Ukrainian intelligence has uncovered a major Kremlin smear campaign targeting President Volodymyr Zelensky, the country's armed forces, and its foreign allies, according to sources. As Russian leader Vladimir Putin's war effort falters on the battlefield, Ukraine's leadership faces a wave of lies and manipulation designed to undermine Kyiv and its Western partners. Britain, as Ukraine's principal ally, is believed to be a primary target of this disinformation offensive.
Disgraceful Slurs and Fake News
One disgraceful slur recently involved fake front-page articles in Western media portraying the Kyiv leader as a 'drug addict,' encouraging false Russian narratives about Ukraine's leadership. Another aim of the campaign is to spread lies about Ukrainian military war crimes, including fabricated interviews with former prisoners of war falsely claiming they were beaten. Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, the SZRU, has sourced Russian documents detailing a large-scale campaign further targeting Ukraine and its international partners.
Hybrid Warfare Tactics
According to sources, Russia's leadership has instructed its spy agencies to maximise the spread of disinformation across Europe as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine falters. One source told the Daily Mirror: “Creating false narratives about Ukraine and its leadership has become a major tool of hybrid warfare for the Kremlin. The closer we get to peace talks, negotiating an end to this war, the Kremlin is accelerating its attempts to gain leverage – and it is failing daily to do this on the battlefield. So it is using the spread of lies and scandal to try and weaken the position of Kyiv, as this costs little in resources but if one false claim gains traction then it is worth it to them.”
Fabricated Videos and Scripted Narratives
Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation (CCD) reports that videos have appeared showing former Russian prisoners of war following scripted narratives alleging 'beatings.' In another video, a man identifying himself as a resident of the embattled town Pokrovsk speaks of 'executions of civilians,' 'cut-off ears,' and 'shot knees.' The CCD also reported a video telling the story of a civilian allegedly evacuated from Kharkiv, claiming Ukrainian soldiers disguised themselves in Russian uniforms to 'identify and execute supporters of Russia.' The agency stated: 'The absurd claim about 'disguised Ukrainians' is intended to shift responsibility for the real atrocities committed by the Russian army onto Ukrainian soldiers.'
Systematic Disinformation
The CCD added that 'this systematic Russian disinformation campaign contains no evidence and is not supported by any independent verification. The Kremlin is attempting to demonize the Armed Forces of Ukraine, intimidate civilians in frontline and occupied territories, and justify its armed aggression against Ukraine while disguising its own war crimes as a so-called 'liberation mission.''
Fake News About Peace Talks
Another method employed by the Kremlin's spy agencies is to spread fake news about what territory President Zelensky might concede in peace talks. One element was exposed when a former employee of the Kyiv government claimed President Zelensky had been willing to give up the Donbas region in 2022 talks. At the time, the Presidential office was forced to issue a statement saying that the person 'did not participate in the negotiations, did not take part in decision-making, has long lost touch with reality.'
Ukraine's Counterattacks
In Ukraine's latest attacks on Russia, it has stepped up bids to hit Moscow's infrastructure. Two people were killed in a long-range Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Samara region. The attack targeted the town of Syzran, home to a large oil refinery around 621 miles from the border with Ukraine. However, the official made no mention of whether any infrastructure was damaged. Russia's defence ministry said a total of 121 Ukrainian drones were intercepted in Russia overnight. Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure in 2026, reportedly doubling the number of oil refineries targeted since the start of the year.
