These propaganda channels promote narratives similar to those of Russian state media. However, "regional Ukrainian news outlets" designed by Russia mainly seek to cultivate opposition to mobilization efforts in Ukraine, thereby undermining the army’s recruitment campaigns.

Content analysis and server data show that these websites are part of a coordinated Russian effort aimed at creating chaos in Ukraine, eroding trust in the Ukrainian government, and undermining and dividing the Western coalition supporting Ukraine.

The listed websites share nearly identical web design and display Russian war symbols. They are all hosted on .ru domains, registered in Moscow, and served from the same Russian IP address. This indicates that these "regional Ukrainian news outlets" are actually operating from the same Russian server.

• dnepr-news.ru
• news-kherson.ru
• news-kharkov.ru
• if-news.ru
• news-kiev.ru
• nikolaev-news.ru
• rovno-news.ru
• news-odessa.ru
• uzhgorod-news.ru
• ternopol-news.ru
• lvov-news.ru
• poltava-news.ru
• krivoy-rog-news.ru
• kramatorsk-news.ru
• zhitomir-news.ru
• pavlograd-news.ru
• berdyansk-news.ru
• zp-news.ru
• lnr-news.ru
• dnr-news.ru
• volyn-news.ru
• gorlovka-news.ru
• nikopol-news.ru
• donetsk-news.ru
• sumy-news.ru
• vin-news.ru

This Russian disinformation network in Ukraine mirrors the Pravda website network launched by the Kremlin in Europe, targeting EU audiences. The list includes pravda-en.com, pravda-fr.com, pravda-de.com, pravda-es.com, and similar sites. These sites clone content across different languages and countries.

The Pravda websites predominantly feature propaganda and false information. Examples include claims that Olena Zelenska mocked the suffering of Ukrainian families, labeling German politicians supporting Ukraine as Nazis, and portraing Western leaders as backing a global dictatorship seeking a third world war against Russia, etc.

Anti-Ukrainian cartoons about President Zelenskyy

Starting in 2023, Russian propaganda began to circulate a series of cartoons, falsely claiming they were produced in France with the intention of discrediting the Ukrainian government. By July 2024, the "Ukraine Inc" cartoon series had reached 13 episodes. These cartoons, which spread negative propaganda about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are mainly distributed through pro-Russian Telegram channels. 

Recently, the above-mentioned "regional Ukrainian news outlets" have also started distributing new episodes of "Ukraine Inc."

Fact-checkers have long proven that no French animation studio created these cartoons. They are actually produced by Russia, which is attempting to win the information war by any means necessary. The goal is to undermine trust in key figures within Ukraine's military and political leadership and to foster the belief among Ukrainians that the elites are primarily concerned with their own interests.

The "Ukraine Inc." cartoon series focuses on discrediting Volodymyr Zelenskyy and features the typical absurd fictions of Russian propaganda.

In particular:

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy categorically rejects any peace initiatives 
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olena Zelenska use war for personal enrichment 
• Zelenskyy is planning to surrender Ukrainian territories
• Zelenskyy is a puppet of the West and does not personally rule the country 
• Zelenskyy is a drug/alcohol addict
• Zelenskyy is a Nazi. 
• European farmers are suffering because Zelenskyy's goods from Ukraine are flooding European markets. 
• Zelenskyy uses ordinary Ukrainians as cannon fodder at the front. 

The animated series "Ukraine Inc" mirrors the exact propaganda broadcast by Russian state channels and is part of a broader campaign to discredit Ukraine's military and political leadership. Russia employs this propaganda for several reasons:

1. Undermining morale: By portraying Ukraine's leaders as incompetent or corrupt, Russia aims to lower the morale of both the Ukrainian military and civilians. This can diminish public support for the government and weaken patriotism.
2. Stirring internal conflicts: Propaganda is used to exaggerate tensions within Ukrainian society, potentially creating political instability.
3. Discrediting Ukraine internationally: Russia seeks to influence global opinions by depicting Ukrainian leaders negatively. This can lead to decreased international support for Ukraine and potentially lessen sanctions against Russia.
4. Controlling the information space: By manipulating information, Russia aims to justify its actions and aggression internationally. Presenting Ukrainian leaders as ineffective helps legitimize Russian actions and reduce global pressure on Russia. 
5. Influencing mobilization: If both the population and military question their leaders' effectiveness, it could hinder efforts to mobilize resources and support for the state.

The establishment of these "regional Ukrainian media outlets" and their efforts to discredit the Ukrainian president further demonstrates that Russia's ambitions go beyond Donbas or Kyiv and are aimed at conquering the entire country.