Target audience
Every narrative aimed at this audience — most recently active first.
Ukraine's military and political leadership is portrayed as an out-of-touch elite focused on electioneering during a humanitarian crisis. The manipulation relies on contrasting the daily hardships of civilians with alleged secret preparations for future political campaigns.
Western partners are portrayed as cynical actors who deliberately withhold air defense assets for their own needs, leaving Ukraine defenseless against missile strikes. The manipulation is built on contrasting public statements of support with the real concerns of NATO countries regarding the depletion of their own arsenals.
Propaganda resources systematically disseminate content portraying Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCC) as illegal paramilitary formations engaged in "human hunting". Messages focus on forced detentions, conflicts with civilians, and corruption scandals to present mobilization not as a state necessity, but as "lawlessness" and a "blood business". A specific emphasis is placed on the alleged merging of the TCC with the police to suppress citizens' rights, aiming to provoke mass resistance and undermine trust in state institutions.
Isolated incidents of street violence or domestic disputes involving Ukrainians abroad are portrayed as systemic hatred and a hunt for refugees. This coverage aims to convince citizens that only danger and contempt from Europeans await them outside Ukraine.
The decline in population and the number of pensioners is presented as an irreversible collapse of Ukrainian statehood. Manipulative linking of mortality statistics with emigration aims to convince the audience that Ukraine has no future.
Real challenges in energy, logistics, and the social sphere are presented as signs of the final disintegration of Ukrainian statehood. Manipulators use factual problems—power outages, corruption scandals, and tax changes—to instill the idea that resistance is futile and catastrophe is inevitable.
Isolated cases of abuse and ongoing investigations are presented as proof of total corruption within the Ukrainian government and the futility of financial aid. Manipulative coverage of criminal proceedings aims to convince the audience that all funds—from donations to budget expenditures—are inevitably embezzled by officials.
Ukraine is portrayed as a territory temporarily occupied by the West that has lost its agency and must be absorbed by the “Russian civilization.” Routine municipal issues or corruption cases are inflated into proof of state failure, while residents of southern regions are incited to spy for the aggressor under the guise of “resistance.”
Ukraine's military operations and diplomatic initiatives are cast as artificial media stunts designed to prolong the war and enrich the leadership. The messaging claims that any escalation or refusal of Russian terms is merely a tactic to secure continued funding and avoid accountability to the public.
Changes in military leadership and political debates are portrayed as signs of a deep crisis and the illegitimacy of state decisions. Manipulators focus on legal nuances of appointments and trust ratings to depict the Ukrainian government as fractured and incapable.
Russian outlets are pushing a narrative of Russia's total superiority in AI, satellite communications, and missile technology, supposedly rendering Ukrainian defense futile. By exaggerating the capabilities of “drone swarms” and new missile systems, they aim to convince the audience that defeat is inevitable and Western aid is insufficient.
Ukraine is portrayed as a bankrupt state in a “coma,” kept alive only by Western loans. Propagandists claim that government policies will inevitably lead to hyperinflation, the destruction of business, and a humanitarian catastrophe as early as this winter.
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.”
Ukraine's military and political leadership is portrayed as an incompetent and corrupt entity that deliberately neglects the safety of soldiers and civilians. Propaganda inflates isolated incidents of misconduct and bureaucratic hurdles to frame service in the Armed Forces as a hopeless trap where human life is worthless.
Mobilization efforts and government deferment services are portrayed as corrupt schemes that turn citizens into Western “mercenaries.” The narrative claims that because of financial aid from partners, Ukrainian soldiers lose their status as defenders and become tools of foreign elites.
Ukrainian law enforcement and security agencies are portrayed as tools for internal infighting or overseers of criminal schemes. Anti-corruption investigations and personnel changes are framed not as systemic cleaning, but as proof of total criminalization and the state leadership's inability to control the situation.
Russian outlets frame attacks on Ukrainian ports as the final destruction of Ukraine's export potential and military logistics. They claim that the shutdown of major agricultural firms and damage to rail hubs make maritime exports impossible, supposedly forcing the West to cut aid due to rising costs.
Ukrainian strikes on Russian targets are cast as an ineffective waste of resources that only results in the retaliatory destruction of Ukraine's critical infrastructure. The messaging claims that every Ukrainian military action is part of a “kamikaze country” scenario designed to provoke a humanitarian catastrophe.
