Last week, the Russian media wrote a lot about countries on the unfriendly list. Traditionally, France was in the propaganda lens. Disinformers cannot forgive Macron`s statement about the hypothetical deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine. They wrote about hostile Finland. Finns are accused of disliking "people from the East" and Russians. The propaganda claims that Finland's industry is collapsing because of the conflict with Russia, and reminds us that the country was once part of the Russian Empire. They also mentioned Kyrgyzstan. Propaganda attacked the country after it restricted the use of the Russian payment system Mir. They claim that there is nothing to do in Kyrgyzstan except eat pilaf. In fact, the country's budget will now be left without money, as labor migrants in Russia will not be able to replenish it.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, the Russian media discussed whether the death penalty should be brought back to Russia. The propaganda lamented that criminals should be severely punished rather than allowed to live in warm Russian prisons.Читати українськоюAlso, after the terrorist attack in Crocus, there was talk of the need to tighten migration policy. And while Ukraine is accused of the terrorist attack in statements, Tajiks face physical violence. Russian law enforcement agencies have joined the anti-immigration hysteria. They even discussed the need to introduce a visa regime with Central Asian countries. We have also seen another surge in the information campaign against the Armenian leadership. Nikol Pashinyan joins the club of "Russophobes" and "traitors" to the Russian people.Read about this and more in the new issue of our monitoring of Russian state media and manipulative websites that target Russian disinformation.

The terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall was the biggest news on Russian media last week. As soon as the first reports hit the Internet, it was clear that Russian propagandists were determined to blame Ukraine. It was as if the disinformers were running a creativity contest with just one task: connect Kyiv to the terrorist attack in any way possible.Читати українськоюMargarita Simonyan, the top propagandist and the RT editor-in-chief, hurried to tweet it was the unbrotherly Ukrainians: “All evidence points to the fact that the attack was planned by our not-quite-brothers”. Former president now blogger Dmitry Medvedev called to kill the Ukrainian leadership: “All those people must be found and eliminated as terrorists without mercy including the top officials of the state that launched such an atrocious attack”.The accusations remained even after ISIS terrorists had claimed responsibility for the attack. The disinformers argued that it was Ukraine’s tactic to shift responsibility onto Islamists.According to Russian media, the United States might also had a hand in the incident: they warned about the terrorist attack which appears suspicious. Moreover, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova believes that Washington is using ISIS to undermine America’s competitors.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 celebrated the capture of Avdiivka which is said to mark a new phase of the war that paved the way for Russia’s victory. In addition to protecting the people of Donbas from the Ukrainian Nazis, the Russian army is said to be preparing a large-scale offensive to capture the entire region. The disinformers avoid mentioning the cost of flying the Russian flag over the rubble of the destroyed city — instead, they claim that Avdiivka is Zelensky’s Waterloo. The news of Navalny’s death also received considerable attention, but no surprises here: it was said to have been orchestrated by the West to disrupt the presidential election in Russia.This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online para journalists to manipulate public opinion.

Last week, Russian media finally decided who their favorite American was. American journalist Tucker Carlson ticked all the boxes: he respects Putin, understands Russian national interests, and is ready to broadcast the Kremlin’s position. Carlson instantly became Russian propaganda's darling and the focus of media attention. Carlson’s visit coverage culminated in Putin's interview which was touted to have broken through the information blockade set up by the West.

Last week, Russian media accused Ukraine’s allies of supplying weapons to Kyiv. The propagandists argued that the West wants to eradicate Russians which is why it allows Ukrainians to shoot down planes or target bakeries. Some Russian officials even claimed that Western weapons supplied to Ukraine were manned by American operators while the Ukrainians were only used in support roles.Читати українською

We are conducting additional research and have removed some individuals and one party from our database. In June 2023, Texty.org.ua published the project “The Germs of “Russian World”. Version 2.0”, where we collected politicians, public figures, and various organizations that promoted Russian narratives about Ukraine.

Last week, Russian propaganda claimed that Kyiv had deliberately shot down a Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft near Belgorod allegedly carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war. According to one of the versions offered by the propagandists, it was an attack orchestrated by the Ukrainian authorities to discourage Ukrainians from surrendering to Russian forces.Читати українською

Last week, the Russian media continued to insist that Ukraine was suffering defeat after defeat in the battlefield. However, the front line dynamic — or rather a lack thereof — suggests otherwise. The propagandists are trying to show that Russia is retaliating for the attack on Belgorod.Читати українською

Many Ukrainian trashy websites that we monitor appear to be offering their services to all kinds of dubious characters in need of a reputation fix. Those include scandalous politicians and so-called experts who had worked for pro-Russian TV channels promoting Kremlin's narratives before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Читати українською