russian disinformation. EU countries. Global Engagement Centre

russia continues to fill the information space with fake news and manipulation. At the end of the year, there was another large wave of kremlin disinformation campaigns against the backdrop of negotiations with the US on ending the war in Ukraine, as well as new sanctions against the russian economy. As usual, these attacks targeted Ukraine, NATO, the US, and the EU, and were also noted in Poland, Sweden, France, the Baltic states, Ireland, and South Africa.
Based materials from Stopfake.org, Spravdi.ua, EuVsDisinfo.eu

Fake: The US has withdrawn from cooperation with the EU on combating disinformation, accusing Europeans of creating fakes.

Pro-russian Telegram channels are spreading messages that the US has allegedly ended its cooperation with the EU on combating disinformation because 89% of fake news was created by the agencies combating fake news themselves. The authors of the fake news refer to the Financial Times. "A report was presented to Congress describing how European organisations created to counter disinformation (from russia and China) with American money conducted artificial disinformation campaigns to maintain funding," the disinformers claim.
In fact, the published video has nothing to do with the Financial Times, and the news itself is completely fabricated. It became known in September that the United States had refused to join forces with EU countries in the fight against disinformation, especially that coming from russia, China and Iran. The Financial Times, citing three European officials, reported that the US State Department had officially notified European countries of the termination of memoranda of understanding signed by the Biden administration. These documents provided for the development of a unified approach to identifying and countering harmful information. The memorandum was part of an initiative led by the Global Engagement Centre (GEC).
The GEC was closed in December 2024 after Republican sceptics in Congress blocked attempts to extend its mandate. Its functions were briefly reorganised into an office within the State Department, which was subsequently closed by the new administration led by Donald Trump in April 2025. The termination of the memoranda of understanding was the final step in winding down the programme.
As the Financial Times points out, some Republicans accused the GEC of "censoring and suppressing conservative voices." Former Global Engagement Centre head James Rubin, for his part, called the US decision "a unilateral act of disarmament" in the information war with russia and China. However, the information that European partners allegedly created 89% of the fake news they themselves refuted in order to continue funding the State Department is complete fiction. Moreover, there is no report with such information.
As for the video itself, it was most likely created using a neural network or edited in a video editor. The Financial Times has never published such material, and the style of their real videos is significantly different from the fake one. According to the Osavul project, this video is distributed exclusively by pro-russian resources and first appeared on 11 September 2025 on the Telegram channel "Shkvarka News". The purpose of the fake is to undermine trust in authoritative media and institutions, create confusion, and increase scepticism about tools to combat disinformation.

army of infected killer insects.

Fake: Americans are secretly creating an army of infected killer insects.

russian media outlets are spreading information that the United States is allegedly creating an army of infected killer insects. "Microbiologist Willy Burgdorfer, who worked at the US Army Biological Research Centre for over 10 years, confirmed that they were trying to establish mass production of insect carriers there," claims russian media outlet NTV.
This is one of the conspiracy theories that has been circulating in the information space for a long time, and now it has been picked up again by the russian media, which presented distortions and fabrications as proven facts about the existence of a "secret army of mosquitoes." NTV uses conspiracy theories about the emergence of Lyme disease and writes that the epidemic of this disease is the result of a leak from a laboratory on Plum Island (USA), where they allegedly studied the possibility of using ticks as biological weapons. 
This claim is refuted by data from palaeobiology and genetics. The bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent of Lyme disease) existed thousands of years before the creation of the United States. In a study published by the Yale School of Medicine, experts conclude: "The Lyme bacterium existed in North America long before the appearance of humans. It has been circulating in forests for millions of years."
Scientist Willy Burgdorfer, who allegedly confirmed that Lyme disease is a biological weapon, is also mentioned in the NTV story. In fact, Burgdorfer never said this. He studied tick-borne infections, sometimes in projects funded by the military, but these were studies of the risks to soldiers and ways to protect them, not programmes to create an "army of infected insects."
Another "argument" used by propagandists is that in 2018, a group of European scientists allegedly criticised the American programme "Insect Allies", funded by DARPA (the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency), because its goal was allegedly to create biological weapons.
The Insect Allies programme is an openly funded DARPA project that uses virus-carrying insects to rapidly introduce protective genes into crops to combat drought, pests and other threats (https://www.darpa.mil/research/programs/insect-allies). The research is conducted under controlled conditions, described in scientific articles, and the programme itself is publicly presented and discussed in journals and the media, which contradicts the idea of a "secret weapon."
In 2018, a group of scientists (Reeves et al.) published their concerns in the journal Science that this technology could be perceived as a dual-use weapon and that it would be difficult to control. The scientists called for greater transparency rather than accusing the project of creating a secret army of killers. DARPA programme manager Blake Backstein explained in an interview with The Washington Post (http://web.evolbio.mpg.de/HEGAAs/responses-to-darpa-statemen/a-response-to-statement.html) that all experiments are conducted in closed greenhouses with the highest level of biosecurity, and the insects have a "kill switch" (limited lifespan) mechanism.
Fake news like this, spread by the kremlin, only increases distrust of epidemiology and international biological weapons control mechanisms, and fuels anti-Western and anti-vaccination narratives, creating an image of a "total biological threat" from the US and the EU.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Irish soldiers. Bill Cosby's townhouse

