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Attributing “terrorism” and war crimes against civilians to Ukraine

Fast-decliningModerate

1 outlet · 2 posts · ~1.2M monthly reach

What it claims

Ukrainian defense forces are portrayed as a terrorist group that deliberately targets civilians and critical infrastructure. These messages aim to shift the responsibility for humanitarian disasters onto Kyiv and justify Russian aggression as a “defensive” measure.

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 using drones to scatter “butterfly” anti-personnel mines in residential areas, which constitutes a war crime.

    Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (X), 30 Jul 2026

    x.com/mfa_russia/status/2082848407169720693

  • The Kyiv regime attempted to strike the ZNPP, putting all of Europe on the brink of a nuclear disaster.

    Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (X), 30 Jul 2026

    x.com/mfa_russia/status/2082934228233105622

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 discredit Ukraine internationally as a “terrorist state” and undermine Ukrainian morale by accusing their army of atrocities.

Techniques used

  • Name Calling or LabelingUse of labels such as “Zelensky clique,” “Ukrainian militants,” and “Russia’s enemies.”
  • Appeal to Fear / PrejudiceInstilling panic through the threat of a radiation accident that would supposedly affect all of Europe.

The real grievance it exploits

The fear among civilians regarding shelling, landmine hazards, and the threat of a nuclear disaster in the combat zone.

How to counter

  • Technique exposure: Russia systematically uses the “mirror accusation” tactic, attributing to Ukraine the very crimes committed by the occupying army in the seized territories.
  • Reframe: The primary source of threat to the ZNPP and civilian sites is the presence of Russian troops and their militarization of energy infrastructure.

Sources (all time)

