Russia is luring Ukrainians to the occupied Donetsk region with promises of free housing

Russian propaganda is promoting a so-called resettlement program to Donetsk for residents of the Donetsk region’s territories controlled by Ukraine. Leaders of the occupation administrations and Russian state media are involved in the campaign.

In particular, the head of the occupation administration, Denis Pushilin, claimed there have been over 300 applications for resettlement via a Russian chatbot.

The Center for Countering Disinformation views this campaign as an attempt to create the illusion of mass support for Russia and to lure people into the occupied territories with promises of free housing.

Ukrainians are warned against using Russian chatbots. Russian intelligence services could use the personal data collected through them to blackmail people and recruit them for sabotage operations against Ukraine.

Source: Center for Countering Disinformation

The Center for Countering Disinformation reported widespread manipulation during the Russian State Duma elections, particularly in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The Center asserts that the Russian system attempted to create a picture of voter turnout and support for pro-government candidates that suited the Kremlin’s needs. At the same time, the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation approved the final results of the State Duma elections on September 25, so the claim that the results were not available a week after the vote is now outdated.