After a two-month hiatus, we are finally back with our weekly monitoring reports on Russian propaganda.

Last week, the attention of Russia media was largely focused on Ukraine's counteroffensive. Their main goal was persuading Russians that Ukraine’s operation was a flash in the pan. However, the breaking news at end of the week made the propagandists change their tune. The chief of Wagner PMC attempted a military coup so the Kremlin’s information spin doctors focused their efforts on threatening the conspirators and rallying Russians around Putin. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

Putin's address on the state of Russian economy at the “international” economic forum in St. Petersburg was actively promoted by Russian media last week. In a nutshell, Russia’s leader said that the war had ushered in a new era of prosperity. Russian propagandists also paid a fair bit of attention to Ukraine's counteroffensive insisting that Russian army was as strong as ever. In addition to that, the disinformation media once again claimed wounded among Ukraine’s senior military command. This time they said it was the Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov.

The blowing-up of the Kakhovska HPP by Russian forces left the Russian media scrambling for versions which could exonerate Russia with the main narrarative “It was Ukraine, not us!!”. Russian propaganda came up with a flurry of explanations why Ukraine had blown up the HPP denying Russia’s involvement. Russian disinformation media are finally able to report on Ukraine’s actual counteroffensive. Now that the operation is underway, the propagandists have been reporting on Ukraine's colossal losses and the power of Russian weapons.

As the wave of Russian disinformation about the blowing up of the Kakhovska HPP is rising, our analysts are already tracking it for our next week’s report.Meanwhile, this media monitoring report is focused on how Russian propagandists explain the persistence of Ukraine’s defenders to their Russian audiences. Admitting that Ukrainians are forced to fight off the invaders is out of question.

Last week, Russian media continued spreading stories about an alleged rift between the military and political leadership of Ukraine. The propagandists once again claimed that the CinC AF General Valerii Zaluzhnyi had been incapacitated and was no longer able to discharge his duties. Russia’s foreign ministry also said that the United States had financed Hitler and accused it of aiding the Holocaust.Finally, even a slightest hint at the possibility of Japan's NATO membership was enough to make the disinformation media lose their nerve.This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

Last week, Russian media published excited reports on Russia's success in the war. The propagandists continued to argue that, unlike Western missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles were absolutely impervious to being intercepted. Russian media scared their audiences with stories about a radioactive cloud drifting towards Western Europe from Ukraine. The fake was traced to the Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev who has a history of coming up with all sorts of conspiracy theories and nonsense. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

Last week, Russian media reported successful strikes on Western weapon systems in Ukraine. They claimed that Russia had learned to target and kill Ukraine’s HIMARS launchers or at least fool their guidance systems.The propagandists dream of the day when Russia destroys all the Patriot systems, too, so it could finally bomb Ukraine with impunity. At the same time, Russian media avoid saying why Russia did not secure air superiority in Ukraine before the Patriots were delivered.Russian media also raved in patriotic exaltation over Victory Day celebrations and warned that using the word ‘rusnya’ would soon be against the law.This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

Last week, the founder of Wagner PMC Yevheniy Pryhozhyn made a surprise move by threatening to pull back his forces from Bakhmut. The disinformation media scrambled to shift the focus onto Ramzan Kadyrov who had promised that his Chechen fighters would replace the Wagnerites and help to hold the city. The Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev once again claimed that the West is plotting to destroy Russia with the help of none other than gender diversity.Russian propagandists also claimed about the staging of a “color revolution” in Hungary to overthrow the “independent” Viktor Orbán.This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.

Russian media keep saying that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is doomed. Last week, the propagandists claimed that Russian army excels at defensive warfare. The disinformation media tried to exonerate Wagner PMC after the testimony of former mercenaries sharing grim details of murders of Ukrainian civilians and the disobedient Russian servicemen had gone viral.Russian media ran numerous stories about the traitors of Russia who discredit the armed forces and praised the snitches who report them to the authorities. This monitoring report covers these and other topics of the disinformation spread by Russian state media and online parajournalists to manipulate public opinion.