  • TASSTier 2~1.2M monthly visitors
    258 posts · 4 Aug – 4 Nov 2026
    • 4 Nov · tass.com/politics/2213013
    • 4 Nov · tass.com/society/2213005
    • 4 Nov · tass.com/defense/2212761
    • 3 Nov · tass.com/politics/2212751
    • 3 Nov · tass.com/emergencies/2212735
    • 3 Nov · tass.com/emergencies/2212733
    • 3 Nov · tass.com/emergencies/2212729
    • 3 Nov · tass.com/politics/2212665
    • 2 Nov · tass.com/emergencies/2212113
    • 30 Oct · tass.com/world/2211051
    • +248 more
  • SputnikTier 2~1.2M monthly visitors
    73 posts · 2 Aug – 2 Nov 2026
    • 2 Nov · sputnikglobe.com/20261102/russias-fsb-thwarted-series-of-terrorist-attacks-planned-by-ukraine-using-bombs-1124986092.html
    • 26 Oct · sputnikglobe.com/20261026/hundreds-of-russian-children-in-ukrainian-myrotvorets-database-un-envoy-1124945006.html
    • 26 Oct · sputnikglobe.com/20261026/ukrainian-authorities-intensify-attacks-on-znpp-energodar-russian-foreign-ministry-1124944749.html
    • 26 Oct · sputnikglobe.com/20261026/russia-rejects-forced-evacuation-of-families-with-children-from-alyoshki-1124941044.html
    • 26 Oct · sputnikglobe.com/20261026/ukraines-agents-planning-drone-attacks-in-moscow-region-detained--russias-fsb-1124937522.html
    • 21 Oct · sputnikglobe.com/20261021/ukraine-hits-lugansk-with-massive-overnight-strike-people-likely-trapped-under-rubble--lpr-head-1124914818.html
    • 19 Oct · sputnikglobe.com/20261019/starlink-run-ukrainian-drones-behind-fatal-starobelsk-college-attack---russian-intel-boss-1124900110.html
    • 18 Oct · sputnikglobe.com/20261018/ukraine-caused-nearly-13-billion-in-damage-to-russian-regions---investigators-1124895394.html
    • 17 Oct · Archived copy
    • 14 Oct · sputnikglobe.com/20261014/ukraine-attacks-two-oil-refineries-shows-no-move-toward-energy-ceasefire--russian-deputy-pm--1124881967.html
    • +63 more
  • TASS (X)Tier 260,000 followers
    60 posts · 4 Aug – 15 Oct 2026
    • 15 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2110787904565821648
    • 15 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2110766856197808617
    • 15 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2110529321433772300
    • 14 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2110414688056185082
    • 14 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2110163670424813951
    • 11 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2109260408758415770
    • 10 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2108909944665739595
    • 10 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2108700578536882684
    • 9 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2108586921920196856
    • 2 Oct · x.com/tassagency_en/status/2105975199074038045
    • +50 more
  • Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (X)Tier 21,300,000 followers
    37 posts · 30 Jul – 3 Nov 2026
    • 3 Nov · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2117713883821748595
    • 2 Nov · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2117187143558734100
    • 1 Nov · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2116971625119674555
    • 15 Oct · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2110801033144189431
    • 12 Oct · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2109627629972402623
    • 8 Oct · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2108225916812071095
    • 7 Oct · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2107811931339829687
    • 2 Oct · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2105995213290508397
    • 29 Sept · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2104908023760077208
    • 28 Sept · x.com/mfa_russia/status/2104519960735428820
    • +27 more
  • News FrontTier 1~1.2M monthly visitors
    35 posts · 3 Aug – 2 Nov 2026
    • 2 Nov · en.news-front.su/2026/11/02/the-fsb-foiled-a-series-of-terrorist-attacks-involving-fpv-goggles-used-to-control-drones-in-the-special-military-operation-zone/
    • 2 Nov · en.news-front.su/2026/11/02/they-will-pay-for-this-the-us-has-issued-a-stern-warning-to-ukraine/
    • 14 Oct · en.news-front.su/2026/10/14/miroshnik-accused-the-ukrainian-armed-forces-of-obstructing-the-evacuation-of-civilians-2/
    • 14 Oct · en.news-front.su/2026/10/14/miroshnik-accused-the-ukrainian-armed-forces-of-obstructing-the-evacuation-of-civilians/
    • 8 Oct · en.news-front.su/2026/10/08/saldo-reports-ukrainian-armed-forces-strikes-on-humanitarian-aid-consignment-for-aleshki/
    • 8 Oct · en.news-front.su/2026/10/08/mendel-accused-western-media-of-remaining-silent-on-the-dire-situation-within-the-ukrainian-armed-forces/
    • 30 Sept · en.news-front.su/2026/09/30/miroshnik-claimed-that-ukrainian-forces-had-blockaded-aleshki/
    • 21 Sept · en.news-front.su/2026/09/21/miroshnik-reports-rise-in-number-of-casualties-from-ukrainian-armed-forces-attacks/
    • 18 Sept · en.news-front.su/2026/09/18/the-killings-of-civilians-in-bucha-were-used-to-accuse-russia/
    • 18 Sept · en.news-front.su/2026/09/18/turkish-claimants-have-lodged-a-complaint-with-the-icc-regarding-the-attack-on-the-reyhan-sar/
    • +25 more
  • RTTier 2~40.6M monthly visitors
    14 posts · 9 Aug – 25 Oct 2026
    • 25 Oct · rt-english.com/news/647624-musk-closes-starlink-loophole/
    • 17 Sept · www.rt.com/news/645885-turkiye-sues-ukraine-ship/
    • 5 Sept · www.rt.com/news/645148-rt-top-stories-drones-airlines-arctic-wedding/
