Recently, in one of the Russian propaganda talk shows, the head of RT, Margarita Simonyan, said that Russia will not launch a nuclear attack on Kyiv because "our sanctuaries" are there. At the same time, she claimed that Western capitals can be bombed with little to no hesitation because "none of our sanctuaries are located in there." The map of Russian churches in Europe, which TEXTY published last week as part of the "Germs of the Russian World" project, proves the opposite. Translated by Dmitry Lytov, Mike LytovRead this article in Ukrainian

On October 11, 32 Ukrainian soldiers returned from captivity. Among those released is 22-year-old Oleksandr Makarevych from the Chernihiv Region, who has been serving in the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade (the Black Zaporozhtsi) since September 2021. He went missing on June 26 this year near Bakhmut, Donetsk Region. Until October 10, the family did not know anything about what happened to him.Translated by Dmitry Lytov and Mike LytovRead this article in Ukrainian

Last week, the fake news spread by Russian media said that the Ukrainian government's mobilization campaign was solely focused on the country's Russian-speaking regions — such was the Kyiv regime's attempt to quell the resistance, the propagandists claimed.Russian media also presented the “real” motives of the recent raids in Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra ranging from satanists in the Ukrainian government to Washington's schemes. They also gave vivid details of Europe’s hatred for the USA. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

In the middle of October 2016 Russian Orthodox Church opened its “spiritual and cultural center” by placing a golden-domed cupola on top of the future Saint Trinity church in Quai Branly. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except the fact that the future church was being built at a stone’s throw from Palais de l'Alma which contains the Élysée Palace’s postal service and the private apartments of senior presidential advisers. What some might dismiss as conspirology is very likely to be an attempt of using this place of worship and other Russian churches as electronic surveillance centers to eavesdrop on French authorities, Russian influence researchers say.

Last week's publications on Russian media were largely focused on geopolitics: from NATO’s potential aggression in the Arctic to Ukraine’s role in scenarios for control over Europe. Since the Russians are honestly afraid of unity among European nations, they are desperately trying to convince the domestic reader that other countries support Kyiv only to advance their own anti-Russian agenda. Russian propagandists also raved about future victories in the battlefield and prepared to defend Lukashenko from a joint NATO force led by Tikhanovska. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

The liberation of the western bank of Kherson oblast was in the focus of last week's publications on Russian media for obvious reasons. Russian commentators made no particular attempt to conceal their sadness and desperately insisted on the existence of some dirty deals. While trying to exonerate their military command for the failures in the battlefield, they came up with wild stories about Polish mercenaries who were allegedly the tip of the spear of the Ukrainian offensive.All those efforts point at the fact that they just cannot admit a humiliating military defeat from the “khokhols” they used to mock for decades. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

Russia likes to use children in propaganda. Back in the Soviet times, many books and paintings featured Lenin with children. Stalin also liked to be surrounded by happy kids, at least for the purpose of political campaigns. Putin's Russia is creatively continuing this tradition. While in the Russian Federation children from kindergartens to technical schools are lined up in the letter "Z" shape or asked to draw a St. George's ribbon, Ukrainian children in the occupied cities (including the recently liberated Kherson) are forced to become living proof of the "happy occupation."Translated by Dmitry Lytov & Mike LytovRead this article in Ukrainian

Zaporizhzhia, a city near the frontline, comes alive every morning. The revving of cars, a line at the coffee shop - people head out to work. During the day they try to live a normal life, but at night they freeze up with fear. This is because Russian rockets usually arrive at night.One of the scariest nights in the city was from October 8 to 9, when the Russian army fired 12 rockets at Zaporizhzhia. An inconspicuous 9-story panel building at 8 Zestafonska Street became a "house with a hole" - another piece of evidence of the war crimes of the Russian army in Ukraine. TEXTY talked to residents who survived that night.Translated by Dmitry Lytov and Mike Lytov

The Russians are trying their best to keep the occupied territories and do not want to leave Ukraine. That is why the Russian Federation’s dictator, Vladimir Putin, once again threatened the whole world with the use of nuclear weapons. "We will use all available means to protect our territorial integrity. And this is not a bluff," threatens Putin.TEXTY do not intend to rummage through Putin's darkened brains to try to understand whether he is bluffing or not. Unfortunately, we assess the risk of a nuclear attack on Ukraine as high.Translated by Dmitry Lytov, Mike LytovPublication date: 2022-09-23

Buying train tickets abroad through the website of Ukrzaliznytsia (The Ukrainian Railroads, further UZ), as well as its mobile application or chatbots is a complicated and confusing process. Meanwhile, one can buy a bus ticket to EU countries in a few clicks.UZ sells tickets online only for a few destinations in Poland. Technically, one can get to Austria, Hungary and Slovakia by a direct train from Ukraine. But where can one find the schedule and prices for these destinations, and is it possible to buy tickets for them on the Internet?In addition, tickets to Poland are impossible to find in the new UZ application. The train to Warsaw is generally something mythical. Tickets for this train are permanently unavailable on the UZ website.With our research, we are looking to clarify the complicated system of selling tickets for UZ trains abroad, which 600,000 passengers have already used after the closure of the airspace on February 24.Translated by Dmitry Lytov, Mike LytovRead this article in Ukrainian