Ukrainian intelligence has issued a warning that Russia is initiating a significant smear campaign aimed at discrediting President Zelensky, the armed forces of Kyiv, and their foreign allies. Sources indicate that Britain, as a key ally of Ukraine, may also be a primary target of this disinformation campaign. Recent disgraceful tactics included fabricated front-page articles in Western media portraying the Kyiv leader as a ‘drug addict’ and disseminating false Russian narratives about Ukraine’s leadership. The objective of this campaign is to propagate falsehoods about Ukrainian military war crimes, such as producing fake interviews with former prisoners of war falsely alleging mistreatment. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the SZRU, has obtained Russian documents indicating plans for an extensive disinformation campaign targeting Ukraine and its international partners.
According to insider information, Russia’s leadership has instructed its intelligence agencies to intensify the dissemination of information across Europe as their full-scale invasion of Ukraine encounters setbacks. A source disclosed to the Daily Mirror that fabricating false narratives about Ukraine and its leadership has become a primary strategy of hybrid warfare for the Kremlin.
The Centre for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine reported the emergence of videos featuring former Russian prisoners of war reciting scripted accounts of alleged ‘beatings.’ In one video, a man purportedly from the besieged town of Pokrovsk describes ‘executions of civilians,’ ‘severed ears,’ and ‘shot knees.’ The agency highlighted that these videos lack evidence and independent verification, emphasizing that the Kremlin aims to vilify the Armed Forces of Ukraine, instill fear among civilians in frontline and occupied areas, and justify its armed aggression against Ukraine by distorting facts and portraying it as a ‘liberation mission.’
Another tactic employed by the Kremlin’s intelligence agencies involves spreading false information about the President’s potential concessions in peace negotiations. Claims surfaced when a former Kyiv government employee alleged that President Zelensky was willing to cede the Donbas region in 2022 talks. However, the Presidential office swiftly refuted these claims, stating that the individual had no involvement in negotiations or decision-making processes.
In response to Russia’s actions, Ukraine has escalated efforts to target Moscow’s infrastructure. In a recent incident, two individuals were killed in a long-range drone strike by Ukraine in Russia’s Samara region, targeting the town of Syzran, home to a major oil refinery located approximately 621 miles from the Ukrainian border. While the extent of infrastructure damage was not disclosed, Russia’s defense ministry reported intercepting 121 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukraine has reportedly increased drone attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure in 2026, with the number of oil refineries targeted doubling since the beginning of the year.