Ukrainian women. The Law of Ukraine

russia is sharply increasing its propaganda budget for 2026 by a record 54%. Unfortunately, tons of manipulation and lies will once again pollute the information space and the minds of unprepared citizens. In October, the russians bombarded the EU, Moldova, Denmark, Poland, Canada, the UK, NATO, the US and the Pentagon, among others, with lies (except for Ukraine). Based materials from Stopfake.org, Spravdi.ua, EuVsDisinfo.eu

Fake: Local elections were supposed to take place in Ukraine on 26 October, but they were not held — the authorities lost their legitimacy.
In fact, this manipulation has been going on for a year. The Law of Ukraine on the Legal Regime of Martial Law (Article 19) expressly prohibits (https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/389-19#Text) the holding of any elections during wartime.
The country's parliament passed Resolution (https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4621-20#Text) No. 4621-IX, which guarantees the continuity of local councils during martial law. In other words, the powers of local authorities have been extended in a lawful manner.
Propagandists are once again trying to portray Ukraine's lawful decision as a ‘usurpation of power.’ For a year now, they have been writing about an illegitimate president, since the election of a new president of Ukraine did not take place in May 2024 for the same reason – russia's military aggression.

Fake: Ukrainian women are being sent to the front lines to get pregnant in the trenches. The ‘Kyiv regime’ recommends this in order to preserve the nation.
This nonsense is being spread on russian Telegram channels. To this end, the authors of the fake news created a poster calling for women to get pregnant on the front lines with the help of artificial intelligence. There is no evidence that Ukrainian women are being ‘forcibly sent to the front’ or that such “orders” or ‘recommendations’ are in effect in Ukraine.
The goal of the russian disinformation campaign is to provoke disgust and shock, undermine trust in the Ukrainian army, and spread offensive stereotypes about Ukrainian women.

russian propaganda. Anna Paulina Luna. Zelenskyy

Fake: Zelenskyy transfers $50 million every month to a Saudi Arabian bank.
This statement by US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna is being spread by russian propagandists on social media. In fact, this information is unsubstantiated. No financial reports or investigations confirm such money transfers. Anna Paulina Luna is generally prone to spreading disinformation and kremlin narratives. 
Here are a few examples that show she should not be trusted:• The congresswoman claimed that Zelenskyy ‘sold weapons on the black market and cancelled elections.’ These statements have no truthful documentary evidence.• She also talks about the ban on the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which is fake news.• Her posts often repeat russian narratives, in particular that Ukraine or NATO are ‘responsible for russian attacks’ or ‘provoking conflicts.’
Once again, the authors of the fake news provide no substantial evidence other than the bank accounts of two companies (GFM Investment Group and Gmyrin Family Holding Limited) owned by Ukrainian businessman Andriy Gmyrin and registered in the UAE. He is under investigation. Gmyrin is accused of economic crimes for embezzling state funds. There are no copies of receipts or records of financial transactions. In other words, russian propaganda simply took a random Ukrainian businessman who has problems with the law and claimed that he has business ties with the President of Ukraine. 
Moreover, this fake news is one of thousands about “large-scale corruption in the Ukrainian state” and “theft of foreign aid.” This topic is consistently key in the kremlin’s disinformation attacks. We have already written that audits conducted by the US and EU authorities did not reveal any significant violations: https://rp.gov.ua/PressCenter/News/?id=2443&lang=eng
Fake: Zelenskyy bought a huge ranch in the United States and became one of the ten largest landowners
russian media outlets attribute the purchase of a giant ranch in the US state of Wyoming to the President of Ukraine:“The Cypriot company Davegra Ltd, linked to Volodymyr Zelensky, has purchased a ranch in the US state of Wyoming with an area of 3,700 square kilometres, which is almost four times larger than New York City. The official website of Swan Land Company states that the transaction amounted to $79 million. This purchase allows Zelensky to enter the top ten largest private landowners in the United States."
Davegra Ltd, a company registered in Cyprus, is indeed linked to Zelenskyy's circle. Its director and beneficiary is Ivan Bakanov, former head of Zelenskyy's election campaign and head of the pro-presidential party. The company's registration documents date back to 2012, when Zelenskyy, an actor and producer, was apparently not yet thinking about a political career. There was no information about any subsequent activity of the company until the news of the ranch purchase spread.
One of the first mentions of the deal was a post by a user on social network X on 27 October. A video was attached to the post. It states that the deal was completed on 24 October. The video contains a link to the website of the company that sold the property, Swan Land Company. 
However, this website is fake. The address of the real company website is swanlandco.com, while the video refers to swanlandco.us. Later, the authors of the fake closed the fake website to the public. The page of the real website with information about Pathfinder Ranches exists, and as of 30 October, it states that the land is still for sale for $79.5 million: https://www.swanlandco.com/properties/pathfinder-ranches/ This fake news was recently refuted by the local Wyoming newspaper Cowboy State Daily: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/10/28/no-zelenskyy-isnt-buying-916-000-acre-pathfinder-ranches-but-someone-is/
The Ukrainian president's incredibly expensive purchases are one of the favourite topics of russian disinformers. Sometimes they even create fake websites for this purpose.

