Russian Propaganda Masks Fake Content as ISW and France 24 Reports
The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) has documented a new wave of large-scale information attacks by Russia aimed at discrediting Ukraine internationally.
Propagandists are using sophisticated falsification techniques, producing videos that visually mimic the style of reputable global media outlets and analytical centers.
A key element of the campaign involved spreading a fake video styled as a report from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The fabricated content falsely claimed that Ukraine allegedly exhibits most characteristics of a terrorist organization — a claim never published on ISW’s official platforms.
Another misleading piece targeted Ukrainian citizens in Europe. Russian propagandists produced a fake segment resembling the French channel France 24, alleging that Ukrainian refugees were arrested for planning attacks in France during Easter.
CCD experts emphasized: “No such statements or videos exist on ISW’s official resources — this material is entirely fabricated.” Similarly, the France 24 segment was debunked as a complete compilation of unrelated footage and falsified audio.
The agency explains that this activity is part of a systematic disinformation network codenamed “Matryoshka.” This network specializes in multi-layered manipulations, where one fake refers to another, creating an illusion of mass coverage and credibility.
The primary goal of Russian intelligence in this campaign is to impose a false narrative portraying Ukraine as a “terrorist threat,” attempting to reverse the perception of Ukraine from victim of aggression to aggressor in the eyes of ordinary Europeans and Americans.
Concurrently, the propaganda seeks to foster negative perceptions of Ukrainian refugees, presenting them as a dangerous group. This strategy aims to reduce social and political support for Ukraine within European Union countries.
On the front-line territories, Russia is distributing fake leaflets threatening offensive actions.
Previously, Russia spread disinformation claiming that Ukraine was preparing provocations with hazardous substances in Donetsk.