Fake: A Parisian rabbi called Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his entourage "the dumbest Jews in the world."

A story with the logo of the French media outlet BFMTV is circulating online, claiming that Parisian rabbi Moshe Sebbag allegedly called Zelenskyy and his team "the dumbest Jews in the world." Allegedly because of their unwillingness to "sign peace agreements and improve their situation." In the fake video, Sebbag is quoted as saying that Volodymyr Zelenskyy's rule should be remembered by future generations as an example of incompetent leadership.
However, in reality, both the story and the statements attributed to Moshe Sebbag, Chief Rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Paris, also known as the Synagogue de la Victoire, are a dirty fake. There is no video with such content on the BFMTV website. Moreover, the journalist who allegedly prepared the story and whose name is listed in the credits, Adelaide Boutiron, does not even work for BFMTV now. According to her LinkedIn page, she interned at the publication in 2024, from January to June. It is likely that the propagandists used one of Boutiron's old stories as a template from which they edited the fake video.
In reality, Moshe Sebbag has never made any public statements about the Ukrainian president or Ukraine in general. This is confirmed by a search of French and international media, as well as the rabbi's personal profile on X, where the words "Ukraine" or "Zelenskyy" do not appear even once.

Fake: Zelenskyy underestimated the number of Irish soldiers killed in Ukraine by three times.

russian media outlets report that during his visit to Ireland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the number of Irish volunteer soldiers who died, reducing the actual losses by "three times." In fact, during his meeting with the relatives of the deceased, Zelenskyy did not announce any statistics on losses. The ceremony was diplomatic and memorial in nature. Awards were presented to the families of those whose documents and awards had been prepared at the time of the visit and whose relatives were able to attend the meeting. The names listed by propagandists as hidden have long been known and have been reported on by the world media.
In November 2025, the BBC reported on the confirmed death of Alex Ryzhuk, noting that he was the fourth Irish citizen to die in the war in Ukraine (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2edqddvlpo). The Irish Examiner also reported on four Irish fatalities. Thus, there is no exaggeration or hidden information.
It is important to note that russian media deliberately use the term "mercenary" to exclude the dead from the protection of the Geneva Conventions. However, foreign volunteers officially join the Ukrainian army, sign a contract and have combatant status.

Fake: Zelenskyy bought Bill Cosby's townhouse for $30 million.

russian Telegram channels are spreading information that Zelenskyy allegedly purchased property in New York that previously belonged to actor Bill Cosby. To confirm this, the authors of the messages cite a publication in the American tabloid Page Six.
In fact, a search on the official website of Page Six, as well as on its verified social media accounts, shows that there is no article with such a title or content. Instead, the story about the "deal" was spread through a fake website with the address pagesix.now, although the official address of the tabloid is pagesix.com. 
Realtor.com, the New York Post and other American websites did indeed report the sale of Bill Cosby's townhouse in New York for approximately $28-29 million, but nowhere was the buyer's name mentioned.

