Propaganda diary: a review of Russian disinformation in European media in June 2023

Poland

During the monitoring of 12 Polish media outlets, we identified 177 cases of disinformation, which were grouped into 21 narratives. The Polish media were most actively promoting disinformation narratives about war crimes allegedly committed by the Ukrainian army (29 cases), as well as Western control and exploitation of Ukraine (24), which they also claimed was not a democracy (19).

Pro-Kremlin publications often employ the tactic of reflection, where Russia’s actions and crimes are attributed to its opponents, portraying Russia as a “victim” or “defender”. We see the frequent use of this tactic in attempts to spread the narrative of war crimes supposedly committed by the Ukrainian army. Within this narrative, Polish media promoted a fake story that the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant was destroyed by “Bandera supporters” at the direction of the Ukrainian authorities. Thus, as the fake news creators add, Ukraine wanted to provoke a nuclear catastrophe to later blame Russia for it. Other publications claimed that Ukraine allegedly blew up the power station under the instruction of the West, and the “next target” would be the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Some authors try to appear objective in their materials and therefore “acknowledge” partial Russian responsibility for the disaster, stating that “the Russian army did not deplete the water reserves accumulated in the reservoir, despite the anticipated threat (from Ukraine)”.

By spreading the narrative of Western control over Ukraine, Polish media outlets are using an old fake story that the Russian-Ukrainian war is actually a proxy conflict between the United States and NATO on one side and Russia on the other. At the same time, some media promoted the idea that the U.S. is simultaneously waging a war against both the EU and Russia “through the hands of Ukrainians”, creating the impression that Ukraine would be better off aligning with Russia to defeat the West. In this way, pro-Kremlin media attempt to demonize Western countries and undermine Ukraine’s agency in the eyes of their readers.

The third-largest pro-Russian narrative in Polish media is the claim that Ukraine is not a democratic state. To support this, media outlets spread a fake story that the Ukrainian government deliberately sends members of the Hungarian minority to hotspots on the frontlines, thus committing a “hidden genocide“. The authors “warn” the Polish minority in Ukraine that they will be next, as they believe that relations between Ukraine and Poland are much more strained than with Hungary. Additionally, a number of pro-Kremlin media outlets accuse the Ukrainian government of destroying civil society by “banning all media except one state channel” – a fake claim that can be disproven by searching for Ukrainian state media online.

During this period, the narrative about Ukraine’s allies wanting todivide it (3 cases) was also traditionally circulated. According to this narrative, Ukrainians, “weary of corruption, internal conflicts, and the resurgence of Nazism”, are already preparing to give western territories to Poland. To reinforce this claim, propagandists use an old fake story that President Duda and President Zelenskyi signed an agreement to return the lands of Western Ukraine to Poland during Duda’s visit to Kyiv in February 2022.

Italy

In 13 Italian media outlets, we identified 83 cases of disinformation about Ukraine, which can be grouped into 20 narratives. The highest number of cases (15) belonged to the narrative that Russia was forced to start the war due to the actions of Ukraine and the West. The second most popular narrative was that the West controlled and continues to control Ukraine, using it for its own purposes (9 cases). The third most widespread narrative in Italian media was about Western partners providing weapons to Ukraine (8 cases).

Italian media repeat Russian claims that Russia allegedly had to start the war with Ukrainedue to its potential NATO membership. In an attempt to justify this claim, propagandists argue that there was an oral agreement between representatives of NATO member countries and the USSR not to expand the organization into Eastern Europe. However, the then-leader of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, later refuted this assertion. The authors also compare Russia to the United States when they fought for independence from Great Britain, but they conveniently fail to mention which country Russia currently depends on. In addition, disinformers quote Putin’s statement that Russia never intended to attack Ukraine. Moreover, they claim that Russia did not attack Ukraine but simply “fulfilled its duty to protect the population of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Kyiv had been conducting punitive operations since 2014″.

To spread the narrative of Western control over Ukraine, predominantly old fakes are used, including the translation of articles by Russian propagandists about Ukraine being used as a tool to restrain Russia’s development and to instigate a war by the United States in order to establish hegemony. There is also a relatively new fake claim provided by the director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin. He asserts that “Anglo-Saxon elites” deliberately fueled Ukrainian patriotism for decades in order to later use Ukrainians … in the fight to defend their own country. Pro-Kremlin media outlets typically predict that Poland will be the next “victim of the West”.

In the Italian media space, fake claims about Ukraine reselling weapons received from its partners continue to be spread, citing reports from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This month, pro-Russian media outlets traditionally convinced their readers that a significant portion of the weapons end up on the black market, from where they eventually find their way to Mexican cartels, countries in Western Asia, and EU member states. Additionally, they claim that the Ukrainian government even offers discounts on delivery if the buyer pays in cash. Propagandists write that the West is forced to turn a blind eye to these transactions because it is afraid to admit its mistakes and continues to provide Ukraine with weapons.

