Delegitimation of Ukrainian leadership through accusations of corruption, "occultism", and illegitimacy
19 sources · 1,067 posts · ~6.2M reach
What it claims
Ukrainian leadership and their families are portrayed as cynical beneficiaries of the conflict, profiting from Western aid and the suffering of the population. Propaganda blends real anti-corruption investigations with fabrications about "occult rituals" and "dictatorship" to present the government as a puppet regime deliberately leading the country toward a humanitarian catastrophe.
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.
Zelenskyy convinced Washington of the possibility of victory only by bribing the editorial staff of Politico.
Open Ukraine| Открытая Украина, 29 Jul 2026 · Archived copy
While Ukrainians die at the front and remain without power, the president's inner circle fights over corruption schemes worth billions of dollars.
Резидент, 28 Jul 2026 · Archived copy
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 undermine trust in state institutions, provoke internal destabilization, and convince Western partners that supporting a "corrupt regime" is futile.
Techniques used
- Appeal to Fear / PrejudiceInstilling fear through claims of an "occult theme", "cemetery rituals", and a "concentration camp regime" of life in Ukraine.
- Name Calling or LabelingUse of derogatory labels for the President and the Head of the Presidential Office, such as "Clown-narcissist", "R2D2", and "vermin".
The real grievance it exploits
The narrative exploits genuine societal sensitivity to corruption during wartime, war fatigue, and fears of power abuse under martial law.
How to counter
- Technique exposure: Propaganda uses the tactic of "mixing truth with lies": real procedural actions by anti-corruption agencies (NABU/SAP) are supplemented with absurd fabrications about magic to discredit the very idea of Ukrainian statehood.
- Reframe: The existence of investigations into high-ranking officials does not signal a "regime collapse" but rather the effectiveness of democratic anti-corruption institutions operating independently of rank, unlike the authoritarian system in Russia.
Sources (all time)
30 posts · 26 Jun – 4 Aug 2026
- 4 Aug · Archived copy
- 3 Aug · t.me/L0HMATIY/37522
- 3 Aug · t.me/L0HMATIY/37512
- 2 Aug · t.me/L0HMATIY/37511
- 31 Jul · t.me/L0HMATIY/37478
- 30 Jul · t.me/L0HMATIY/37458
- 30 Jul · t.me/L0HMATIY/37453
- 30 Jul · t.me/L0HMATIY/37450
- 29 Jul · Archived copy
- 25 Jul · t.me/L0HMATIY/37344
- +20 more
36 posts · 23 Jun – 30 Jul 2026
- 30 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22925
- 30 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22924
- 30 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22920
- 25 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22885
- 24 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22883
- 22 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22879
- 22 Jul · Archived copy
- 21 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22876
- 21 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22875
- 18 Jul · t.me/legitimniy/22859
- +26 more
45 posts · 26 Jun – 3 Aug 2026
- 3 Aug · t.me/free_kherson_z/17576
- 1 Aug · t.me/free_kherson_z/17530
- 31 Jul · t.me/free_kherson_z/17526
- 31 Jul · t.me/free_kherson_z/17519
- 30 Jul · t.me/free_kherson_z/17512
- 27 Jul · t.me/free_kherson_z/17449
- 26 Jul · t.me/free_kherson_z/17439
- 26 Jul · t.me/free_kherson_z/17435
- 25 Jul · t.me/free_kherson_z/17431
- 25 Jul · t.me/free_kherson_z/17430
- +35 more
82 posts · 9 May – 30 Jul 2026
- 30 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23930
- 30 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23926
- 30 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23922
- 29 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23909
- 28 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23906
- 28 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23903
- 27 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23893
- 25 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23849
- 24 Jul · Archived copy
- 24 Jul · t.me/MediaKiller2021/23834
- +72 more
50 posts · 27 Jun – 6 Aug 2026
- 6 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30348
- 5 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30339
- 5 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30338
- 5 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30336
- 4 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30290
- 3 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30258
- 3 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30256
- 3 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30253
- 2 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30220
- 2 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30217
- +40 more
170 posts · 25 Apr – 7 Aug 2026
- 7 Aug · t.me/ASupersharij/58382
- 3 Aug · t.me/ASupersharij/58200
- 30 Jul · t.me/ASupersharij/57957
- 30 Jul · t.me/ASupersharij/57955
- 29 Jul · t.me/ASupersharij/57843
- 28 Jul · t.me/ASupersharij/57839
- 28 Jul · t.me/ASupersharij/57830
- 24 Jul · t.me/ASupersharij/57669
- 24 Jul · t.me/ASupersharij/57668
- 24 Jul · t.me/ASupersharij/57662
- +160 more
166 posts · 25 Apr – 29 Jul 2026
- 29 Jul · Archived copy
- 24 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100483
- 22 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100391
- 21 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100360
- 20 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100316
- 17 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100221
- 15 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100121
- 15 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100081
- 13 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100020
- 13 Jul · t.me/OpenUkraine/100015
- +156 more
57 posts · 9 May – 29 Jul 2026
- 29 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31620
- 29 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31619
- 29 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31618
- 27 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31592
- 25 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31569
- 24 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31558
- 24 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31556
