Russian propaganda is actively using fake news to spread fear through reports of attacks on Ukrainian gas stations.
According to a Telegram post by the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, hostile sources are circulating a video allegedly showing a Ukrainian soldier pointing out a destroyed gas station in the Poltava region. In the video, the “soldier” emotionally describes how the situation is worsening due to systematic attacks. However, this recording was generated by artificial intelligence and first published on TikTok by an account masquerading as a “Ukrainian military channel” that has previously spread similar disinformation.
The Goal of the Campaign
The Center for Countering Disinformation emphasizes that the main goal of this campaign is to exaggerate the consequences of strikes on Ukraine’s fuel infrastructure in the media, create the illusion of a large-scale crisis, and demoralize the public.
Actual Attacks
As reported by Ukrinform, Russian troops carried out a drone attack on a gas station in Kharkiv, resulting in two people being injured.
