Russian propaganda tries to make fake content look credible and trustworthy and often masquerades as authoritative Western media, such as Euronews, BBC, or Deutsche Welle. One of the most common tools is the use of logos and visual style of foreign media.
Such elements are used to create fake screenshots of “news” sites with fake headlines. Another popular method is the production of videos that imitate materials from well-known publications. For example, propagandists create videos allegedly from Euronews or France24, which “tell” about false offenses or crimes committed by Ukrainian refugees in Europe.
In some cases, even real content is used, the context of which is changed using artificial intelligence. For example, a Human Rights Watch video about the problems of female webcam workers in Colombia was turned into a story about Ukrainian women. There is also a tactic of referring to non-existent media or to real publications that operate in a different format or language environment that does not correspond to the fake content being spread. For example, propagandists may mention an English-language video from a Polish media outlet, although in reality its content is available only in text form.
The main audience for such manipulations is Russian citizens. These are mostly people who tend to uncritically accept information from propaganda sources. However, when foreigners (Europeans, Latin Americans, or Asians) become the target of disinformation campaigns, approaches change. For this purpose, entire pseudo-media are created, which at first glance are difficult to distinguish from the real ones. These fake resources usually operate in one of the popular European languages, spreading their “news” through social media and using bots. Over time, such stories even begin to be duplicated by real media or independent users.
The scale of such operations was highlighted by the case of Operation Doppelganger, exposed by the FBI in 2024. The Russians created dozens of websites that imitated well-known media outlets such as The Guardian or Le Monde. Only a few letters in the domain name were changed, and the content was distributed through targeted advertising on social media and supported by bots for “promotion.”
In addition, so-called “sleeper sites” are often used, which start with neutral or entertaining content and, after accumulating an audience, engage in the spread of disinformation. These campaigns not only manipulate the audience, but also try to discredit the truthful media. Their implementation requires a huge involvement of resources, both public and private, which are controlled by the Kremlin.
Such methods are especially often used to disinform about the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his entourage. Propagandists create stories about the president’s fictitious wealth: expensive villas, luxury cars, and expensive jewelry. The main message is aimed at outraging foreigners: that taxpayers’ money is being used to provide privileges to the Ukrainian government, not for the real needs of the war. This should prompt a reduction or termination of military support for Ukraine.
Such publications evoke a strong emotional response from foreign audiences and are actively shared on social media. Moreover, they are often supported by resources associated with Russian embassies in countries where such sentiments are particularly strong. One of the most notorious examples of fake news spread through fictitious media platforms is the story of Olena Zelenska’s alleged purchase of a Bugatti Tourbillon for 4.5 million euros. To spread this disinformation, propagandists used a fake website and even a deepfake video with a “car dealership employee.”
Another example is the news that the President of Ukraine purchased a villa and winery from the singer Sting for 75 million euros, supported by fabricated documents about the alleged purchase of real estate. Another case concerned Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “purchase” of a hotel in Courchevel for 88 million euros. Here, the propagandists used two fake resources: a fictitious French-language media site and a fake hotel page with data that indicated Zelenskyy’s alleged involvement. In addition, a video was created with actors posing as TV presenters.
These examples demonstrate the serious efforts and financial investments made to spread such narratives. Therefore, it is not surprising that a significant number of Internet users accept them as true.
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