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8 May 2026

Results of pro-Russian disinformation monitoring (December–February 2026)

Same-sex Marriages as an “EU Membership Requirement”, Accusations of Interference into Elections in Hungary, and Disinformation about Ukrainian Refugees in EU Member States

The winter of 2025–2026 has been extremely difficult for Ukrainians due to massive Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The Russian bombing campaign triggered unprecedented electricity and heating shortages, as temperatures plunged to –20 °C during extremely cold weather. During this period, Russian and pro-Russian FIMI actors intensified efforts to influence Ukraine’s information environment through coordinated networks of Telegram channels, Facebook groups, and news websites. These efforts relied on emotional manipulation, threats, demoralisation and attempts to shift responsibility for the war, portraying Ukrainians as a “burden” for EU Member States and framing EU integration as “undesirable”.

In response to these information manipulation threats, the Regional EU Disinformation Resilience Network of Journalists, in collaboration with the DARE project team, continues to monitor disinformation narratives targeting EU–Ukraine relations at the regional level and to debunk emerging false and manipulative content.

Key Takeaways:

Propagandists have been speculating on external social and political events, particularly on mass electricity shortages in Ukraine caused by Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, conflict around Greenland, discussions about the provision of Russian frozen assets to Ukraine inside EU Member States, future parliamentary elections in Hungary, and even participation of Ukrainian athletes in the Winter Olympic Games 2026. Doing so, they were strengthening their own disinformation narratives about alleged EU fatigue from helping Ukraine, and threats to EU Member States caused by Ukraine`s EU integration. They were manipulating the fears and exhaustion of Ukrainians.
Pro-Kremlin propagandists focused on accusing the EU of weakness and corruption, discrediting EU Member States` support for Ukraine, spreading disinformation about Ukrainian refugees, and shifting responsibility for the war from Russia to the EU. In addition, narratives aimed at undermining Ukraine–Poland relations were disseminated in the Ukrainian information environment.
Pro-Russian propagandists and unscrupulous administrators of regional Telegram channels have been deliberately using gendered disinformation to manipulate widespread stereotypes and fears. Particularly, in February, this was manifested with messages about Ukraine’s alleged obligation to recognise same-sex marriages for the EU Membership. Such messages not only strengthened the homophobic attitudes, but also discredited the entire EU integration process as the one that “threatens Ukrainian traditional values.”
Messages aiming at discrediting aid from EU Member States for Ukraine have been detected in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. Particularly, they included accusations of the support of “forced mobilisation” and “elimination of Slavic population.” By doing so, propagandists are trying to undermine the general trust in the EU among Ukrainians.
Russian propagandists working on the TOT of Ukraine began to create “mirrored” fake news about Ukraine and EU Member States to erase the responsibility for their own crimes. For example, in Telegram channels of temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk region, the message claimed that “the property of Ukrainians who fled to the EU will be confiscated for its further handing over to NATO mercenaries.” This narrative replicates the practice of “nationalisation” of abandoned apartments for redistribution to other people, widespread across the TOT of Ukraine.
Numerous manipulative and false claims about the state of Ukrainian refugees in EU Member States have been detected in Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, and the TOT of Zaporizhzhia regions. On one hand, the authors of publications stated about “injustice” towards Ukrainians in the EU and plans of EU Member States to get rid of “unwanted” refugees. However, in some publications, Ukrainians were accused of committing crimes and posing threats to EU Member States citizens. Additionally, on the TOT of Zaporizhzhia region, the monitoring detected the accusations of Ukraine`s authorities of children and AFU veterans with disabilities being traded for providing military and financial aid.
Undermining Ukraine-Poland relations remains one of the key topics of propagandists. Suspicious informational sources in Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions speculated on historical narratives and accused Poland of a plan to establish a visa regime for Ukrainians.
Fake messages about payments to Ukrainians from international organisations and EU Member States have been detected on Telegram channels in various regions (Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Donetsk, Odesa, and Mykolaiv regions). In this way, the administrators were trying to attract the audience to other anonymous Telegram channels and, in some cases, to obtain personal information.

Key Monitoring Results

“Ukraine must recognise same-sex marriages to join the EU”

In February, false claims stating that Ukraine allegedly “must recognise same-sex marriages if it wants to join the EU” were disseminated throughout Telegram channels and mainstream news websites. Particularly, such a piece of “news” was detected in one of the Ivano-Frankivsk Telegram channels.