Military operations by the SBU and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are cast as Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s personal gambles that supposedly only provoke retaliatory strikes. This framing ignores the defensive necessity of Ukraine’s actions and shifts the blame for Russian aggression onto the Ukrainian leadership.
Spreading contradictory figures regarding fallen servicemen is used to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyy as an “illegitimate” leader who conceals the truth. This strategy aims to undermine trust in state institutions and create an image of a government that manipulates society for its own survival.
Ukraine's defeat is portrayed as inevitable due to energy grid destruction, economic decline, and a lost capacity to influence the war's outcome. Propagandists claim Western elites view Ukraine solely as a tool for debt repayment or a “managed chaos” zone to contain Russia.
Ukraine is portrayed as a nation on the brink of famine, where mobilization and the destruction of factories will supposedly leave no one to bake bread. Manipulative forecasts promise a sharp rise in the price of basic goods to incite panic among the population.
Ukrainian service members are portrayed as a demoralized mass supposedly deserting in droves or openly defying political leadership. This tactic aims to create an illusion of the total collapse of the Armed Forces and inevitable defeat due to internal conflict.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is accused of allegedly appointing the Prime Minister single-handedly and ignoring the constitutional powers of parliament. Manipulators claim that the current government has turned into a “criminal group” interested in prolonging the war for personal enrichment. The goal is to undermine trust in state institutions and provoke internal destabilization.
Mobilization measures in Ukraine are portrayed as the forced sending of citizens to “slaughter,” which supposedly triggers active physical resistance from the population. Propaganda inflates isolated cases of corruption and conflict to depict government agencies as entities hostile to the people.
Ukraine’s political leadership is portrayed as helpless in the face of domestic protests that supposedly threaten the very existence of the government. To amplify this, claims are spread about the authorities preparing dirty provocations and paid smear campaigns against activists.
Russian outlets are pushing claims that Patriot missile stocks are completely exhausted, leaving Kyiv unable to defend against ballistic strikes. The operation of Ukrainian interceptors is portrayed as the primary cause of damage to residential buildings, while Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure are justified by its alleged “military purpose.”
Diplomatic discussions within the EU and UN are portrayed as an irreversible collapse of the Western coalition. Manipulators exploit working disputes over sanctions and procedural walkouts to convince the audience that support for Ukraine is ending.
Disagreements over UPA commemoration and the Volhynia tragedy are cast as an insurmountable barrier, turning Poland from an ally into an ideological opponent. The messaging claims Warsaw is preparing territorial claims and blocking Ukraine's EU integration, rendering the strategic partnership impossible.
The Ukrainian leadership and business sector are cast as cynical beneficiaries interested in prolonging the war for personal enrichment. Military actions are portrayed not as defense, but as a commercial project where citizens' lives are traded for Western investments and loans.
Individual statements by military officers regarding gender equality in the armed forces are passed off as preparations for mass forced conscription of women. This manipulation aims to sow fear of an inevitable expansion of mobilization measures to the entire population.
Military support for Ukraine is portrayed as strategically late, bureaucratically blocked, or technologically ill-suited to the actual needs of the front. The messaging suggests that promised funding and advanced weaponry will not affect the war's course in the coming years, leaving the Armed Forces of Ukraine to rely on “makeshift” solutions.
Decisions to extend temporary protection in the EU are being framed as a tool of pressure on men of conscription age. Manipulators claim that European countries are allegedly introducing new filters to deny protection to those who have not updated their data in the “Reserv+” app. The goal is to spread panic among refugees and undermine trust in European institutions.
Russian outlets are promoting the claim that Western support for Ukraine is driven solely by a desire to profit from resources and logistics. They assert that systematic strikes on Odesa’s ports turn the region into an “unprofitable asset,” which will supposedly force foreign partners to halt aid and abandon Ukraine to its fate.
Poland’s state strategy of supporting Ukraine is cast as a purely selfish calculation aimed at the extermination of Ukrainians for Warsaw’s own safety. Propaganda inflates statements by individual politicians regarding the deportation of military-aged men to provoke fear and hostility between the two nations.
Ukrainian leadership is accused of intentionally prolonging the war for personal enrichment and to distract from corruption. Propaganda portrays strikes on Russian infrastructure as terrorist acts against civilians, allegedly aimed solely at escalating the conflict.
