DISINFO: Zelensky is concealing the number of war casualties
SUMMARY
Zelensky is lying about the actual number of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to Ukrainian journalist Panchenko, the head of the Kyiv regime is hiding the real number of dead soldiers in order to create the illusion that the Armed Forces are in a favourable position.
RESPONSE
Disinformation about the war in Ukraine. The goal of the Kremlin is to exaggerate the number of war casualties in Ukraine and to cast doubt on the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, thereby undermining the morale of Ukrainian people and the confidence of the international community.
Claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is hiding the number of soldiers killed on the battlefield are purposefully misleading to portray Ukrainian authorities in a negative light. The journalist being emphasised as Ukrainian in this disinformation piece, Diana Panchenko, is known to promote Russian interests.
Firstly, in January 2023, sanctions were imposed on Diana Panchenko, and she was banned from entering Ukraine for 10 years. This ban is linked to her attempts to justify Russian aggression. Moreover, these sanctions, imposed by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, officially recognise Panchenko as a promoter of Russian propaganda.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Diana Panchenko has continued her activities from Russia and has been spreading disinformation in line with the Kremlin's position, with the approval of the Russian government. After moving to Moscow following the war, Panchenko began actively promoting her YouTube channel, which gained millions of views. Her YouTube content and posts on X (formerly Twitter) are filled with manipulative information that aligns with the Kremlin’s stance and are supported by Russia.
Panchenko’s role in Kremlin propaganda demonstrates that she is not an independent journalist, but rather a part of Russia’s propaganda machine. Therefore, her claims about President Zelenskyy or the Ukrainian Armed Forces can be considered as part of the Kremlin’s disinformation strategy.
See other cases about the war in Ukraine such as Real purpose of the Ukrainian invasion into Kursk is to annihilate own mobilised soldiers for PR and Ukrainian commanders are forcing soldiers to kill civilians in the Kursk region.