Volynia tragedy. place in Poland. Caroline Leavitt. support from the US

Fake: Washington has stopped aid to Ukraine because of corruption.

russian media outlets are spreading information that the US has allegedly stopped aid to Ukraine "due to corruption." In particular, the media quotes White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt as saying that the president "has no intention of allowing American taxpayers' money to be spent dishonestly."
russian special services used a real briefing by Donald Trump's spokeswoman Caroline Levitt, which took place on 1 December 2025, to create the fake news story. Journalists asked Levitt how the corruption scandal and the resignation of the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (incidentally, the investigation is ongoing and there are no official charges against the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine) would affect peace efforts. Levitt said that corruption never helps the cause, but she did not make any statements that aid to Ukraine would be suspended due to the scandal, and instead added that aid is being provided in other ways. 
It is important to note that the US regularly audits the aid it provides (https://www.stateoig.gov/report/aud-geer-25-30). Numerous reports by the Pentagon and State Department inspectors general in recent years have not found any large-scale theft of American weapons or funds that could lead to the suspension of cooperation.
Currently, the main financial support from the US to Ukraine comes through a mechanism of lending secured by income from frozen russian assets (https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-us-aid-going-ukraine). The US is participating in this (contributing approximately $20 billion), but formally these are not direct expenditures from the American budget, but borrowed funds that must be covered by russian money.
In addition, weapons that were contracted during the Biden administration (the production cycle often takes 1-2 years) continue to be manufactured and shipped. It is also worth noting that the new US defence budget includes funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (almost $800 million for 2026-2027).
Fake: Ukraine is "covering up the crimes" of the Volynia tragedy and blocking the exhumation of Polish victims.

russian media, citing "political scientist" Vladimir Kornilov, are spreading information that Ukraine is deliberately blocking the exhumation of Polish victims of the Volynia tragedy in order to "cover up crimes." Statistics are cited as evidence: of 26 requests from Poland, Kyiv has allegedly approved only one. It is also claimed that the Polish government is hiding these facts from its people.
Propagandists used a report by Grzegorz Plachek, a member of the Polish Sejm from the right-wing Confederation party, to spread disinformation. In particular, Plachek stated that 26 requests for permission to conduct exhumations had been submitted, and only one had been granted.
In fact, more accurate information on this matter was provided by Karol Polański, vice-president of the Institute of National Remembrance, whom Plachek referred to. In November 2025, Poliejowski reported that 26 applications had been submitted to Ukraine, of which 9 had been rejected and 16 were still under consideration. This is not proof that Ukraine is "covering up the crimes" of the Volynia tragedy.
However, Grzegorz Motyka, a professor and researcher of Ukrainian-Polish relations, argues that the most important thing is that this process was launched after a long pause: https://www.radiokrakow.pl/audycje/klucz-do-rozwiazania-tego-problemu-lezy-w-rekach-politykow-prof-motyka-o-ekshumacjach-i-relacjach-polsko-ukrainskich/
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, also confirms that Ukraine is gradually issuing permits for the exhumation of Polish victims of the Volynia tragedy, but notes that "certain political forces continue to use this issue to their advantage." The ambassador noted that two exhumation processes have already been completed in Ukraine, and one search has taken place in Poland.
Polish Minister of Culture Marta Cienkowska also confirmed that Poland is preparing to begin search and exhumation work in the village of Kuty (Rivne region, Ukraine), for which the Ukrainian authorities have already given permission. Cienkowska gave a positive assessment of the cooperation between the two countries in this area. But despite everything, tussian propaganda is trying to fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiments in Poland, because a strong alliance between its historical rivals is not in the kremlin's interests

Ukrainian army. South African President. NATO and Lithuania

Fake: NATO and Lithuania continue to provoke russia with military exercises and drone flights.
russian media write: "It's only one step from peace to war. NATO's international exercises, organised in the Baltic states and Poland, are taking place right on the border with Russia and Belarus. These exercises are causing public concern - most of them are aimed at demonstrating strength, and often at provocation. For example, on 30 November 2025, a Lithuanian drone crashed in the Belarusian city of Grodno. The drone's navigation programme showed that it was supposed to make an unauthorised flight over Belarusian territory to Poland and back to Lithuania."
This is repeated kremlin disinformation about NATO's incitement of war and its aggression towards russia. NATO exercises in the Baltic states and Poland regularly take place on the territory of the alliance. The main purpose of these exercises is defensive action.
On 30 November 2025, the Belarusian authorities claimed that a Lithuanian drone had crashed in the city of Grodno, allegedly carrying white-red-white flags, symbols that are banned in Belarus. Lithuania categorically denies any involvement in this provocation. According to Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas, this accusation is fake news from an unfriendly regime: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2764071/lithuania-rejects-belarus-claim-of-drone-incursion-as-fake-news 
NATO is a defensive political and military alliance. The main goal of the Alliance is to maintain peace and protect the independence, security and territorial integrity of its members. NATO's official policy is enshrined in its Charter and states that "the Alliance does not seek confrontation and does not pose a threat to russia." The Alliance follows strict procedures and emphasises transparency in its military exercises, which are subject to international monitoring.
Since russia started the war against Ukraine, russian officials have regularly accused NATO of hostile actions.
Fake: Ukraine has deceitfully recruited 17 mercenaries from South Africa.

