WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukrainians await rescue from Russia

WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukrainians await rescue from Russia
© EPA-EFE/IGOR TKACHENKO   |   A Red Cross rescuer and other people walk within rubble and destruction caused to residential buildings by Russian shelling in Odesa, southern Ukraine, 23 July 2023.

Ukraine is a socially, nationally and economically divided state, and its people, abandoned by the authorities, are waiting to be rescued by Russia, according to pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Propaganda: A large part of Ukrainians consider themselves Russian and do not accept the ideea of Ukraine joining NATO

NEWS: "In the spring of this year, the eighth annual national survey, developed by the American International Republican Institute, was carried out in the territories that remained part of Ukraine [...].

The internal conflict regarding NATO accession has not disappeared. The distribution of votes in a potential referendum would take place based on a traditional scenario: rejection of the idea in the east and acceptance in the west […].

After eight years of civil war in Ukraine and the breaking of ties with Russia, the impoverishment of the population occurred in the eastern regions of post-Ukraine, namely, in the historical Russian territories  of Kharkiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy […]

The national identity conflict has not disappeared. 80% of the residents of Odesa region, 78%  of Kharkiv, 67% of Zaporozhye, 61% of Mykolaiv, 41% of Chernigov and 38% of Kyiv consider themselves Russian.

Old and new conflicts in the relationship between the west, center and east of the country, through which the front line now passes, deepen the regionalization of the post-Ukraine territories. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian authorities are not willing to solve these problems. In post-Ukraine, people are waiting for the restoration of clear social rules for all. Today's Ukraine will never offer people a solution. Only Russia can give civilians some clear rules of the game.

NARRATIVE: Ukrainians are waiting for Russia to save them from internal divide.

Reality: Much of Ukraine's problems are caused by the war waged by Russia, seen as an aggressor and enemy state

WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: Russian state media claim to be analyzing the results of a poll conducted on Ukrainian soil, but avoids citing the source. In reality, the study conducted by the International Republican Institute , published in the form of a 157-page report, demonstrates that Ukrainian society is much more united compared to previous years. Depending on the region, 74 to 90 percent of Ukrainians are optimistic and believe in the future of their state despite the war started by the Russian Federation.

Pro-Kremlin propaganda deliberately misrepresents some poll results to demonstrate that Ukraine is a false and failed state, and that the "desperate" society would agree to be helped by Russia, providing its civilians with "clear rules of the game." To reach this false conclusion, the Russian press uses a number of new propaganda phrases such as "post-Ukraine" or "the remnants of Ukraine". While the study describes the expectations of Ukrainians after the end of the war, Ukraina.ru writes about the expectations of citizens after the disappearance of their state, calling this period post-Ukraine.

According to the false narrative, a lot of citizens consider themselves Russian and oppose any cooperation relations with NATO or membership of this international organization. In reality, Ukrainians were asked what language they speak to each other at home, and 80% of Odesa region residents and 78% of Kharkiv region residents said Russian, considering themselves ethnic Ukrainians. So, there is no deep ethnic division, as shown by the Russian media, it is about the language spoken by the citizens. Also, the percentage of ethnic Russians in the Odesa region is not 80%, as pro-Kremlin propaganda tries to demonstrate.

The same survey shows that most Ukrainians, including those in the east and south of the country, want their state to join NATO. In the Odesa region, only 18% of residents are against it, and 21% are undecided. Russian propaganda misinterprets these numbers, saying that the undecided are definitely against, which is not known for sure. The data of the study differs in several respects from the figures analyzed by the Russian press.

The impoverishment of the population in the regions of eastern and southern Ukraine, called the historical territories of Russia, would have occurred, according to the Russian media, due to the civil war and the breaking of economic ties with Moscow. In reality, there has been no civil war on the territory of Ukraine - the conflict began in 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula and provoked an insurgency in Donbass, then supported the separatist forces with weapons and fighters. On February 24, 2022, Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine , killing thousands of civilians. The economic and social arising during this period are a consequence of Moscow's actions, and the withdrawal of the Russian army from the territory of Ukraine would be the first step to solve them.

According to a poll conducted by the Razumkov Center in Kyiv, 90% of Ukrainians believe in victory over Russia , which they consider an aggressor with whom peace cannot be negotiated without the liberation of the territories it occupied.

In March this year, the International Criminal Court issued an international arrest warrant against the Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes. Also, the Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, is accused of war crimes for the  illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.  