Source: Galka.if.ua

In reality, there was no demand to recognise same-sex marriages from the EU side. The information source for such publications was the discussion of the new edition of the Civil Code of Ukraine. Human rights, feminist, and LGBTIQ+ organisations have been opposing the draft Civil Code because it contains norms banning Ukrainian courts from recognising households and families of same-sex couples. In addition, the new draft, according to human rights defenders, may pose threats to womens and childrens rights. In response to a public appeal from these organisations, the European Commission emphasized the need for Ukraine to comply with EU human rights standards.

The response from the European Commission stated that, “as part of the EU accession process, Ukraine’s legal framework must comply with the EU acquis and with the standards enshrined in the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights”. In particular, this concerns respect for private and family life and the prohibition of discrimination on any grounds, including sexual orientation or gender identity. However, in the European Commission’s response, there was nothing about the obligation to recognise same-sex marriages “in order to join the EU”. Moreover, not all the EU Member States recognise same-sex marriages; therefore, the media reports were rather manipulative.

By disseminating such Europhobic messages, propagandists are trying to discredit the entire idea of the EU integration of Ukraine by presenting it as “a threat to traditional Ukrainian values.” They are strengthening the widespread stereotypes and fears against LGBTIQ+ people. Though sociological surveys show that Ukrainians are increasingly supportive of equality, particularly, of the idea of equal rights – for example, as of September 2025, 78,1% respondents agreed that LGBT people need to have equal rights with other citizens of Ukraine – prejudice and homophobia still exist. For this reason, propagandists are trying to capitalise on this very point.

“Ukraine is exporting electricity to the EU despite mass shortages”

During the past winter, Russia deliberately attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in conditions of severe frosts to break the spirit of Ukrainians and make them support Russia`s conditions for ending the war. Additionally, propagandists used long-lasting blackouts to disseminate fake news about relations between Ukraine and EU Member States. Particularly in the context of accusations of electricity trade with the EU.

In addition to publications on Telegram channels, bot activity has been detected. For example, in Khmelnytskyi groups, a massive number of messages claiming that Khmelnytskyi and Rivne NPPs are allegedly working to export electricity to EU Member States have been detected. It also claimed that while Ukrainians had to live in blackouts, electricity was sold to Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Hungary. Later, these bots were used to encourage people to participate in pseudo-protests “against electricity shortages.” Russian propaganda presented them as evidence of “mass disagreement of Ukrainians with the actions of the government.” Similar publications accusing Ukraine of selling electricity to Romania, based on an alleged analytical video, were disseminated in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions.

Source: Rubryka

In reality, Ukraine does not sell electricity abroad during mass shortages. The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine has previously stated that all electricity produced by Ukrainian power plants is used solely for internal consumption.

In addition, Ukrenergo stated that so-called “technical flows” do occur, but only because Ukraine’s energy system is part of the European system. They are not significant, and the energy that allegedly “flew abroad” returns to Ukraine.

“The EU is weak and corrupt”

Russian and pro-Russian propagandists keep trying to convince Ukrainians of the collapse and weakness of the EU, therefore constructing an alternative: renewal of relations with Russia based on Russia`s demands, with the complete refusal of EU integration. During the monitoring period, such claims were detected across Telegram channels in various Ukrainian regions.

For example, in winter, on the TOT of Kherson region, the podcast episode entitled “The Collapse of Europe” has been published. There, the creators were stating that today nobody treats the EU seriously, the politicians are not legitimate, and the EU Member States are becoming dangerous because of migration and the rise in crime rate. In reality, such claims are classical informational manipulations. The authors of the podcast deliberately manipulated divisive topics, such as the EU’s migration policy and internal political discussions in the USA, to reassure the residents of the TOT in Kherson region that the EU “is collapsing.” Therefore, the Russian occupation is the only “island of stability” in these times.

In winter, propagandists also speculated about the EU’s dependence on Russian energy sources. They were also accusing Ukraine of blackmailing the EU Member States and of being responsible for attacks on the Druzhba Russian oil pipeline. In reality, Russia is simply using common fears of residents in the EU Member States related to the deficit and rise of oil prices to undermine support for Ukraine. Not to mention that Russia is responsible for these damages.

