Attributing the role of a source of global terrorism and instability to Ukraine

What it claims

Ukraine is portrayed as an uncontrollable aggressor that attacks civilian vessels and commits crimes abroad. These messages aim to convince the world that supporting Kyiv only fuels international chaos and threatens the security of third countries.

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 is supposedly waging a “dirty war” globally, attacking civilian targets from Africa to the Caspian Sea to beg for more money from the West.

  RT, 1 Aug 2026

  www.rt.com/news/643658-kiev-drone-war-global/

• A Ukrainian national supposedly committed a brutal attack on a woman in Poland, illustrating the threat Ukrainians pose to European security.

  RT, 3 Aug 2026

  www.rt.com/news/643816-ukrainian-stabs-polish-woman/

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 erode international support for Ukraine by casting it as a “toxic” partner whose actions provoke new conflicts and threaten civilians in Europe and globally.

Techniques used

• Loaded LanguageUse of terms like “dirty war,” “gift to Zionists,” and “terrorist attacks” to label Ukraine's actions.
• Causal OversimplificationLinking a common crime in Poland to the attacker's nationality to discredit all Ukrainians.

The real grievance it exploits

Fears within Western societies regarding the expansion of the war's geography, threats to shipping, and rising crime rates linked to the presence of refugees.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Notice how isolated criminal incidents or unconfirmed statements by Iranian officials are generalized into a “state strategy of terrorism” to intimidate foreigners.
• Reframe: Ukraine acts within international law, defending itself against Russian aggression, while it is Russia that uses mercenaries in Africa and blocks civilian shipping.

Sources (all time)

• RTTier 2~40.6M monthly visitors
  5 posts · 30 Jul – 4 Aug 2026

  • 4 Aug · www.rt.com/news/643820-turkish-ships-hit-drones/
  • 4 Aug · www.rt.com/news/643819-iran-called-off-ukraine-strike/
  • 3 Aug · www.rt.com/news/643816-ukrainian-stabs-polish-woman/
  • 1 Aug · www.rt.com/news/643658-kiev-drone-war-global/
  • 30 Jul · www.rt.com/news/643653-irgc-moghaddam-zelensky-gift-caspian-sea/