document dated … April 2022.
Not immediately, but they began to refute this in Russia.
4. STOP THE WAR IN UKRAINE
We wrote about how initially in the United States and then in Europe first in the United States and then in Europe, they were preparing and conducting actions aimed at stopping the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
The march on Washington called “Rage against the war machine ” is being organized by people like Jackson Hinkle, Scott Ritter, Jimmy Dore, Max Blumenthal and others who are directly promoting Russia’s information agenda in the United States. Many of them worked for Russia Today or Sputnik.
Among the organizers and speakers of the announced event in London are well-known musician Brian Eno, rapper Lowkey, representatives of socialist and labor parties. The visit of a representative of the German far-left Die Linke party, Andriy Hunko, is worth noting. The irony is that this German citizen, born in Munich, a member of the Bundestag and PACE, has Ukrainian roots. And his grandfather fought in the so-called The Ukrainian National Army, an openly pro-Nazi organization, fought on the side of Germany during World War II.
Further events are held and announced in various cities in Europe and the United States.
5. PANIC OVER PUTIN’S SPEECH
Before Putin’s speech to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, expectations of an emergency event were created in both Russia and Ukraine, ranging from an “extraordinary offensive or missile strike” to a “declaration of war” and full mobilization in Russia.
As a result, even in Russia, this speech was recognized as a failure and meaningless, and no escalation occurred at the front.
Joseph Biden’s visit to Kyiv, which Russian propaganda could not ignore, was also a hot topic in this context.
Former Russian President and current Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev made a statement that “Biden has received guarantees of ‘safety. At the same time, his statement was quickly denied by FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov.
The wars between the centers of influence in Russia are definitely positive for Ukraine. In reality, during his visit to Kyiv on February 20, Joe Biden was accompanied by only a small team – a few close aides, doctors, a photographer, and bodyguards.
Joseph Biden’s visit to Ukraine was planned for several months, involving several offices in the White House, Pentagon experts, the Secret Service, and, of course, the intelligence community, which was responsible for assessing threats during the visit. This was announced after the US President’s visit to Kyiv by representatives of the White House.
It was important for the US president to visit Kyiv personally, and he did so despite the high level of danger.
He wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with President Zelensky and remind the world as we approach the anniversary of the invasion that Kyiv has stood and continues to stand… And he wanted to demonstrate the strength of his commitment to the strategy of uniting the West in a united front against Putin
said White House Communications Director Katherine Bedingfield.
Right before the visit, the US also informed Russia about the visit “in order to avoid a possible conflict” between the two nuclear powers.
The so-called “doomsday plane” (a Boeing E-4B Nightwatch aircraft equipped as a US command post in case of nuclear war and other emergencies – ed.
It is a well-established practice for one nuclear power to notify another nuclear power of a leader’s visit and to relocate a strategic nuclear command post with him.
Russia’s FSB confirmed that the US had informed Russia about Biden’s visit to Ukraine and Poland, but the FSB did not provide security guarantees to US President Joe Biden during his visit to Kyiv.
We also note that Russia has come up with a new tactic to delay the exchange of prisoners of war – now the enemy claims that the relatives of some prisoners are asking not to return them back to Ukraine. This was reported by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets on Telegram.
A new invention of the Russian side to delay the process of returning soldiers from captivity.
On Wednesday, Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova said that mothers and wives of Ukrainian prisoners of war who were captured are asking her not to return them home.
he wrote.
The Infolight.UA initiative has repeatedly drawn attention to the actions of human rights defenders, volunteers, Russian propagandists, etc. For example, their efforts helped to incorporate the provocateurs on January 14 into an event in Kyiv, which was dubbed the “Maidan of Widows” in the Russian media, and to which this so-called human rights commissioner also refers.
Thanks to the efforts of the Infolight.UA team volunteers, we have gathered a lot of information about the provocateurs of this event. And although some of those who promoted the event are already under investigation, we continue to monitor the activities of the rest.
At the same time, we understand that many people really sincerely want to help free their relatives and friends from captivity. And they have the right to do so. We just ask you to be attentive to the people you meet at such events, as they may have completely different goals than you.
The next study will be released in early April