Similar to Polish propaganda media, Italian media outlets also echoed Russian disinformation about the Ukrainian army committing war crimes, specifically alleging that it was responsible for the explosion of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (5 cases). To substantiate this claim, the fake news creators wrote that Ukraine supposedly shelled evacuation points in Kherson, targeting and killing civilians. However, these media outlets conveniently omitted any mention of the documented shelling perpetrated by Russia during the evacuation of civilians. Additionally, propagandists add that the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plan allegedly provides Ukraine with military advantages, implying that, given the “cynicism of the Kyiv regime”, it could sacrifice its own citizens to achieve its goals.

Germany

During the monitoring of 15 German media outlets in June, we identified 119 cases of disinformation, which can be categorized into 20 narratives. The highest number of cases was divided between two narratives — Nazism in Ukraine and the Ukrainian army committing war crimes (17 cases each). The third most prevalent narrative was about the West controlling and using Ukraine for its own purposes (15 cases).

In their attempts to accuse Ukraine of Nazism, pro-Russian media continue to spread old fakes: the slogan “Ukraine above all“, which supposedly mimics the Nazi slogan “Germany above all”, the “idolization” of Stepan Bandera, whom these same media outlets label as a Nazi, and the alleged prevalence of Nazi greetings and torchlight processions in Ukraine. However, there is also new disinformation — according to media reports, since 2018, Ukrainian children have supposedly been taught how to use Kalashnikov rifles to “kill Russian subhumans” in state-funded summer camps.

Another major pro-Kremlin narrative in German media is that Ukraine supposedly commits war crimes. Reflecting Russia’s actions, disinformers attempted to convince readers that Ukraine carries out terrorist acts and kills civilians, particularly in Luhansk and Mariupol, while preventing residents from leaving the cities. However, the largest amount of disinformation within this narrative naturally focused on accusing the Ukrainian army of sabotaging the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. Media outlets cited key Kremlin propagandists such as Peskov, Nebenzia, Galuzin, and Lukashenko, creating the impression that the act of sabotage by Ukraine was an undeniable fact. Some media outlets also claim that the Ukrainian army destroyed the power station using weapons received from Western partners, seeking to discredit Ukraine as a recipient of arms.

The next most prevalent Kremlin narrative is about Western countries controlling and using Ukraine. The disinformation spread by German propagandists aligns with the fakes we observed in Poland: Ukraine is allegedly used for an endless struggle against Russia to weaken it. Media outlets present various versions of this narrative to confuse readers. In one version, Ukraine is used solely by the United States to counter the EU and Russia, while in another version, three countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, and Belgium) have distorted Russia’s image for decades to foster Ukrainian hatred towards it. In an attempt to portray Ukraine as a dependent state, propagandists also disseminated a statement by Russia’s Security Council Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, claiming that NATO bears responsibility for the sabotage of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, as they coordinate the activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Another fake news circulating in the German media space is the claim of the existence of “black transplantology” in Ukraine (1 case). In June, disinformers write that children from Kherson are allegedly being sent to European countries, where they are then used as organ donors. Furthermore, to solidify the image of Ukraine as a dangerous country for the world, media outlets once again quote Naryshkin, asserting that Ukraine is working on creating a “dirty nuclear bomb” (1 case).

Hungary

During the monitoring of 13 Hungarian media outlets in June, we identified 191 cases of Russian disinformation and 22 narratives. The highest number of reports was found within the narratives of Ukraine committing war crimes (26 cases), Russia being forced to start the war due to Ukraine’s and the West’s actions (19 cases), and disinformation regarding historical events (14 cases).

A number of Hungarian propagandists predictably accused Ukraine of damaging the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. To support their claims, they quote Dmitry Peskov, Ukrainian collaborator Volodymyr Leontyev, and Putin, intertwining mentions of Ukraine being a dangerous terrorist state, as it allegedly deliberately raised the water level in the reservoir to a critical level before destroying the power plant, thereby increasing the scale of the destruction.

When discussing Russia’s alleged necessity to start the war with Ukraine, pro-Kremlin publications emphasize the benefits of the war for the West. According to their narrative, Western companies sell enormous amounts of weapons and suppress Russia, attempting to “preserve the unipolarity of the world”. A significant portion of the media portrays Russia as a victim in this war, supposedly defending its people from the “NATO expansion” and protecting the residents of Donbas from the so-called terrorist Ukrainian regime.

Furthermore, Hungarian media continued to spread disinformation regarding historical events, particularly claiming that the events of the 2014 Revolution of Dignity were a “bloody coup” that put the residents of Donbas in mortal danger. They also propagated the narrative that Lenin founded Ukraine and that Crimea is inherently Russian territory.

Hungarian propagandists also consistently spread the narrative that Ukraine is not a democratic country (7 cases). They justify this claim with fakes alleging repression of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, as they claim that members of the minority are prohibited from communicating in the Hungarian language. Disinformers insist that the only language allowed in Ukraine is Ukrainian and express surprise that other languages can be heard in videos featuring Ukrainian soldiers.

