Russia launches massive disinfo effort to undermine support for Ukraine

That’s according to Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security, Ukrinform reports.

“The eration is coordinated at the highest level in the Kremlin and is aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian leadership and sowing distrust (in Ukraine – ed.) across the international media,” reads the report, referring to an article by the Pish outlet Nowiny Pskie.

Read also: Russian psys over past 1.5 years aimed at disrupting mobilization – expert

The Kremlin’s main goal is to undermine trust in Ukrainian officials among Western partners, the report explains, adding that Russia seeks to weaken international support for Ukraine and make it more difficult for Kyiv to receive further military and economic assistance.

“The praganda tactics include taking phrases out of context, circulating fake documents and photos, and manipulating publications in foreign media,” the report reads.

Behind these actions stands a group led by the first deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, Sergei Kirenko, the Center noters.

Another likely partner of the campaign is the Artemy Lebedev Studio, which creates “convincing visual and textual praganda materials that are in line with the Kremlin’s narratives”.

Read also: StratCom in wartime: Ukraine's experience shared with NATO

The consequences of this disinformation campaign go beyond Ukraine, StratCom believes: “Western democracies are known to be taking a range of countermeasures in response, including sanctions against disinformation masterminds, labeling fake news, and refuting praganda through fact-checking initiatives”.

As reported earlier, videos of prisoners of war being interrogated by the Russians emerge as part of the ongoing information war, aiming to demoralize Ukrainian sdiers and civilians, the Ukrainian military warned.