Russia spreads fake about a chemical attack preparation in Izium
Russian propaganda has launched a disinformation campaign, claiming that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are allegedly planning a terrorist attack using chemical weapons in the city of Izium, Kharkiv region.
According to the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), enemy sources are spreading false claims about the arrival of Ukrainian radiation, chemical, and biological protection units in the city to carry out a provocation between January 6 and 8, 2026. CCD specialists emphasize that such narratives are a classic “information alibi” tactic, through which Russia tries to preemptively accuse Ukraine of crimes that Russia itself plans or commits.
The Kremlin propagandists deliberately tied the dates of the fabricated attack to Christmas celebrations to increase emotional pressure on the population through a religious context and to discredit the Ukrainian authorities. There is no evidence of the presence of special units or preparation of chemical attacks. In contrast, Russian forces have repeatedly used banned chemical agents on the battlefield. Due to systematic violations of international conventions, Russia is already under sanctions, and its use of poisonous gases has been documented by international observers.
Ukrainian security authorities urge residents of Kharkiv region and the entire country not to fall for enemy manipulations and to rely only on official sources of information. Such Russian disinformation often precedes heavy shelling or real provocations at the front, so increased vigilance during the holidays is a necessary security measure. The international community has also been warned about the aggressor’s intention to use disinformation as a cover for further war crimes in temporarily occupied or frontline territories.
Russian dictator Putin and his propagandists have become so careless that the fake story about an alleged attack on his residence was organized in a very primitive manner, said Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he does not believe Ukraine carried out a strike on Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region of Russia.
