Fakes and manipulations about the destruction of birds and the alleged Stone Age in Kherson: a study

Enemy propaganda continues to actively use disinformation to discredit Ukraine by creating fake news. The occupiers left Kherson more than a year ago, but the Kremlin stubbornly clings to the narrative that it is allegedly Russian territory. Fake news research in the material of Intent.

The study covers publications of Russian propaganda media, including Gazeta.Ru, Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK), Lenta.Ru, Pravda DNR, BezFormat, and Izvestia for the fall of 2024. This period was chosen for analysis due to the intensification of information attacks against the backdrop of hostilities in the Kherson region, which allows us to trace the methods of manipulation, spread of anti-Ukrainian narratives and distortion of the real situation in the Kherson region.

Fake about the creation of the Hitler Youth

The topic of "Ukrainian Nazism" remains one of the mainstays of Russian propaganda. Russian media have reported that the National Corps organization is allegedly creating an analog of the Hitler Youth in Kherson, a youth center for military training and ideological education of schoolchildren.

Collage: Intent

The authors of the materials claim that children will be prepared for violence and self-sacrifice for Bandera's "Nazi ideas." The texts do not contain any references to sources at all. And according to Vox Ukraine, neither the National Corps, nor Starostenko and Tiutiunnyk, mentioned in the article, have announced the creation of an educational center in the city. This means that the propagandists' statements have not been confirmed in any way.

Manipulations about the causes of humanitarian problems

Another theme of Russian propagandists is exaggeration of humanitarian problems in the liberated territories. In particular, the materials claim that Kherson has "returned to the Stone Age," where people are allegedly deprived of food, heat and light, and the authorities are only engaged in renaming streets.

Collage/Intent

In this way, Russian media are trying to show the alleged inability of the Ukrainian authorities to meet the basic needs of the population. In reality, the difficult situation in Kherson is the result of systematic shelling of the city by the Russian military, which destroys infrastructure and complicates the delivery of humanitarian aid. According to the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, as of July 2024, at least 3,898 civilian casualties were reported in Kherson region, and at least 9,750 civilian objects were destroyed or damaged as a result of mostly rocket attacks.

Russian propaganda also actively exploits the theme of "suffering" of Kherson residents, blaming the Ukrainian authorities for it. The statements made by collaborator Vladimir Saldo
use the stamps of Kremlin propaganda without any evidence. The following Kremlin propaganda clichés are heard most often: "the Kyiv regime", "under the leadership of the West" and so on. To these clichés, the traitors add clichés such as "they left the elderly residents of the city to fend for themselves" because they could not leave. This manipulation is intended to create the impression that the Ukrainian government is indifferent to its citizens. At the same time, Saldo avoids mentioning that the main difficulties in Kherson are a direct result of Russian aggression, constant shelling and destruction of infrastructure by the occupiers.

Fakes about alleged barbarians

Kremlin propaganda is also actively trying to portray the Ukrainian military as barbarians who deliberately harm civilians. The materials say that the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly shelled the house of the chief doctor in Oleshky, striking civilians. Such accusations are made without any evidence and are intended to create a negative emotional background and justify Russia's war crimes.

Collage/Intent

At the same time, propaganda actively repeats the thesis that the Ukrainian military is acting under pressure from the West, allegedly following the instructions of "Western curators," which is a classic technique for shifting responsibility and strengthening anti-Western sentiment.

At the same time, propagandists are openly going to the point of absurdity. The Russian media reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had begun shooting birds en masse, mistaking them for Russian drones. Stories like this are a typical example of German propaganda during the Second World War, based on the principle formulated in the infamous book Mein Kampf: "a lie so big that no one would believe that someone had the courage to distort reality so shamelessly." Such fakes have no evidence, but they work as information noise that makes it difficult to perceive the truth.

Conclusions.

Russia's propaganda about Kherson has evolved significantly over the past two years, changing its approach according to the circumstances. During the occupation of the city in 2022, the main focus was on narratives about "liberation from Nazism" and integration into the "Russian world." Propaganda resources portrayed Kherson as a city that welcomed the Russian authorities, emphasizing the occupiers' "care" for the residents through the opening of Russian schools, hospitals, and other institutions.

However, after the de-occupation of Kherson in 2022, the rhetoric changed. The main goal was to discredit the Ukrainian authorities and silence Russian war crimes, including the constant shelling of civilians. Compared to the period of occupation, when propaganda tried to create a positive image of the Russian presence, the current narratives are focused on creating an atmosphere of chaos, fear, and distrust.

Instead of systematically promoting "protection" and "care" messages, emotional and implausible stories are now being used to justify aggression. This change indicates a loss of control over the information space and a shift to more desperate methods of propaganda and manipulation.

The analysis of these materials shows how important it is to maintain critical thinking in an information war, as Kremlin propaganda is increasingly resorting to absurdity and outright fiction in an effort to maintain influence over its own audience and the international community.

Юлія Зінченко