Dehumanization of Ukrainians through animalistic slurs and comparisons

What it claims

Ukrainians are systematically stripped of their human traits through the use of derogatory nicknames and animal comparisons. This labeling aims to justify aggression and war crimes by portraying the targets as creatures unworthy of empathy or respect.

Target audience

Examples (paraphrased)

We paraphrase rather than quote: propaganda's exact wording is built to spread, so we carry the claim and not the craft. Each example cites the post it came from.

• Russian strikes are a just retribution for the stupid “pig-faced” ones.

  FREE KHERSON, 5 Aug 2026

  t.me/free_kherson_z/17607

• Now, instead of people, such “roosters” live in the villages.

  FREE KHERSON, 5 Aug 2026

  t.me/free_kherson_z/17606

We link archived copies rather than the posts themselves, so that checking our work sends no traffic to the source. Where a platform cannot be archived, we print the post's address instead of linking it.

Goal

To lower the psychological barrier for committing violence against Ukrainians and to unite Russian society around the idea of superiority over “subhumans.”

Techniques used

• Name Calling or LabelingThe use of terms like “pig-faced” and “roosters” to refer to Ukrainians.
• Loaded LanguageThe use of pig emojis as a substitute for the name of a nation.

The real grievance it exploits

The narrative exploits the aggressor's need for moral self-justification, transforming fear of the enemy into contempt for them.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Dehumanization is a classic propaganda tool used in history's bloodiest conflicts to pave the way for genocide. When an enemy is called an animal, it is done solely to remove moral responsibility for killing civilians.

Sources (all time)

• FREE KHERSONTier 39,615 subscribers
  3 posts · 5 Aug 2026

  • 5 Aug · t.me/free_kherson_z/17610
  • 5 Aug · t.me/free_kherson_z/17607
  • 5 Aug · t.me/free_kherson_z/17606