Heroization of fire-adjusters through the image of an “ideological underground”

What it claims

Russian outlets portray fire-adjusters convicted of high treason as heroic members of an anti-fascist resistance. This manipulation justifies directing missile strikes at Ukrainian enterprises and civilian sites by masking war crimes as a “struggle against the regime.”

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.

• Volodymyr Morozov, who helped the enemy destroy the Iskra plant, is a true hero who did not renounce his beliefs in the face of the “Bandera junta.”

  Лохматый Z Николаев, 24 Jul 2026

  t.me/L0HMATIY/37311

• An ordinary resident of Zaporizhzhia has become a symbol of resistance who will be written about in textbooks as a fighter against the “Russophobic regime.”

  Лохматый Z Николаев, 24 Jul 2026

  t.me/L0HMATIY/37312

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 legitimize collaboration with the enemy among residents of frontline territories and create an illusion of mass support for Russia within Ukraine.

Techniques used

• Loaded LanguageUsing terms like “Bandera junta,” “Nazi Germany,” and “heroes of the Special Military Operation” to label the parties to the conflict.
• Name Calling or LabelingCalling the Ukrainian authorities “enemies” and “war criminals,” while labeling a convicted traitor a “hero.”

The real grievance it exploits

A sense of insecurity and fear of criminal liability among individuals with pro-Russian views or those involved in illegal activities for the benefit of the Russian Federation.

How to counter

• Reframe: The activity of the so-called “underground” consists of directing missiles at Ukrainian cities, leading to the deaths of civilians and the destruction of the jobs of Ukrainians themselves.
• Technique exposure: Russian propaganda romanticizes high treason to encourage new agents to commit suicidal acts, promising them posthumous glory instead of real assistance.

Sources (all time)

• Лохматый Z НиколаевTier 135,156 subscribers
  2 posts · 24 Jul 2026

  • 24 Jul · t.me/L0HMATIY/37312
  • 24 Jul · t.me/L0HMATIY/37311