Slovakia

During the monitoring of 13 Slovakian media outlets in June, we identified 173 cases of Russian disinformation, which can be grouped into 22 narratives. The highest number of reports were found within narratives about the West using Ukraine (23 cases), Ukrainian army committing war crimes (18 cases), and the discrediting of Ukrainian government officials (16 cases).

Seeking to convince readers that the West controls and exploits Ukraine for its own purposes, Slovakian propagandists specifically aimed to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi. They claimed that the president is merely a tool in the hands of the West, and it is Western partners who compel Ukraine to resist Russia and launch counteroffensives in order to weaken Russia. Additionally, citing Ukrainian collaborator Mykola Azarov, the authors assert that Zelenskyi deliberately turned Ukraine into “another Afghanistan to the joy of the Anglo-Saxons”. The media almost verbatim repeat the claim that “NATO will fight with Russia until the last Ukrainian”, with Poland being next in line. Furthermore, they resurrect old fakes that the Revolution of Dignity was organized by Victoria Nuland to install a government in Ukraine that would be subservient to the United States.

Using the tactic of reflection, pro-Russian media continued to accuse Ukraine of war crimes committed by Russia itself. In June, Slovakian propagandists accused the Ukrainian army of sabotaging the Kakhovka Dam to “distract from Ukraine’s failures on the battlefield” and shelling the Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, which Russia used to export ammonia. Pro-Kremlin media also cited American propagandist Patrick Lancaster, claiming that the Ukrainian government uses weapons provided by Western partners to allegedly commit genocide against Ukrainians in the Donbas region.

Regarding the discrediting of the Ukrainian authorities, the majority of cases targeted Volodymyr Zelenskyi. In addition to the aforementioned fakes, propagandists write that Zelenskyi allegedly loses the trust of Ukrainians, that he is an actor rather than a president, and they revive old disinformation about his alleged drug addiction, predicting that the West will eventually replace him with “another puppet”. The discrediting campaign also targeted Kyrylo Budanov, with propagandists insisting that he was wounded during a Russian missile strike and is currently in critical condition in a hospital in Berlin.

Slovakian media also promoted the narrative of military-biological and drug laboratories in Ukraine (10 cases). In one pro-Russian media outlet, they spread information about the supposed systematic use of narcotics (ketamine, amphetamines, and others) by the Ukrainian army, supplied to them by NATO. The article assures readers that such cases have not been observed in the Russian army because “it is different when you are inspired by noble thoughts and fight for a sacred cause, then drugs and psychotropic substances are not needed”, claim the creators of disinformation. Additionally, the media continues to spread fakes about biological laboratories in Ukraine, alleging the extraction of organs for export to EU countries and the cultivation of “combat locusts” intended for use in the war against Russia.

Czechia

In 12 Czech media outlets, we identified 188 cases of disinformation about Ukraine, which can be grouped into 20 narratives. The highest number of cases falls within the narrative of discrediting the Ukrainian government (29), followed by the narrative that the West controls Ukraine, using it for its own purposes (26 cases), and the narrative that the Ukrainian army commits war crimes (25).

Similar to Slovak disinformers, Czech propagandists also spread a quote from Mykola Azarov claiming that the current government has turned Ukraine into Afghanistan, making it a “plaything in the hands of the United States”, and that Zelenskyi is allegedly not interested in ending the war and is willing to “fight to the last Ukrainian” just to stay in power. Additionally, in one of the articles, a statement is attributed to Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, promising to destroy Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine, although the original quote was: “The Russian language should disappear from our territory altogether as an element of hostile propaganda and brainwashing of our population”. The intention of the propagandists is to discredit the Ukrainian authorities in the eyes of the readers.

Within the narrative of Western control over Ukraine, we encounter both old (the Revolution of Dignity was “produced” by the West, Ukraine is merely a tool for the United States, which supplies it with weapons solely to prolong the war, and Poland is next in line) and new fakes: if Ukraine cannot handle the war on its own, the West will involve Moldova or even the Czech Republic. Thus, propagandists seek to create the impression that the Czech Republic should turn away from Ukraine and NATO in order to prevent the war from reaching their territory.

In June, propagandists extensively accused Ukraine of destroying the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. To support their claims, they allege that the Ukrainian army used both the HIMARS system provided by partners and the Ukrainian missile complex “Vilha“. Disinformers state that the HPP supposedly belongs to Russia, which became the main motive for the Ukrainian army to destroy it. Pro-Kremlin publications typically refer to Russian speakers, but this time we see quotes from American pro-Russian propagandist Tucker Carlson, who directly accused Ukraine of sabotaging the HPP.

Czech propagandists also tried to convince readers that Russia does not commit war crimes (6 cases). They claim that the Russian army “fights for its security, the security of other countries, and people who find themselves in the territory controlled by Kyiv”. Additionally, Russia allegedly only carries out highly precise missile strikes on military targets in Ukraine, aiming to destroy ammunition depots and military materials without affecting civilian objects.