- 23 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31541
- 23 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31539
- 23 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31532
- +47 more
60 posts · 22 Jun – 3 Aug 2026
- 3 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30142
- 1 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30136
- 1 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30134
- 31 Jul · t.me/rezident_ua/30127
- 31 Jul · t.me/rezident_ua/30125
- 30 Jul · t.me/rezident_ua/30121
- 30 Jul · t.me/rezident_ua/30120
- 28 Jul · Archived copy
- 28 Jul · t.me/rezident_ua/30107
- 28 Jul · t.me/rezident_ua/30103
- +50 more
29 posts · 23 May – 28 Jul 2026
- 28 Jul · t.me/stranaua/243195
- 28 Jul · t.me/stranaua/243189
- 28 Jul · t.me/stranaua/243183
- 18 Jul · t.me/stranaua/242143
- 18 Jul · t.me/stranaua/242137
- 17 Jun · t.me/stranaua/238993
- 17 Jun · t.me/stranaua/238951
- 11 Jun · t.me/stranaua/238383
- 11 Jun · t.me/stranaua/238366
- 11 Jun · t.me/stranaua/238357
- +19 more
7 posts · 24 Apr – 16 Jul 2026
- 16 Jul · x.com/Kornilov1968/status/2077820321835405803
- 15 Jun · x.com/Kornilov1968/status/2066387687402016781
- 18 May · x.com/Kornilov1968/status/2056241569385107553
- 11 May · x.com/Kornilov1968/status/2053705883163714010
- 6 May · x.com/Kornilov1968/status/2051878987337547896
- 4 May · x.com/Kornilov1968/status/2051169596850290907
- 24 Apr · x.com/Kornilov1968/status/2047559311954727076
15 posts · 20 Jun – 16 Jul 2026
- 16 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1246
- 12 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1238
- 12 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1237
- 10 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1232
- 9 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1230
- 5 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1226
- 5 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1225
- 2 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1220
- 1 Jul · t.me/murayevUA/1217
- 30 Jun · t.me/murayevUA/1216
- +5 more
14 posts · 29 Jun – 27 Jul 2026
- 27 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2081778272023540129
- 26 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2081313407941157137
- 22 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2079956286083400175
- 20 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2079247713133097366
- 17 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2078156801665561010
- 17 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2078134690645483933
- 17 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2077987707662287212
- 17 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2077983937255624918
- 15 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2077478856747868512
- 13 Jul · x.com/i_korotchenko/status/2076739889501024407
- +4 more
49 posts · 13 May – 3 Aug 2026
- 3 Aug · t.me/skosoi/9982
- 3 Aug · t.me/skosoi/9978
- 3 Aug · t.me/skosoi/9974
- 30 Jul · t.me/skosoi/9940
- 28 Jul · t.me/skosoi/9933
- 27 Jul · t.me/skosoi/9920
- 25 Jul · t.me/skosoi/9906
- 24 Jul · t.me/skosoi/9895
- 22 Jul · t.me/skosoi/9878
- 22 Jul · t.me/skosoi/9875
- +39 more
15 posts · 2–28 Jul 2026
- 28 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2082025491905515913
- 27 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2081709882596573669
- 26 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2081449422349910213
- 25 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2080971079657414905
- 24 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2080643651231731934
- 23 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2080298095003242994
- 23 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2080292143118102980
- 22 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2079720052077588934
- 21 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2079661707899920523
- 17 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2077910550974013779
- +5 more
31 posts · 25 Jun – 31 Jul 2026
- 31 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3550
- 31 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3548
- 29 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3537
- 29 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3536
- 28 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3518
- 27 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3513
- 27 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3512
- 24 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3500
- 22 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3496
- 22 Jul · t.me/odessa_partizan/3495
- +21 more
31 posts · 24 Jun – 28 Jul 2026
- 28 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8318
- 25 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8306
- 24 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8303
- 24 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8302
- 24 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8297
- 23 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8293
- 23 Jul · Archived copy
- 22 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8286
- 22 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8285
- 21 Jul · t.me/O_Arestovich_official/8284
- +21 more
162 posts · 27 Apr – 3 Aug 2026
- 3 Aug · t.me/MonitoringUA/93969
- 31 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93888
- 27 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93720
- 27 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93716
- 27 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93715
- 24 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93643
- 23 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93587
- 22 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93546
- 22 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93545
- 22 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93537
- +152 more
18 posts · 1 May – 14 Jul 2026
- 14 Jul · t.me/OlgaSharij/9575
- 9 Jul · t.me/OlgaSharij/9573
- 16 Jun · t.me/OlgaSharij/9568
- 16 Jun · t.me/OlgaSharij/9566
- 15 Jun · t.me/OlgaSharij/9561
- 15 Jun · t.me/OlgaSharij/9560
- 10 Jun · t.me/OlgaSharij/9553
- 7 Jun · t.me/OlgaSharij/9549
- 5 Jun · t.me/OlgaSharij/9547
- 4 Jun · t.me/OlgaSharij/9544
- +8 more
Report as of 7 Aug 2026 · AI-generated analysis