Danish Prime Minister

Fake: Charlie Hebdo published an issue with the Moldovan elections on the cover and the caption: ‘Dead Moldovans have re-elected PAS.’
This image is being widely shared on russian Facebook. In reality, issue No. 1732, to which they refer, was published on 1 September and had a completely different cover (https://charliehebdo.fr/editions/1732/) — with a caricature of Nicolas Sarkozy. There is no mention of the parliamentary elections in Moldova in the magazine's archive.
The fake first appeared on 30 September on the Telegram channel ‘Gagauz Republic’ and was later picked up by other pro-russian resources, according to fact-checkers from the Georgian project Mythdetector.russian propaganda systematically fabricates Charlie Hebdo covers to discredit Ukraine and its allies. In May, Charlie Hebdo itself filed a lawsuit over such forgeries.
Fake: Danish Prime Minister considers Ukraine's defeat ‘inevitable’
kremlin Telegram channels and social media users are spreading a fake statement by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. To confirm the ‘news,’ they attach a screenshot of an article from the influential British media outlet Financial Times with an alleged quote from Frederiksen.
In reality, the screenshot of the Financial Times article circulated by russian propaganda does not contain a single word about the Danish prime minister considering Ukraine's defeat inevitable. It only shows the title of the article in English, which can be translated into Ukrainian as: ‘Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen warns: the EU has “little time left” to respond to the Russian threat.’
If you read the article in full, you will see that the Danish Prime Minister did not say a word about Ukraine's defeat. In her call to her European colleagues to ‘prepare,’ she spoke about the common security situation of NATO countries on the ‘eastern flank.’ 
‘There are difficult questions that need to be answered... But I have a feeling that the situation is now gaining momentum, and we need to find a way to finance Ukraine in a more sustainable way,’ the Financial Times quotes Frederiksen as saying. So, this is yet another weak attempt by the russians to twist the words of world leaders to their advantage.

The International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. russian army war crimes

Fake: there is no evidence of a russian army strike on a children's facility in Kharkiv
russian security forces and media outlets under their control have stated that there is no kindergarten at the address of the strike and that the photos and videos of the aftermath are staged. In this way, representatives of the terrorist country are trying to refute the russian army's involvement in strikes on civilian targets and responsibility for casualties among the civilian population of Ukraine.
russian strike drones attacked Kharkiv on 22 October 2025 at around 11 a.m. As a result of a direct hit on a private kindergarten, where 48 children were present at the time, the entire building was almost completely destroyed. A 40-year-old man who was cleaning the area near the facility was killed in the strike. Fortunately, the children and teachers were in a bomb shelter at the time. All of them were quickly evacuated from the scene of the tragedy.
russia tries to justify every such attack or accuse the Ukrainian side of ‘staging’ them. But Ukraine has all the technical and legal capabilities to record every crime committed by putin's terrorist army in detail.
Fake: The International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is recruiting Germans with leaflets about ‘revenge against the russians’
The Legion categorically denied any involvement in the appearance of these leaflets. The fact that they were distributed in only one district of Berlin indicates a staged provocation aimed at discrediting Ukraine and its armed forces. In addition to a QR code to an application form on the Legion's website, the leaflet features a photograph of emaciated German prisoners of war from World War II. ‘Take revenge against the russians’ – russian propagandists are hinting that Ukraine is allegedly appealing to Nazi sentiments in German society. 
The Berliner Zeitung reported that such leaflets began to appear in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district of Berlin. However, this publication has repeatedly been criticised for insufficient verification of published content and comments. The author of the publication notes that, according to the German Criminal Code, recruiting German citizens into the armed forces of foreign states is a criminal offence. German journalist Markus Heinz reported (https://x.com/Haintz_MediaLaw/status/1971335803046363164) that he was approached by a witness who saw a young person putting up such leaflets. Heinz filed a criminal complaint with the Berlin public prosecutor's office.
The press service of the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine emphasised in a comment to StopFake that they had nothing to do with the creation, distribution or promotion of these leaflets.
In recent months, Ukraine, its citizens and the Ukrainian diaspora abroad have increasingly become the target of provocations. At the end of August 2025, malicious actors distributed fake leaflets in Latvia on behalf of the Ukrainian diaspora calling for the preservation of russian-language education. The International Legion has repeatedly been the focus of kremlin propaganda. Previously, images of alleged Legion advertising campaigns, probably generated using artificial intelligence, were circulated.