    • 2 Sept · www.rt.com/news/645007-putin-sco-summit-takeaways/
    • 1 Sept · www.rt.com/news/644973-cia-never-comes-in-peace/
    • 29 Aug · www.rt.com/news/644816-turkiye-summons-ukraine-envoy/
    • 19 Aug · www.rt.com/news/644407-croatian-police-arrest-second-nord-stream-suspect/
    • 14 Aug · www.rt.com/news/644237-colleferro-ammo-plant-explosion/
    • 12 Aug · www.rt.com/news/644171-vance-dresses-down-zelensky-black-sea-drones/
    • 10 Aug · www.rt.com/news/644085-ukraine-attack-iranian-vessel/
    • +4 more
  • Strategic CultureTier 1~700K monthly visitors
    10 posts · 30 Jul – 2 Oct 2026
    • 2 Oct · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/10/02/des-milliards-de-plus-jetes-sur-la-seule-strategie-condamnee-qui-fonctionne-pour-lue-en-ukraine/
    • 25 Sept · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/09/25/new-evidence-on-the-bucha-massacre/
    • 20 Sept · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/09/20/billions-more-just-thrown-onto-only-doomed-strategy-that-works-for-eu-in-ukraine/
    • 3 Sept · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/09/03/kiev-regime-kills-human-shields-western-media-blame-russia/
    • 2 Sept · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/09/02/hysterie-in-berlin-nachdem-moskau-fur-den-anschlagversuch-am-flughafen-leipzig-verantwortlich-gemacht-wurde-bricht-deutschland-die-kulturellen-beziehungen-zu-russland-ab/
    • 24 Aug · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/08/24/buchse-der-pandora-putin-droht-kiew-mit-zerstorerischer-antwort-auf-luftangriffe/
    • 3 Aug · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/08/03/ein-gefahrliches-geschenk-mit-einer-botschaft-an-europa-was-bedeutet-der-jungste-akt-ukrainischen-terrorismus/
    • 31 Jul · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/07/31/ukraine-strike-iran-cynical-zelensky-sales-pitch/
    • 30 Jul · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/07/30/a-caspian-front-in-the-global-energy-war/
    • 30 Jul · strategic-culture.su/news/2026/07/30/trumps-new-migraine-did-iran-and-ukraine-wars-just-merge-into-one/
  • Diana PanchenkoTier 1163,942 followers
    8 posts · 1 Aug – 14 Oct 2026
    • 14 Oct · x.com/Panchenko_X/status/2110353287866097758
    • 12 Oct · x.com/Panchenko_X/status/2109666826791833913
    • 2 Sept · x.com/Panchenko_X/status/2095136502028046550
    • 2 Sept · x.com/Panchenko_X/status/2094999224890917258
    • 1 Sept · x.com/Panchenko_X/status/2094886942835978452
    • 1 Sept · x.com/Panchenko_X/status/2094847682904768691
    • 5 Aug · x.com/Panchenko_X/status/2084868155134922966
    • 1 Aug · x.com/Panchenko_X/status/2083647679096045645
  • SouthFrontTier 1~330K monthly visitors
    6 posts · 14 Aug – 3 Sept 2026
    • 3 Sept · southfront.press/isis-would-be-proud-ukraine-openly-threatens-civilian-aviation/
    • 2 Sept · southfront.press/russia-advances-kiev-shoots-itself/
    • 2 Sept · southfront.press/russia-pounds-military-targets-in-kyiv-and-odesa-as-zelensky-threatens-russian-civilian-flights/
    • 30 Aug · southfront.press/russia-prepares-massive-strikes-on-ukrainian-power-grid-calling-it-retaliation-for-kyivs-attacks-on-civilian-targets/
    • 14 Aug · southfront.press/ukraine-provoking-bulgaria-with-drone-incident/
    • 14 Aug · southfront.press/russia-strikes-odesa-ports-and-trains-kyiv-continues-attacks-on-marketplace-warehouses/
  • Oriental ReviewTier 1~25K monthly visitors
    5 posts · 4 Sept – 23 Oct 2026
    • 23 Oct · orientalreview.su/2026/10/23/did-the-ukrainian-drone-raid-on-st-petersburg-pass-through-baltic-finnish-airspace/
    • 21 Oct · orientalreview.su/2026/10/21/increased-intensity-of-strikes-on-ukraine-in-response-to-kievs-terrorist-attacks-on-russian-territory/
    • 20 Oct · orientalreview.su/2026/10/20/data-center-warfare/
    • 16 Oct · orientalreview.su/2026/10/16/zelensky-lack-of-judgment-attacking-trump/
    • 4 Sept · orientalreview.su/2026/09/04/will-ukraine-attack-civil-aviation-in-russia/
  • Graham PhillipsTier 136,277 followers
    3 posts · 26 Sept – 16 Oct 2026
    • 16 Oct · x.com/GrahamWP_UK/status/2111096533789643158
    • 9 Oct · x.com/GrahamWP_UK/status/2108595722484666607
    • 26 Sept · x.com/GrahamWP_UK/status/2103852211692601584
  • Global ResearchTier 3~240K monthly visitors
    12 posts · 11 Aug – 19 Sept 2026
    • 19 Sept · www.globalresearch.ca/regime-de-kiev-atua-como-mafia-diz-cantora-ucraniana-incluida-em-lista-negra/5940581
    • 16 Sept · www.globalresearch.ca/kiev-regime-acts-like-mafia/5940551
    • 9 Sept · korybko.substack.com/p/ukraines-latest-anti-russian-fearmongering
    • 6 Sept · www.globalresearch.ca/moradores-de-kiev-protestam-contra-armazenamento-de-armas-em-areas-residenciais/5939025
    • 3 Sept · www.globalresearch.ca/kiev-residents-protest-storing-weapons-residential-areas/5938857
    • 2 Sept · www.globalresearch.ca/ukraine-sustained-operation-spiderweb-russia-air-hubs/5938812
    • 30 Aug · www.globalresearch.ca/espiao-ucraniano-revela-taticas-terroristas-em-audio-vazado-2/5938431
    • 27 Aug · www.globalresearch.ca/american-empire-took-last-breath-trump/5938158
    • 18 Aug · www.globalresearch.ca/ucrania-provoca-bulgaria-com-incidente-envolvendo-drone/5936994
    • 14 Aug · www.globalresearch.ca/ukraine-provoking-bulgaria-drone-incident/5936629
    • +2 more

Report as of 4 Nov 2026 · AI-generated analysis