"Ukrainians indiscriminately shoot at Belgorod, outskirts of Kursk" - fake

According to the Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, disinformation and manipulations were spread in the world on July 31. 

Manipulation: Retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski said: "In the case of Ukraine, a little story is being told: 'You know, Russia invaded, and we have to protect the Ukrainians'... It was a story they could grab onto, and it ended very badly for NATO and the United States. In fact, having a pro-Ukrainian position is an incredibly unpopular thing to do." 

Refutation: Kwiatkowski is trying to discredit and reduce Western military assistance to Ukraine. In fact, the support of partners is a key factor in Ukraine's ability to withstand Russian aggression.

Disinformation: Former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter stated: "The Ukrainians are also indiscriminately hitting civilian targets, just firing their HIMARS and Vampires... They're hitting Belgorod, they're hitting villages in the vicinity of Kursk. And this is a direct continuation of what the Ukrainians have been doing in Donbas - terrorist acts, violations of international humanitarian law, strikes on purely civilian objects."

Refutation: Ritter is retransmitting Russian propaganda to demonize the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In fact, the Ukrainian military is acting under international humanitarian law and is focused on defending its territory from Russian aggression, while it is Russia that systematically attacks civilian objects in Ukraine in violation of international law.

• Russian propagandists have come up with a new fake claiming that the Moldovan authorities are ready to immediately return refugees of mobilization age to Ukraine. The Moldovan Foreign Ministry denied this information.