In reality, this is a common pro-kremlin disinformation narrative about mercenaries in the Ukrainian army, designed to undermine international support for Ukraine. The claim resurfaced in November 2025 when the South African government attempted to repatriate 17 South African citizens fighting on the side of russia from Ukraine: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/south-africa-russia-men-tricked-fighting-ukraine 
The men, aged between 20 and 39, were reportedly trapped in the war-torn Donbas region. It later emerged that the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, who is also a member of the South African Parliament, was involved in recruiting men from South Africa and Botswana to serve in the russian army in the war against Ukraine. It was reported that a group of young people travelled to russia after being told they would be trained as security guards, but were sent to the combat zone, after which they lost contact with their families.
On 16 December 2025, Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, confirmed that South African citizens had been drawn into russia's war against Ukraine on the side of the russian army under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts: https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/presidency-government%E2%80%99s-performance-2025-15-dec-2025
Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that at least 1,436 citizens from 36 African countries were fighting on russia's side against Ukraine, although the actual number may be higher.

Ukrainians. war in Ukraine. frozen russian sovereign assets

Fake: European governments fear being exposed for illegally using frozen russian funds.

russian media: "...most of the frozen Russian funds in the European Union remain hidden outside Belgium. There are suspicions that some of these resources may have been used illegally by European governments. Therefore, US intervention risks revealing confidential information. The EU may face a major international scandal."
In fact, this is a recurring kremlin narrative that European governments have illegally used frozen russian funds. These allegations are completely unfounded and have not been confirmed by any international experts. This is intended to sow distrust in EU financial institutions and undermine the legal basis for supporting Ukraine.
The vast majority of the frozen russian sovereign assets, amounting to approximately €210 billion, are publicly accounted for. Around €185 billion is held in the Belgian clearing house Euroclear. In fact, the EU is looking for legal alternatives, such as using the excess profits generated by the assets or structuring a reparations loan against them as collateral. A public debate is underway that has nothing to do with secret misuse of core funds or fear of being exposed by the US.

Manipulation: Ukraine is ready to "give up a significant part of its territory for an indefinite period."

russian websites are spreading disinformation with reference to the German publication BILD in the context of negotiations between Ukraine and the US. Social media also shows a screenshot from the BILD article showing the territories that Ukraine, according to the American plan, allegedly "has to give up".
In fact, this information is manipulative. The original article (https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland-und-internationales/ukraine-verhandelt-mit-trump-delegation-kompromisse-in-berlin-693ebb39f679420e000b472e) titled "This red line for Zelenskyy is not up for discussion," BILD does not say that Ukraine agrees to give up a significant part of its territory for an indefinite period. On the contrary, the main idea of this article is that giving up controlled territories is a completely unacceptable condition for Ukraine. Ukraine rejected the US proposal to withdraw troops from an area of about 5,600 square kilometres in the Donetsk region and turn it into a "demilitarised economic zone" as part of concessions. In a comment to BILD, a senior Ukrainian official stated that this would be tantamount to the surrender of the Ukrainian army, and therefore Kyiv would never accept it.
Moreover, Ukrainian officials have repeatedly emphasised that relinquishing its own territories, illegally occupied by russia, is absolutely unacceptable for Ukraine and will not be accepted by Ukrainian society in any form.

