Discrediting the President by attributing “hysteria” and lack of agency to him

What it claims

The President of Ukraine is portrayed as weak and lacking agency amid government and Presidential Office reshuffles. Using materials from anti-corruption investigations, sources attribute “hysterical” behavior and illegal interference in the banking sector to the head of state. Political processes in the country are depicted as a struggle between behind-the-scenes “clans,” where the current government is losing real leverage to external players.

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.

• Zelensky has lost control over appointments, placing only formal figureheads in positions while shadow clans run the country.

  Open Ukraine| Открытая Украина, 20 Aug 2026 · Archived copy

• The President personally pressured bank employees and demanded dismissals over their refusal to process suspicious payments for his inner circle.

  Open Ukraine| Открытая Украина, 20 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

Convince Ukrainian society of the leadership's incompetence and the inevitability of its loss of power.

Techniques used

• Name Calling or LabelingUsing labels like “sorosites” and “frontmen” to designate political opponents and officials.
• Loaded LanguageDescribing the President's actions through emotionally charged verbs like “screamed” and “pestering.”

The real grievance it exploits

Public concern over corruption scandals in the upper echelons of power and frequent changes of key officials during the war.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Propaganda uses fragments of investigative materials taken out of context to create an impression of chaos in state governance.
• Reframe: Active anti-corruption investigations and personnel changes demonstrate that institutions are functioning, not collapsing.

Sources (all time)

• Open Ukraine| Открытая УкраинаTier 1181,484 subscribers
  2 posts · 20 Aug 2026

  • 20 Aug · Archived copy
  • 20 Aug · Archived copy
• РезидентTier 1903,549 subscribers
  8 posts · 20–22 Aug 2026

  • 22 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30319
  • 21 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30313
  • 21 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30312
  • 21 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30309
  • 20 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30308
  • 20 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30307
  • 20 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30306
  • 20 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30305
• Украина. Спецоперация. Мониторинг СВОTier 115,817 subscribers
  3 posts · 21 Aug 2026

  • 21 Aug · t.me/MonitoringUA/94570
  • 21 Aug · t.me/MonitoringUA/94566
  • 21 Aug · t.me/MonitoringUA/94562