Demonizing Ukraine by attributing “Satanism” to the state

What it claims

Folklore imagery, a politician’s mention of “combat witches,” and ritual motifs are portrayed as signs of a state subordinate to Satanism. Cultural allusions and private remarks are reduced to a picture of the moral decay of the entire country. Accusations of links to Epstein are added to that image without an evidentiary connection.

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.

• Ukraine’s authorities have allegedly turned folk beliefs and images of “witches” into a state cult.

  Украина. Спецоперация. Мониторинг СВО, 31 Aug 2026 · Archived copy

• References to “witches” and politicians prove that Ukraine serves Satanism and has morally collapsed.

  Украина. Спецоперация. Мониторинг СВО, 31 Aug 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 Ukrainian society’s sense of belonging to its own culture and trust in state institutions by depicting them as morally corrupt.

Techniques used

• Exaggeration or MinimisationFolklore motifs and individual public references are inflated into a characterization of the entire state.
• Causal OversimplificationUnrelated cultural themes, political remarks, and accusations concerning Epstein are depicted as parts of one conspiracy.

The real grievance it exploits

People may be concerned about the misuse of religious symbolism in political disputes, degrading labels applied to cultural traditions, and a sense of moral uncertainty during war.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Notice the substitution of scale: a cultural image or an individual remark is not evidence of a society’s views or state policy. Combining such fragments with accusations of a secret conspiracy creates the impression of a coherent story without established links.
• Reframe: Folk beliefs, satire, religious language, and political rhetoric can be open to criticism. That does not justify equating a country’s culture, its citizens, and its state institutions with “Satanism.”

Sources (all time)

• Украина. Спецоперация. Мониторинг СВОTier 115,812 subscribers
  1 post · 31 Aug 2026

  • 31 Aug · Archived copy