Discrediting the President by attributing “total war” to him as a means of retaining power

What it claims

Ukraine's political leadership is portrayed as an isolated group that has lost the support of both the public and the elites, artificially prolonging hostilities. It is claimed that the only way for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to remain in office is to escalate the war, as he would supposedly lose any democratic election.

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.

• Zelenskyy is the most unpopular candidate in the country, and his only chance to stay in power is to wage a total war of annihilation.

  Резидент, 6 Aug 2026 · Archived copy

• The Office of the President decided to shift focus from Ukraine's internal problems to strikes on Russia, as there are no successes within the country.

  Резидент, 4 Aug 2026

  t.me/rezident_ua/30149

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 provoke internal political instability, undermine trust in the presidency, and sow despair regarding the feasibility of continued resistance.

Techniques used

• Loaded LanguageUsing terms like “total war of annihilation” and “elite infighting” to create an impression of chaos.
• Appeal to Fear / PrejudiceIntimidating the audience by claiming the situation will only worsen and that the authorities will use repression for control.

The real grievance it exploits

War fatigue, the prolonged absence of elections due to martial law, and concerns about corruption within government bodies.

How to counter

• Technique exposure: Manipulators use fabricated or outdated polling data during wartime, when representative sociology is difficult, to create an illusion of a total loss of legitimacy.
• Reframe: Postponing elections during a full-scale invasion is a requirement of law and security, not a personal decision, as it is impossible to ensure voting for millions of refugees and soldiers at the front.

Sources (all time)

• ШЕЛЕСТTier 1137,608 subscribers
  3 posts · 6 Aug 2026

  • 6 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30368
  • 6 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30367
  • 6 Aug · t.me/shelestlive/30366
• ЗеРадаTier 1424,887 subscribers
  4 posts · 17–18 Aug 2026

  • 18 Aug · t.me/ZeRada1/31883
  • 18 Aug · Archived copy
  • 18 Aug · t.me/ZeRada1/31867
  • 17 Aug · t.me/ZeRada1/31864
• РезидентTier 1903,549 subscribers
  5 posts · 4–7 Aug 2026

  • 7 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30162
  • 6 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30161
  • 6 Aug · Archived copy
  • 6 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30156
  • 4 Aug · t.me/rezident_ua/30149
• Политика СтраныTier 1331,215 subscribers
  2 posts · 22 Aug 2026

  • 22 Aug · t.me/stranaua/245810
  • 22 Aug · t.me/stranaua/245809
• Женщина с косойTier 1106,483 subscribers
  2 posts · 19 Aug 2026

  • 19 Aug · t.me/skosoi/10088
  • 19 Aug · t.me/skosoi/10085