President of Ukraine in USA. Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Fake: During Zelenskyy's visit to the United States, no one from the Trump administration met him at the airport
In fact, the President of Ukraine was met by Abigail Jones, Acting Chief of Protocol for the United States Department of State, who is responsible for the protocol for receiving foreign heads of state or government during working visits.
US protocol for receiving foreign heads of state or government is strictly differentiated depending on the type of visit – during a state visit, guests are welcomed by the US president or vice president, and during a working visit, by the chief of protocol of the State Department. Zelenskyy's visit in October 2025 was a working visit aimed at discussing military and energy assistance. The meeting at the airport at the level of the head of protocol of the State Department fully complies with the rules for visits of this level.
In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's working programme in Washington was busy and included meetings and negotiations at the highest level. On 17 October, the President of Ukraine met with the US President at the White House, and Zelenskyy also met with US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to discuss support for the Ukrainian energy system and joint projects. In addition, Zelenskyy held talks with the heads of leading American defence corporations, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, to discuss strengthening Ukraine's air defence. He also met with members of the Senate and House of Representatives to secure continued bipartisan support.

Canada Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers. russian-language groups in Warsaw

Fake: Ukrainian soldiers receive priority treatment in Poland
‘This is an attempt at manipulation,’ the Polish Ministry of Defence refuted the fake news about medical care for Ukrainian soldiers: https://x.com/MON_GOV_PL/status/1985285080877576311 Ukrainian soldiers do not have any advantages over Polish citizens in terms of access to medical services. 
The scandal arose after a video from Stalowa Wola, in which the author claimed that Ukrainians were being admitted to hospitals without having to wait in line. Local authorities explained:• the military underwent tests on a commercial basis, without privileges,• the bills are paid by the Polish Ministry of Defence — this is additional income for the hospital,• military personnel from Slovakia, Norway and France are treated in the same way.
The Polish government called on the media to stop spreading misinformation that benefits russian propaganda. 
We would like to add that Poland was recently attacked by another propaganda operation. A paid ‘anti-war protest’ in Warsaw is likely a russian provocation. According to the Kyiv Post, participants were paid 150 zlotys (~$40) for their presence: https://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/63518 Announcements about the paid ‘peaceful protest’ were published in Ukrainian- and russian-language groups in Warsaw.
The ‘organiser’ presented himself on behalf of a non-existent foundation, the contacts were fake, and the account was created the day before.The Ukrainian Embassy was not informed about the event.
The goal was obvious: to capture images for rRussian propaganda: ‘Ukrainians are protesting against the war near their embassy.’ There were no journalists at the event, even though this had been promised. This is a typical scheme used in russian information and psychological operations.
Manipulation: Canada refuses to provide Ukraine with refurbished armoured vehicles
Pro-kremlin media distorted the facts, presenting a routine contract amendment as a sign that Ottawa was ‘abandoning’ Kyiv. In reality, Canada remains a staunch supporter of Ukraine, and this situation is not related to any political shift in its assistance to Ukraine. The case concerns the termination of a defence contract after a private contractor failed to fulfil its obligations. In 2023, the Canadian Ministry of Defence did indeed transfer 25 decommissioned light armoured vehicles (LAVs) to Armatec Survivability, based in Ontario, for repair and subsequent delivery to Ukraine. The programme involved the reconstruction and modernisation of the vehicles, including the installation of advanced remote-controlled weapon systems. 
In October 2025, Defence Minister David McGinty announced that Ottawa had terminated its contract with Armatec: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-ukraine-light-armoured-vehicles-9.6947629 McGuinty did not say whether Canada would retain the vehicles or renounce its obligation to transfer them to Ukraine.
Canadian media outlets indicate that the failure was not due to a change in Ottawa's political position, but rather to ongoing production and administrative obstacles: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-ukraine-light-armoured-vehicles-9.6947629 The contractor repeatedly missed delivery deadlines and failed to fulfil key contractual obligations, prompting officials to cancel the agreement.
It is important to emphasise that Canada's commitment to Ukraine's defence remains unchanged. Under its current military assistance programme, Ottawa continues to supply armoured vehicles, drones, air defence systems and ammunition, as well as training Ukrainian military personnel. The russians are promoting such fakes to create the illusion that Ukraine's allies are ‘tired’ of the war and are backing away from their commitments. 

