Russia is facing unprecedented budgetary deficit. Western sanctions are pushing hard on the people and the economy. However, Russian propagandists assure that this is all but temporary: stiff upper lip, tighten your belts as the whole planet will soon be covered in the radioactive ashes of Word War III, and North Korea will help to make it happen.This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

Last week, Russian media went all guns ablaze with a mass disinformation campaign to discredit Ukraine's mobilization efforts. They also ran numerous materials about the secret plans to destroy Russia being developed by the Western allies and counted days before Turkey's imminent withdrawal from NATO. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

“This page is about jewelry, but I’m in temporary exile. Trying not to die,” reads the description of the Instagram page of Kateryna Kiliachus from Kyiv.At some point she changed her jewelry business for a rag and a mop at an Italian recreation center, but she has not lost her sense of humor and continues to blog about jewelry and various other staff. “Good evening, Yelena Ivanovna, we are having borsch today,” a tall smiling woman at an online call shows a package of borsch dressing, which in Italy can be bought at a tremendous price and only in specialized Ukrainian stores, as a real treasure.On the other side of the camera is a math teacher from Vinnytsia, who has just finished classes with children and says that life in their city is almost the same as it was before February. And that there are even more cars, so if it weren’t for the air raid alerts, everything would be as usual.Читати українською

On July 29, a message in Russian was sent to the group chat of the teachers from Kherson secondary school No. 46: “On July 30, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., an inventory of the school will be conducted. You are requested to prepare the documentation and property items specified in the inventory list. The attendance of the entire teaching team is mandatory.”Translated by Dmitry Lytov & Mike LytovЧитати українською

“Dad, I’m scared of the plane” whispers the two-year-old Kira and snuggles against her father. Her longing for protection fills my heart with pain. I dreamed that our baby girl would associate airplanes with travel and leisure while enjoying a relaxed and prosperous life. Instead, airplanes have come to mean death.A joint project of TEXTY and "Vist" newspaper (Chernihiv)

The rumours about the next big wave of mobilization are raising concerns among Russians. The government says not to worry as only a grave external threat for the Russian Federation might prompt a general mobilization. However, it looks like it is already there. According to the propagandists, Russia is on the brink of a “long and bloody conflict” with NATO. Their only hope lies with common Europeans who are tired of anti-Russian policy and want to go back to their usual lives. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

Mykola Topol, a member of the territorial defense unit from Chernihiv, miraculously survived the bombing of school No. 18 in his home city on March 3, 2022.“The lad pushed four fingers into the gap between the slabs,” Chernihiv State Emergency Service Officer Maksym Zhilko says.The rescued young man lived at 46 Bohuna Street. Shortly before the bombing, he came to the school which housed the headquarters of the local territorial defense.Translated by Dmitry Lytov, Mikhail Lytov

Last week, Russian propagandists media rejoiced at the Russian army's advances at Soledar and put forward demands for Ukraine to stop fighting and crawl to the negotiating table. They also spread ridiculous fakes about Ukraine's preparations to use chemical weapons. Russians claim that sanctions are not working. In addition to that, Russian media keep saying that Washington has got the EU, which has become completely dependent on American energy, under its heel. Surprisingly, some domestic problems finally broke to the surface – in particular, shortages of certain medicines in Russia were reported. However, while explaining the reasons, the propagandists manipulated the facts to convince the audience that the shortages had nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

The only way to get a peace guarantee is to land American Tomahawks on Russia’s airbase for strategic aviation.Authors: Editorial Ukraine is getting Patriot air and missile defence systems. One from the US and another one from Germany. We could bargain, of course, asking for more – at least two or three from each country. But it doesn’t really matter how many systems we eventually get. We will receive other military support, including different defence systems; although not many, again, we’ll be able to protect civilian critical national infrastructure. It has not been protected yet, as evident from Russia’s latest missile strike on Ukraine, when a rocket destroyed a turbine at one of the thermal power stations, putting it out of use for a very long time.Read this article in Ukrainian

The continuing supplies of weapons to Ukraine, which are soon to include Western tanks, have been causing growing concerns on Russian media. Russia is losing grip over the Caucasus and Central Asia, but is too proud to admit it. To save face, its propagandists are putting all the blame on “the machinations of the West”. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.