On 21 July, US President Joe Biden announced his decision not to run in the next presidential election. This event became the basis for the spread of conspiracy theories about the Deep State in the United States, which, according to Russian propaganda, allegedly forces Biden to withdraw from the political arena in order to promote its candidate, Kamala Harris. Harris is presented as a puppet of this shadowy structure, and Donald Trump as a fighter against it. All this echoes Trump's own rhetoric.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the new issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative sites that specifically spread Russian disinformation.

Over the past week, Russian media have devoted considerable attention to Biden's health and attempts to discredit him, as well as the assassination attempt on Trump, which they see as "evidence of internal tensions in the US" and a "harbinger of civil war".At the same time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow is presented as a sign of the failure of Western policies to isolate Russia and as confirmation of its growing influence on the international stage.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the new issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative sites that specifically spread Russian disinformation.

Last week, Russian media wrote about the diplomatic trips of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He visited Kyiv and asked the President of Ukraine to cease fire, then flew to Moscow with the same request. Around the politician's trips, Russian propaganda started producing numerous interpretations, as they always do. There were versions suggesting this was a Western plan for reconciling the countries following the Korean scenario, that Orbán would now become Putin's representative in the West, and that Orbán was making these journeys at Zelensky's request to establish a peace process.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the new issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative websites that specifically spread Russian disinformation.

Russian media are preoccupied with explaining the terrorist acts by Islamists, which are becoming more frequent in the Russian Federation. The most common version is to link the West and Ukraine to the recent terrorist attack in Dagestan. However, this version sounds very absurd, and some media are trying to analyze the real causes and cite the methods of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, as an example of solving the problem.Читати українською

"A historical visit in modern Russian history" — this was the refrain used by Russian media to describe Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea. Such epithets are often given to almost any foreign trip by the Russian president in the absence of contacts with the West.Briefly About the Main PointsIt is important for Russian media to show that Moscow has friends. Particularly valuable are those who openly support Putin's war against Ukraine. In this hierarchy, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un surpasses other allies such as China, Iran, and Belarus, who publicly declare neutrality: "North Korea openly supports the special military operation (SMO). The only country. We should value it." However, the issue is not just about verbal support. Propaganda expects Pyongyang to increase the supply of ammunition, as well as tanks, artillery, and Korean workers in Russian factories. They also want North Korea to pressure Ukraine's supporters in Asia, and they claim that in the event of nuclear war, North Korea would strike the United States.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the new issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative websites that spread Russian disinformation.

Last week, the main topic in Russian media was the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, organized by Ukraine. In our opinion, this attention indicates that the idea of the summit is very sound. The main theses of the propagandists were predictable: Ukraine experienced a diplomatic failure.Читати українськоюKey PointsDisinformers claim that the summit "failed" because Russia and China were not there. They say the countries of the so-called Global South did not want to support Kyiv, and the anti-Russian stance was taken by the well-established Russophobes from the USA and Europe. They argue that insignificant statements were signed that do not affect Russia in any way. It was interesting to see how Russian propaganda explained why supposedly friendly countries like Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia signed the final communiqué of the meeting. The answers were also unoriginal: some surrendered their sovereignty to NATO or wanted to please Washington, while others were intimidated by threats of murder. Additionally, Russian propagandists manipulated the number of participants. For example, participation was measured by the level of the delegation. If a president or prime minister represented a country, it was considered unfriendly; if by someone of lower rank, the participation was discounted, as these were mere spectators who did not want to sever relations with either the West or Russia.Read about this and more in the new issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative sites that specifically spread Russian disinformation.

Last week, Russian media covered the work of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The forum was supposed to be the main business event of the year in Russia and prove that Russia is not lagging in international affairs and is still attractive to guests, investments, and developments. Despite propaganda efforts, SPIEF turned out not to be so international. The organizers even created fake national delegations. Moreover, the term "economic" was not always justified. Speakers talked more about nuclear weapons, traditional values, the role of the family, and Russia's unique path. They also criticized the West for gay propaganda and the desire to impose its will on others.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the latest issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative sites that deliberately spread Russian disinformation.

Last week, Russian media extensively covered the permissions granted by Ukraine's partners to strike Russia with Western weapons. We observed a wide range of emotions. From assurances that it won't change the situation on the frontlines since not many countries supply Kyiv with dangerous weapons to reflections on a Third World War provoked by the United States. However, the most prominent emotion was anger. Some experts call on the Russian leadership to act harshly and prevent the West from crossing "red lines" in the future. Some figures have once again called for bombing European countries with nuclear weapons. Propagandists also claim that if the war is not won soon, Kyiv may acquire nuclear weapons, which they will undoubtedly use against Russia.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the latest issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative sites that specifically spread Russian disinformation.

Last week, Russian media intensified information campaigns aimed at the Ukrainian audience. Thus, the political leadership is accused of indifference to its military, who are in Russian captivity. The military leadership is accused of failing to train the mobilised and sending them straight from military registration and enlistment offices to the front. Ukrainians are being urged to flee abroad, surrender, and disobey orders from their superiors. Disinformers promise that there will be no consequences for this. And even if there is, it is better to wait out the war in prison. Zelenskyy is accused of usurping power. The French president also received his share of hatred. Emmanuel Macron is being called a war criminal because of Paris' actions in New Caledonia.Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the new issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative websites that target Russian disinformation.

Last week, Russian propagandists devoted all their talents to covering Putin's visit to China. The Russian leader held a kind of international inauguration in Beijing, as China recognises Putin as the rightful leader of the state. Now, Russians are being told that the countries of the Global South will soon accept Putin. They are also trying to convince them that Russia is on par with China. The Kremlin's entire information service discusses a new monolithic alliance that will take over from the collective West. The Russian media also reported on the troubles with Russia's friends. The Prime Minister of Slovakia was assassinated, and the President of Iran died in a plane crash. Russian propaganda has its interpretation of these events: the culprits are the intelligence services of Western countries, which eliminate anyone who wants to establish friendly relations with Russia. Читати українськоюRead about this and more in the new issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative websites that target Russian disinformation.