False claims about alleged plans by Germany and France to “leave the EU” served as another example of the “EU weakness”. These false claims were disseminated on Telegram channels in the TOT of Zaporizhzhia region. In reality, such initiatives reflect the position of separate far-right politicians and have nothing to do with the official position of the mentioned countries. As of February 2026, no country has announced the start of its exit from the EU.

Source: Pershyi Zaporizkyi

Propagandists did not leave the topic of relations between Ukraine, the EU, and the USA unattended. In particular, in Sumy and Chernihiv regions, propagandists were convinced that the EU is financially and energy-dependent on the USA. They also wrote in the publication, allegedly referring to Politico, that the US president Donald Trump forced the EU “to pay for Ukraine`s reconstruction”.

Source: Kordon Media

In reality, there is no approved plan, and the Politico media outlet did not publish anything similar. Its materials were related to analytical scenarios and expert discussions, but not to real inter-state decisions. By disseminating such claims, propagandists are trying to convince Ukrainians of the EU’s weakness and to force them to take the side of “the stronger” during negotiations, meaning Russia.

Disinformation Targeting Ukrainian Refugees

Disseminating fake news about Ukrainian refugees in the EU Member States, propagandists often contradict themselves. On one hand, they are convinced that Ukrainians have no rights in the EU and are being constantly discriminated against, but on the other hand, that they threaten the stability and safety of citizens of EU Member States. Doing so, they not only undermine trust in the EU among Ukrainians, but also the support for Ukraine abroad.

For example, on Telegram channels in Kharkiv region, a video with the logo of the French media Le Point and English captions appeared. It claimed that the French police arrested the Ukrainian refugee who worked at the mortuary in Toulouse for hiding large batches of drugs in graves for their further transmission to drug dealers. As has been found, Le Point did not publish anything similar, and the propagandists themselves created the video by combining photos from open sources from different years. Stealing the logos of international media, propagandists are trying to make their fake news more convincing and present the lies as objective information from reputable media outlets.

In turn, one of the Telegram channels from Cherkasy region published a manipulative message aimed to undermine Ukrainians’ trust in EU Member States. However, it is not directly related to Ukrainians abroad. The publication stated that the EU will be available only “for people who can pay.” Therefore, the authors of the publication are actually accusing the EU of double standards and a wish to make a profit on Ukrainians who are suffering from economic instability and the consequences of the war.

In reality, the situation relates to the launch of the ETIAS system. According to the new rules, the visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU remains fully in place. However, citizens from over 59 countries, including Ukraine, who currently do not need a visa to enter the Schengen Area, will need to obtain permission via this system. The system will be tied to the passport of a traveling person and will be valid for three years or until the passport expires.

Source: 18000

On the other side, the Telegram channel from the TOT of Zaporizhzhia region is convinced about the threats from Ukrainians to citizens of EU Member States. The publications claimed that the payment of pensions will be stopped in Germany, Spain, and France because of expenses on Ukrainian refugees. However, the video allegedly featuring the Euronews logo appeared to be fake. The media did not publish such statistics. The original media piece addressed demographic trends and structural issues in the pension systems of EU Member States. There was no information about the support for Ukraine or its impact on pensions. In doing so, the propagandists aim to undermine the support for Ukraine abroad and accuse Ukrainians of economic and demographic problems inside the EU.

Source: Pershyi Zaporizkyi

The claims about the alleged existence of Ukrainian gangs in the EU that are threatening the local population and illegally trading weapons are also false.

Source: Pershyi Zaporizkyi

European law enforcement agencies or international institutions did not admit the existence of organised “Nazi” gangs consisting of Ukrainian refugees. At the same time, the research (GI-TOC) published in 2024 did not find any verified case of organised selling of weapons to the EU from Ukrainians. The researchers concluded that the black market is mostly internal and involves non-registered or trophy weapons.

“France and Great Britain are getting prepared to provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine”

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian and pro-Russian propagandists have been deliberately shifting responsibility for the war to Ukraine itself and EU Member States, as well as accusing them of alleged aggression and posing threats to Russia`s safety. In February 2026, they continued this tactic by disseminating fake data from Russian intelligence services about alleged plans of France and Great Britain to provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine.

Source: Galka.if.ua

In reality, France and Great Britain are the participants of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, according to which the transmission of nuclear weapons to another state is forbidden. The spokesperson approved the absence of such plans from the UK prime minister, the director of communications for the French Ministry of Defence, and the president of Ukraine.

