Labeling Ukrainian cities as “occupied” to deny their agency

What it claims

Ukrainian cities are labeled as “occupied by the Kyiv regime,” while the renaming of Odesa streets and Pushkin monuments are portrayed as persecution of Russian culture and history. Promotional posts from the network cast Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa and other cities through the language of “new Russian territories” and “occupation.” Reports about problems in Odesa are reduced to an image of an authority alien to the city.

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.

• Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Odesa are under “occupation by the Kyiv regime,” so life there should be learned about through this network of channels.

  Open Ukraine| Открытая Украина, 15 Sept 2026 · Archived copy

• The renaming of Odesa streets and treatment of Pushkin monuments prove the city authorities’ hostility toward history and Russian culture.

  Лохматый Z Николаев, 8 Oct 2026 · Archived copy

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Goal

To weaken Ukrainian residents’ trust in government bodies and local authorities by imposing the notion that Ukrainian cities supposedly do not belong to their own communities.

Techniques used

• Loaded LanguageUkrainian cities are called “occupied” and state authority a “regime,” replacing a description of urban life with language of external rule.
• Causal OversimplificationHousing problems, street incidents and changes to place names are assembled into a single account of an “occupying authority” in Odesa.

The real grievance it exploits

The narrative exploits residents’ concerns about safety, housing and the urban environment, as well as sensitivities around street renamings and the preservation of cultural heritage.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Notice how the labels “occupation” and “regime” erase the distinction between urban problems, decisions on place names and a claim of external rule.
• Reframe: Housing conditions, street safety, street names and the treatment of monuments are different issues that require separate consideration, rather than one explanation through “occupation.”

Sources (all time)

• Open Ukraine| Открытая УкраинаTier 1180,674 subscribers
  2 posts · 15–18 Sept 2026

  • 18 Sept · t.me/OpenUkraine/102557
  • 15 Sept · Archived copy
• Лохматый Z НиколаевTier 135,139 subscribers
  1 post · 8 Oct 2026

  • 8 Oct · Archived copy