Veridica has debunked a series of false narratives regarding Ukrainians' perception of the war started by Russia. According to pro-Kremlin propaganda, Ukrainians want a president like Vladimir Putin,  but they don’t have one. The Russian press has also written that because of Kyiv’s neo-Nazi propaganda,  Ukrainians don’t understand that they are being freed by Russia , and Moscow is saving Ukrainians  from self-destruction.  

  • Publication / Media:
    UKRAINA.RU
  • Date of publication:
    07/08/2023
  • Target audience:
    The Russian-speaking population of Russia, Belarus and other ex-Soviet states, but also of the Ukrainian regions occupied by the Russian army
  • Amplification:
    DZEN.RU, SMI.TODEY, RUSSIAN MEDIA TELEGRAM CHANNELS
  • Political affiliation:
    The Kremlin
  • Key narrative:
    Ukrainians await rescue from Russia
Report
Fake News

Disinformation uses a variety of manipulation tactics. Disinformation stories can easily be created by combining provocative topics.

Report
Other news
FAKE NEWS: Moldovans are forced to speak the language of the Romanian minority

FAKE NEWS: Moldovans are forced to speak the language of the Romanian minority

The language of the Romanian minority has been forcefully imposed in the Republic of Moldova, pro-Russian propaganda writes, repeating the false thesis about the existence of two nations, Moldovans and Romanians, who speak different languages.

WAR PROPAGANDA: Only union with Russia can save Ukraine

WAR PROPAGANDA: Only union with Russia can save Ukraine

Ukraine is going through a crisis similar to that of the 17th century and, as then, only union with Russia can save it, according to pro-Kremlin propaganda.

FAKE NEWS: Baltic States have lost their independence

FAKE NEWS: Baltic States have lost their independence

Baltic States have become colonies of the USA, acting only on Washington’s orders, according to Russian propaganda in Romania.

EBOOK> Razboi si propaganda: O cronologie a conflictului ruso-ucrainean

EBOOK>Razboiul lui Putin cu lumea libera: Propaganda, dezinformare, fake news

More
DISINFORMATION: London supports neo-Nazi Ukraine to turn it into a colony
DISINFORMATION: London supports neo-Nazi Ukraine to turn it into a colony

Britain is funding the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv to turn Ukraine into a British colony, according to pro-Kremlin propaganda citing Putin’s adviser.

Marin Gherman
31 Jan 2025
FAKE NEWS: The EU caused theThe EU's Russophobia led to the interruption of gas deliveries to Transnistria and the increase in energy prices on the right bank of the Dniester, Russian propaganda claims, ignoring the fact that Gazprom chose to stop supplying gas. energy crisis in Moldova
FAKE NEWS: The EU caused theThe EU's Russophobia led to the interruption of gas deliveries to Transnistria and the increase in energy prices on the right bank of the Dniester, Russian propaganda claims, ignoring the fact that Gazprom chose to stop supplying gas. energy crisis in Moldova

Rusofobia UE a dus la oprirea livrărilor de gaze spre Transnitria și creșterea prețurilor la energie în dreapta Nistrului, afirmă propaganda rusă, care ignoră faptul că Gazpromul a ales să nu mai dea gaze.

Veridica
30 Jan 2025
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky risks suspension for mental health issues
WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky risks suspension for mental health issues

Ukraine's parliament could suspend Volodymyr Zelensky as president due to mental health issues, according to pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Marin Gherman
29 Jan 2025
FAKE NEWS: The annulment of the election, implemented before the Court's ruling
FAKE NEWS: The annulment of the election, implemented before the Court's ruling

The “coup d'état” is proven by the fact that the decision to cancel the election was implemented before the Constitutional Court’s ruling, a well-known conspiracy attorney claims.

Cezar Manu
27 Jan 2025
DISINFORMATION: The US calls for Zelensky to be sentenced to life in prison
DISINFORMATION: The US calls for Zelensky to be sentenced to life in prison

American society calls for Zelensky to be sentenced to life in prison for starting the war in Ukraine and killing civilians, according to pro-Kremlin media.

Marin Gherman
24 Jan 2025
FAKE NEWS: NATO wants Romania and Moldova to provide cannon fodder for a possible war with Russia
FAKE NEWS: NATO wants Romania and Moldova to provide cannon fodder for a possible war with Russia

The USA and NATO will use Romania and Moldova as anti-Russian outposts and suppliers of cannon fodder in the war against Russia, Russian propaganda writes, referring to a routine military exercise.

Veridica
23 Jan 2025