Framing the Ukrainian leadership as Western “puppets”

What it claims

The Ukrainian government is portrayed as a tool of foreign interests, deliberately sacrificing its population for the geopolitical goals of the US and EU. It is claimed that the state has completely lost its agency, and that mobilization and continued defense are merely fulfilling the orders of “sponsors.”

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 has long been dead as a state and is only kept alive by Western loans to serve as a tool for inflicting damage on Russia.

  Легитимный, 3 Aug 2026

  t.me/legitimniy/22960

• Zelenskyy is supposedly deliberately sending Ukrainians to their deaths to fulfill the tasks of Western masters who promised him personal protection.

  Легитимный, 2 Aug 2026

  t.me/legitimniy/22953

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Goal

To undermine trust in state institutions, provoke internal division, and sow despair regarding the feasibility of defending the country.

Techniques used

• Name Calling or LabelingUsing derogatory labels like “puppets,” “managers of sponsors,” and “hounds” to dehumanize government officials and security forces.
• Appeal to Fear / PrejudiceIntimidation with inevitable death at the front and claims that Ukraine is a “corpse” on life support.

The real grievance it exploits

Fatigue from the prolonged war, fear of mobilization, and the economic insecurity of the civilian population.

How to counter

• Reframe: Partner assistance is aimed at preserving Ukrainian statehood and protecting civilians from occupation, not at using people as a “resource.”
• Technique exposure: Propaganda uses the “external governance” tactic to strip Ukrainians of their sense of agency and justify Russian aggression as a fight against the West.

Sources (all time)

• ЛегитимныйTier 11,010,537 subscribers
  4 posts · 2–4 Aug 2026

  • 4 Aug · t.me/legitimniy/22975
  • 4 Aug · t.me/legitimniy/22974
  • 3 Aug · t.me/legitimniy/22960
  • 2 Aug · t.me/legitimniy/22953
• ШЕЛЕСТTier 1137,096 subscribers
  3 posts · 27–28 Jul 2026

  • 28 Jul · t.me/shelestlive/29986
  • 28 Jul · t.me/shelestlive/29984
  • 27 Jul · t.me/shelestlive/29945
• ЗеРадаTier 1424,849 subscribers
  4 posts · 23–25 Jul 2026

  • 25 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31568
  • 24 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31548
  • 23 Jul · Archived copy
  • 23 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31536
• Украина. Спецоперация. Мониторинг СВОTier 115,828 subscribers
  8 posts · 27 Jul – 4 Aug 2026

  • 4 Aug · t.me/MonitoringUA/94020
  • 3 Aug · t.me/MonitoringUA/93983
  • 3 Aug · t.me/MonitoringUA/93982
  • 3 Aug · t.me/MonitoringUA/93976
  • 30 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93856
  • 29 Jul · Archived copy
  • 27 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93727
  • 27 Jul · t.me/MonitoringUA/93720