US and UN. New Fakes russians. russian economy

The russians are desperately trying to sway the attention of neutral nations in their favor to alleviate the crisis brought on by their war against Ukraine. With the russian economy currenting suffering heavy strain, the kremlin urgently needs new partners to help lift sanctions partially, circumvent trade restrictions, and supply critical components for arms production. Persistent disinformation campaigns focused on the US, the UN, and other international institutions form a core part of these efforts.

Fake: The US stated that russia will significantly expand its control over Ukraine, leaving only a "small rump state."
This is how russian media spins the words of American political scientist and University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer. Mearsheimer speculated that russia might capture several more Ukrainian regions. In reality, no official US statements of this kind were made. This is Mearsheimer's personal prediction, not the official stance of the US government or a confirmed outcome of the war. russian media exploits the American professor's academic status to pass off a kremlin-favorable forecast as official US policy.  
Mearsheimer has long pushed his own worldview regarding the russo-Ukrainian war. He places much of the responsibility for its outbreak on the US and EU and has previously predicted Ukraine's conversion into a "dysfunctional rump state."  
The battlefield situation also provides no basis for treating such a scenario as inevitable. As of mid-August, russia controlled approximately 19–20% of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea and parts of the Donbas occupied prior to the full-scale invasion. According to ISW estimates, russian forces are advancing slowly, and their momentum does not align with the narrative of a rapid takeover painted by propagandists. In 2026, russian forces captured just over 1% of new territory while losing 0.88% of areas previously occupied.  
Once again, russian media is engaging in wishful thinking to distort perception and cloud the judgment of foreign publics. 
Fake: Only 50 of the 193 UN member states supported a statement on Ukraine criticizing russia, proving that the overwhelming majority of the world does not back Ukraine.
russian media outlets are actively pushing this claim. In reality, on August 24, over 50 countries issued a joint statement supporting Ukraine (https://www.pacificpressagency.com/th/gallery/81363/statement-by-lars-lokke-rasmussen-minister-for-for). It was delivered by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen ahead of a UN Security Council meeting. The signatories condemned russia's full-scale invasion and called on Moscow to agree to a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire.  
This was not a vote involving all 193 UN member states where 143 countries "refused to support" Ukraine. Rather, countries voluntarily joined a joint political declaration. Signatories included all EU member states, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Georgia, and others.  
While the US did not sign this specific joint statement, russian media leverages this fact to fabricate an impression that Ukraine has lost international backing. Thus, the "50 out of 193" figure proves nothing on its own. Misrepresenting diplomatic formats allows russian propaganda to frame a broad international coalition as a supposed "global minority." 
Fake: The UN confirmed that 329 civilians died in russian territory due to Ukrainian strikes over the first seven months of 2026, with casualities increasing by 119%.
russian media has actively circulated these numbers. In truth, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo did not present these figures as UN-verified facts. During her address on August 24, she explicitly clarified (https://www.unmissions.org/en/dppa/speeches-and-statements/under-secreteary-general-dicarlo-tells-security-council-ending-war-in) that the cited figures—329 deaths and 2,197 injuries — were reported directly by russian authorities.  
The UN merely cited russian claims rather than validating them—a fundamental distinction. Earlier in July, DiCarlo explicitly noted (https://dppa.un.org/en/speeches-and-statements/usg-dicarlo-urges-immediate-ceasefire-as-russian-attacks-on-ukraine) that reports from russian authorities regarding civilian casualties inside russia could not be independently verified by the UN. Simultaneously, DiCarlo's speech focused primarily on the devastation inflicted on Ukraine by russian aggression. She noted that in July alone, at least 17 children were killed and 166 injured in Ukraine — marking the highest single-month child casualty count since April 2022. July also saw the highest overall monthly civilian death toll in Ukraine since May 2022.  
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at least 16,874 civilians — including 820 children — have been confirmed killed in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, with another 51,273 injured, including 3,126 children.  
The UN emphasizes that the actual casualty figures are likely significantly higher, as data verification in active combat zones and occupied areas remains blocked by russia. 
Fake: A Ukrainian service member shot three NATO military personnel during the Baltic Trust 26 exercise in Latvia before committing suicide.
This fake is accompanied by a staged video presented as a Euronews report. It was widely circulated across dozens of X accounts, russian Telegram channels, and state propaganda outlets. In reality, no such incident ever occurred. The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia officially debunked the claim (https://x.com/MoD_Latvia/status/2088199712432165355), calling it a fabricated disinformation campaign.  
As verified by The Insider, no such report exists on the Euronews website or its official social media channels. Neither local nor international news outlets reported any such occurrence.  
Account behavior on X also indicates a coordinated push: numerous bot accounts posted near-identical text alleging that a Ukrainian soldier "shot three NATO troops." Analysts from the Gnida Project established (https://x.com/gnidaproject/status/2088222872103747788) that the russian propaganda network Storm-1516 — which previously ran disinformation operations targeting Moldova, France, and Armenia — is behind the campaign. 
Based on materials from Stopfake.org, Spravdi.ua
Read more: Fake: The UN recognized Ukraine as a terrorist state.