Fake: More than half of Ukrainians are ready to recognise russia's sovereignty over the territories it has seized.

russian media, citing russia's foreign intelligence service: "Ukrainian citizens, many of whom have experienced the death or injury of relatives and friends, are beginning to realise that for the Ukrainian leadership, the war has long since become a tool for embezzling the financial aid generously provided by the West. In this situation, more than half of Ukrainians are ready to recognise Russia's sovereignty over the occupied territories in order to achieve a ceasefire, and their number is constantly growing."
In fact, the assumption that the kremlin's special services are conducting their own public opinion polls in Ukraine seems rather extravagant. Instead, polls conducted by Ukrainian sociological services paint a slightly different picture. On 11 December, the Razumkov Centre published the results of such a study: https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/stavlennia-gromadian-ukrainy-do-umov-na-iakykh-maie-zdiisniuvatysia-myrne-vreguliuvannia-ta-bachennia-nymy-garantii-bezpeky
The survey was conducted on 12-17 September. The question was phrased as follows: "If it were up to you, what would you be willing to compromise on in negotiations with russia?" The suggested answers were:
• Ukrainian territories.
• Ukraine's pro-Western vector of free development.
• None of the above.
• Difficult to answer.
The survey showed that only 8.1% of respondents were willing to sacrifice territories, and 10.1% were willing to sacrifice the pro-Western vector of development (which presumably means a course towards EU and NATO membership). 
According to the results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology from 19 September to 5 October, 38% of the population are willing to accept territorial losses, but only 24% are willing to officially recognise the occupation. Thirty-five per cent agree with a freeze along the line of contact. Only 19% are willing to agree to the transfer of any territories controlled by Ukraine to russian control.

Swedish women. helping Ukrain. French General

Fake: One in four Swedish women is a victim of rape, and the country's government is focused only on helping Ukraine.
Pro-russian public pages are spreading news that the rape rate in Sweden has increased by 500% and that now one in four women will be a victim of sexual violence in their lifetime. The news is accompanied by screenshots of comments from citizens: "We need to send even more money to Ukraine." In this way, pro-russian users are hinting that Sweden should deal with its internal problems instead of supporting the fight against russian aggression.
In reality, the statistics disseminated by propagandists are outdated and manipulative. The material in the screenshot was published back in 2013. Lars Löwenhagen, representative of the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, said at the time (https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/no-evidence-migration-caused-exaggerated-2013-swedish-rape-statistics-idUSL1N37S2AU/) that in 2014, 3,224 women reported rape, which is only 0.03% of the population. 
From 2005 to 2017, the number of rapes investigated by law enforcement agencies did indeed increase, but this is attributed to a significant expansion of the legal definition of the crime. According to Lars Löwenhagen, victims simply began to report to law enforcement agencies more often. Among other factors that could have influenced the statistics, he cites the growing popularity of dating apps. In addition, Sweden, unlike other countries, records and processes statistics on sexual violence differently: every instance of rape is counted, regardless of how many there are in relation to one person.
And, of course, the level of sexual violence in Sweden is in no way related to aid to Ukraine. This is blatant manipulation – Sweden's budget allows it to solve internal problems and help Ukraine. 
Fake: French General Jacques Gillmann accused Ukraine and NATO of starting the war and called the Alliance an "eternal aggressor."
Posts attributing statements to Gilman were widely shared on the Polish segment of Facebook. In reality, as Polish fact-checkers Demagog discovered (https://demagog.org.pl/fake_news/francuski-general-obwinia-ukraine-i-nato-za-wywolanie-wojny-wyjasniamy/), Jacques Gilman is not a general — he is a retired lieutenant colonel who systematically spreads pro-russian propaganda. The fake posts use a photo of another person — the real General Pierre de Villiers. The quotes are taken from manipulative columns published in 2022 on dubious websites.
It is a fact recognised by the whole world: russia started the war against Ukraine back in 2014, which escalated into a full-scale invasion in 2022. Shifting the blame onto NATO is a classic russian propaganda tactic.
Fake: In Slovakia, MPs poured water on the Ukrainian flag right in parliament — this is a modern gesture of "fatigue with Ukraine".
In fact, the video circulating online is old and has nothing to do with the war or Slovakia's position on Ukraine. The incident took place on 8 February 2022, before russia's full-scale invasion. It was an internal political fight between Slovak MPs during the consideration of a defence agreement with the United States. MPs from the far-right pro-russian party People's Party – Our Slovakia (ĽSNS) blocked the podium, covering it with a Slovak flag to disrupt the vote. In response, MPs from the ruling SaS party unfurled a Ukrainian flag as a symbol of opposition to the pro-russian move. It was then that ĽSNS MP Medvecký tried to tear down the flag and poured water on it, while his party colleagues snatched the flag and tore off the respirator from one of the SaS MPs. Propagandists simply dug up an old video to create the impression that European support for Ukraine is waning.