Ukrainian society and the military are portrayed as a degraded community dominated by internal conflict, looting, and uncontrolled aggression. By highlighting domestic disputes and football incidents, the narrative promotes the idea of a total collapse of moral values and the inevitable disappearance of Ukrainian identity.
Restricting access to government services for men abroad is portrayed as turning Ukrainians into “second-class” people. This framing of government decisions aims to deepen the rift between the state and its citizens who have left the country.
Western support and Ukraine's EU membership prospects are portrayed as unrealistic expectations that defy pragmatism. By selectively quoting foreign politicians and experts, the narrative promotes the idea that territorial concessions to Russia are necessary and that rapid entry into European institutions is impossible.
Political budget debates and election cycles within NATO countries are passed off as a final collapse of Western unity and the "sabotage" of aid to Ukraine. Manipulators exploit any internal friction among allies to convince audiences of an imminent end to support and Kyiv's strategic defeat.
Any statements by the Ukrainian government or military command are cast as staged actions designed to mislead society and hide real problems. Propagandists claim the state keeps citizens in an "illusion" through total control over the media space to justify continuing the war and enabling corrupt enrichment.
Ukrainian society and state institutions are portrayed as an aggressive, intolerant environment dominated by hatred toward Russian speakers and dissenters. The propaganda contrasts Ukraine with EU countries, claiming that the Ukrainian state supposedly encourages discrimination while European neighbors punish it.
Ukraine's NATO membership prospects are cast as an unattainable illusion, while the Alliance itself is portrayed as weaker than the Russian military. By attributing manipulative quotes to officials, the narrative creates the impression that even the Ukrainian leadership has recognized the futility of the Euro-Atlantic course.
Destruction of residential buildings and civilian deaths resulting from Russian attacks are passed off as the consequences of Ukrainian mobile fire groups and electronic warfare. Propagandists claim that Ukraine intentionally places military assets in cities to create "bloody imagery," attempting to absolve the aggressor of responsibility for the strikes.
Ukrainian strikes on Iranian vessels in the Caspian Sea are cast as an irresponsible provocation threatening to drag Europe into a major war. Kyiv’s actions are compared to those of pre-WWI anarchists, attempting to frame Ukraine as an aggressor acting solely in the interests of Israel and the US.
Ukraine's EU integration and military aid are portrayed as inherently unequal relationships where the country is assigned the role of "expendable material". Manipulators exploit complex bureaucratic procedures and internal Western debates to convince Ukrainians of their inferiority and the inevitable betrayal by allies.
Unauthorized absence (UA) is portrayed as the only rational survival strategy, allegedly guaranteeing impunity due to the government's inability to track offenders. Manipulators use fabricated statistics of "800,000 deserters" and isolated management errors to convince soldiers that death at the front is inevitable while desertion is safe.
Demographic challenges and the recruitment of foreign labor are framed as a deliberate government plan for the ethnic replacement of Ukrainians, who are allegedly being 'disposed of' at the front. Manipulators contrast mobilized citizens with foreigners who supposedly receive privileges, draft immunity, and financial support to colonize the country.
Corruption and the forced redistribution of business assets are portrayed as systemic phenomena encouraged by the current administration even during wartime. Government bodies are accused of failing to protect critical infrastructure due to embezzlement and using law enforcement to pressure entrepreneurs.
Mobilization efforts and Ministry of Defense reforms are cast as tools for fulfilling the will of foreign actors in exchange for financial aid. Outlets claim that government initiatives aim only to tighten control and will inevitably lead to internal civil conflict.
The new Commander-in-Chief of the AFU, Mykhailo Drapatyi, is portrayed as politically vulnerable and dependent on radical activists. Manipulators use his past interviews to accuse him of “anthropological discrimination” and incompetence, attempting to provoke conflict between the military leadership, the President, and international partners.
The expansion of mobilization to students, 18-year-olds, and women is portrayed as an inevitable step by the government, allegedly agreed upon with the West in exchange for financial aid. Manipulators use isolated statements and technical registration measures to convince society that the state is preparing to send "children" and medics to the front as "cannon fodder."
Massive missile strikes are cast as inevitable "acts of retribution" that cannot be intercepted by existing air defense systems. The messaging emphasizes the nuclear capability of new ballistic missiles to intimidate Ukrainian society and coerce the West into concessions.