Russia launches new propaganda campaign about Ukraine's losses

Ukrainian journalist Oleksandr Kovalenko writes about it on his Telegram channel.

Russian operatives are gearing up for another psychological operation (PSYOP), primarily targeting Western audiences, including American "pundits" and Trump-aligned politicians, along with various media outlets.

The first narrative suggests that Ukraine has suffered significant casualties, depleting its forces and rendering it unable to continue its offensive. The aim is to pressure Ukraine into immediate negotiations.

The second narrative focuses on military equipment, alleging that Ukraine has mishandled and lost most of the Western-supplied weaponry. The goal is to halt further arms shipments and encourage talks with Russia.

The campaign will cite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the origin of data on Ukrainian losses. An unnamed source in the White House, claiming personal communication with Ukrainian leaders, will be mentioned. Reports will vary “as different speakers will voice different figures that may go up as high as 500,000, and perhaps some will even dare claim a million, who knows?” Kovalenko writes.

“Once you’re warned, you’re protected. Filter your news and stick to critical thinking. The information war is not just ongoing, it is escalating,” he urges. 

• The Center for Countering Disinformation published a compilation of fakes that Russia created on September 12: Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said that "Ukraine has lost 71,500 people since the beginning of the counteroffensive."