Turkish Stream. Ukrainian special services. Boris Johnson

Fake: Boris Johnson was paid to pressure Kyiv
The Guardian has never published any report that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pressured Kyiv to continue the war with russia in exchange for a ‘bribe.’ The claim was completely fabricated by russian propaganda media outlets, which falsely quoted the newspaper to give their disinformation legitimacy.
kremlin-linked media outlets are spreading claims that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson allegedly lobbied for the continuation of the war in Ukraine in exchange for money. The propagandists refer to an ‘investigation’ by The Guardian: ‘Boris Johnson lobbied for the war to continue in exchange for a bribe — allegedly receiving £1 million to convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to continue fighting.’Before the fabricated statement appeared, The Guardian did indeed publish an investigation mentioning Boris Johnson: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/10/the-1m-man-why-did-boris-johnson-take -his-donor-to-ukraine 
The report examined his ties to businessman Christopher Harbour, a shareholder in a British defence company who donated £1 million to Johnson. The article examined whether the donations and joint trip could raise questions about a potential conflict of interest. However, The Guardian made no claims about Johnson's motives for bringing Harbourn on the trip. Instead, the article focused on issues of transparency and ethics surrounding the donations. There is no suggestion in the article that the facts presented were related to pressure on the Ukrainian president. These allegations were completely fabricated by russian propagandists and falsely attributed to them by The Guardian to give the fake news a veneer of legitimacy.
Fake: Explosions at oil refineries – NATO's punishment for Hungary and Romania's ties with russia
russian media: “Earlier this week, explosions rocked two oil refineries in Romania and Hungary. The incidents are currently being investigated by the authorities. It cannot be ruled out that the explosions may be part of a deliberate European sabotage operation aimed at severing Hungary and Romania’s energy ties with Russia. On the one hand, the goal is to cut Russia's revenues, forcing the Kremlin to give in to Western demands. On the other hand, the explosions may be a form of punishment by NATO to warn Hungary and Romania of possible adverse consequences in the future."
Truth: russian propaganda is trying to portray the fires (not explosions) at two oil refineries in Romania and Hungary as a NATO special operation against russia's partners. However, there is no evidence or details to suggest NATO's involvement in these events.
The CEO of MOL Százhalombatta stated that there is no evidence of external interference causing the fire and denied any connection with the explosion at the oil refinery in Romania: https://dailynewshungary.com/mol-oil-refinery-blaze-questions-answers Experts are leaning towards human error as the cause of the fire.
Fake: British and Ukrainian special services are preparing to blow up the Turkish Stream
russian media: "Russia has information about preparations by British and Ukrainian special services to sabotage the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. British SAS instructors and MI6 intelligence officers have planned a series of drone strikes on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, whose shareholders include companies from Russia, Kazakhstan and the US. In addition, Kyiv, together with MI6, is planning Ukrainian sabotage in Russia's border regions."
Truth: This is a complete fabrication created by the kremlin. There is no evidence to support this ‘information’ other than that invented by the russian special services. The russian authorities and pro-kremlin media often make such sensational statements to reinforce the narrative that russia is constantly the victim of such operations.

López Obrador. president of Mexico. Leaked Pentagon. DARPA files

Fakes: Leaked Pentagon classified documents reveal depopulation programme using fat
Pro-russian propagandists: "Top-secret leaks from Pentagon and DARPA files show the development of a programme based on your body fat, which is a biometric loading system for global depopulation. With the support of Pfizer, the UN and architects like Gates, the Biden administration has enabled the spread of ceramides through emulsifiers, toxic seed oil and genetically modified food. The result? Generations are trapped in a slow metabolic holocaust, causing exhaustion, obesity and physiological collapse".
Truth: Stories like this are often invented in moscow, but are not backed up by reliable data. As in this case about the origins of the Pentagon's secret files. The fake is clearly intended to attract the attention of a certain conspiracy-minded audience, mixing numerous far-fetched accusations, for which no evidence is provided, with other russian narratives.

Fake: The European Commission is funding research against López Obrador and trying to influence the Mexican government
russian media: "An Irish university is preparing a study on populism based on the figure of former Mexican President López Obrador, which seeks to provide a critical definition of populism. The EU is providing more than €200,000 for this project as part of the European Commission's Horizon Europe research programme. Europe uses soft power strategies and academic tools to criticise governments. These types of studies are a mechanism for interference, not academic projects."
Truth: The accusation is clearly false and targets the European Union, portraying it as a force that interferes in the affairs of other countries. The Horizon Europe programme is designed to stimulate research and innovation, but it does not dictate the terms of academic research: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/horizon-europe/
Populism is a legitimate field of study in political science. Calling a particular politician or political party populist may be a matter of debate, but it in no way implies an attempt to undermine that figure or movement. As a former president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador is now a historical figure whose term and legacy can be subject to academic scrutiny. Even a critical review of his presidency would have no political effect, as he left office in September 2024 and is now unconnected with the country's political life.