Russian Propaganda Spreads False Claims of Ukrainian Atrocities, Experts Analyze Motives

Russian disinformation campaign targets Ukrainian forces with false mining allegations, experts say

Ukrainian officials have exposed a new Russian disinformation operation claiming that Ukrainian troops are planting mines in residential high-rise buildings in Kostiantynivka and preventing civilians from evacuating the embattled eastern city.

The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), a Ukrainian government agency tasked with identifying and responding to information threats, dismissed these allegations as “a typical example of an information operation aimed at discrediting the Defense Forces of Ukraine and intimidating the civilian population.”

According to the CCD’s analysis, Russian sources have provided no photographic or video evidence to support their claims, instead relying solely on statements from an unnamed Russian military expert. This lack of verification follows a familiar pattern in Russian propaganda tactics throughout the conflict.

“By spreading such falsehoods, propagandists aim to justify their own numerous crimes and shift the blame onto Ukraine,” the CCD statement emphasized, pointing to Russia’s documented pattern of targeting civilian infrastructure while attempting to blame Ukrainian forces for these attacks.

The allegations come as fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine, where Kostiantynivka has faced regular bombardment. Located in the Donetsk region, the city sits roughly 10 kilometers from active front lines and has strategic importance in the ongoing conflict.

Security analysts note that this disinformation effort aligns with Russia’s broader strategy of creating confusion among civilian populations in contested areas, potentially to undermine morale and resistance. The timing coincides with Ukrainian forces maintaining defensive positions in the eastern sectors despite continued Russian pressure.

The CCD had previously warned about an uptick in Russian propaganda themes for November, highlighting that campaigns falsely alleging Ukrainian military atrocities in frontline areas would be a primary focus. Their assessment predicted exactly this type of disinformation about the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including fabricated claims of terrorism, torture of civilians, executions, and forced detention.

“These narratives are strategically deployed across multiple channels—social media, messaging apps, and Russian-controlled media outlets—to achieve maximum penetration,” explained a communications security expert familiar with the region who requested anonymity due to security concerns.

The broader objectives behind such disinformation campaigns, according to the CCD, include undermining local populations’ trust in the Ukrainian military and government, creating division among communities near the front lines, and influencing international media coverage to weaken global support for Ukraine.

Beyond allegations of military misconduct, the CCD identified several other propaganda themes Russia is expected to promote in the coming weeks. These include misleading narratives about European Union and United States sanctions, escalating nuclear threats, distortions regarding potential negotiations between Russia and the United States, and attempts to discredit the international Coalition of the Willing supporting Ukraine.

Domestically focused disinformation is also anticipated, with Russian propaganda likely to target Ukraine’s 2026 state budget planning, spread false information about the country’s heating infrastructure as winter approaches, and launch campaigns questioning international military assistance, including the potential sale of Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine.

International fact-checking organizations have consistently found that Russian disinformation efforts intensify during key military operations or in advance of significant political developments. The pattern typically involves creating a false narrative, disseminating it through multiple channels simultaneously, and then using the resulting confusion to justify military actions or to counter international criticism.

Ukraine has bolstered its information security apparatus since 2014, when Russian disinformation campaigns accompanied the annexation of Crimea and the onset of conflict in eastern Ukraine. The CCD plays a central role in these efforts, working to identify, analyze and counter false narratives before they gain traction.