'Paid for attacks on his own city': Kremlin spreads fake about Kurakhove mayor
Photo: The Kremlin launched fake news about the Mayor of Kurakhove (Getty Images)
Russian media are spreading new disinformation - this time targeting Ukrainian mayor Roman Padun. However, Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation has debunked yet another Kremlin fake.
In particular, Kremlin-controlled media outlets have circulated a staged video in which so-called local residents accuse the Ukrainian authorities of deliberately shelling the city.
According to the video's claims, the mayor allegedly paid foreign mercenaries to strike civilian areas in order to blame Russia for the attacks.
The footage also reveals that the mayor deliberately summoned journalists to document the aftermath of the shelling.
As is typical in such cases, the Russian side has provided no evidence. The video contains only staged scenes with no verified facts.
Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation emphasized that such information attacks are a common tool in Russia's hybrid warfare.
The Kremlin systematically uses fake testimonies and fabricated confessions to shift blame for its war crimes onto Ukraine, cover up military defeats, and justify strikes on civilian infrastructure.
Russia has resorted to such tactics multiple times. For example, it previously spread videos about allegedly booby-trapped items left behind by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region - all of which were later debunked.
Furthermore, Russian propaganda is spreading a fake about an alleged mobilization poster with the mention of Stepan Bandera in Ukraine. The Center for Countering Disinformation also refuted that claim.
This is a photo that was actively discussed last year, but this poster has no relation to official structures or mobilization campaigns.