Russian propaganda is shifting responsibility for the military aggression, though Russia itself is continuously using nuclear blackmail and nuclear threats against EU Member States.

Accusations of Ukraine of interference in elections in Hungary

Russian and pro-Russian propagandists were disseminating disinformation claims about alleged plans of Ukraine to interfere in elections in Hungary by fabricating the results, coordinating the street protests, and discrediting Viktor Orban’s government through attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline.

In particular, the publication claiming that Ukraine is blocking oil supplies through the Druzhba oil pipeline to increase oil and utility prices before parliamentary elections and influence the ruling party’s rating, Fides, has appeared on pro-Russian Telegram channels in Odesa.

Source: Informer

In reality, such claims are clear disinformation and reflect the political position and personal opinion of Prime Minister Viktor Orban himself. Then it is captured by Russian and pro-Russian sources for further discrediting Ukraine and the EU.

Disinformation aimed at undermining Ukraine-Poland relations

During previous monitoring periods, we detected fake news about the state of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, historical manipulations, and accusations against Poland of plans to “occupy the territories of Western Ukraine” or “benefit from the war in Ukraine.”

The current period was not an exception. One of the Khmelnytskyi Facebook groups published a pseudohistorical post about the 1596 battle of Solonytsia, which pitted the Cossack army led by Severyn Nalyvaiko against the army of Rzecz Pospolita. Particularly, the publication used such a wording “For the Polish masters, Ukrainians were enslaved people without any rights, live inventory that could be killed for fun… The Ukrainian has to be the master of his land, not a permanently enslaved person.” It fuels the enmity between Ukrainians and Poles by transmitting the events that took place centuries ago to modernity. Poland is an ally of Ukraine and has helped it since the beginning of the full-scale war. Therefore, it is possible to see how narratives advantageous to Russia hide behind the guise of patriotic content and emotional rhetoric.

Another example of disinformation undermining Ukraine-Poland relations is messages about alleged plans of Poland to restore the visa regime with Ukraine, which were detected on one Telegram channel in Ivano-Frankivsk region.

Source: Galka.if.ua

In reality, this is a classic example of information manipulation that presents the words by a separate politician as the position of the entire country. The vice speaker of the Polish Sejm, Krzysztof Bosak, is one of the leaders of the far-right party Konfederacja, which is well known for its anti-migration rhetoric and opposition to supporting Ukraine. In turn, there were no approved or proposed amendments in Poland related to visa renewals. Therefore, Bosak’s words more closely reflect his own political position rather than Poland’s policy towards Ukraine.

It is worth noting that decisions on establishing and functioning of a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the Schengen area are collectively made by the European Union. Therefore, re-establishing a visa regime between Poland and Ukraine is currently not an option. Similar information manipulations only heighten tensions between Ukrainians and Poles and undermine good neighbourly relations between the countries.

“Denmark demands the return of the fighter jets that were previously provided to Ukraine”

Propagandists used the recent diplomatic row around Greenland as evidence of the inevitable end of help for Ukraine. Particularly, false claims suggesting that Denmark is allegedly demanding that Ukraine return previously provided F-16 fighter jets because of potential confrontation with the USA over Greenland were detected in Donetsk region.

Source: 0629.com.ua

In reality, Denmark did not plan to, and does not plan to “re-claim and take back” the jets it provided to Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark approved this. Additionally, the country does not need the F-16 fighter jets, as in 2025, it announced the shift to newly modified F-35 jets.

Similar false claims are meant to only manipulate the frustration of Ukrainians and aim to convince them that “the world has allegedly turned away from Ukraine”, leaving it alone with the war and the consequences of destruction caused by multiple Russian air strikes.

“Ukraine is expropriating estate for its further provision to other people”

Another fake news that was detected on the TOT in Donetsk region was the claims about alleged plans of Ukraine to expropriate the flats of Ukrainians who fled abroad because of the full-scale war and then provide them to IDPs and Western mercenaries.

Source: 0629.com.ua

This false news is closely tied to the region’s local peculiarities. It is in temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk region (and in other temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine) where the Russian occupational authorities have created the practice of “transmission” of property without owners to other people. In reality, it is about the simple appropriation of flats abandoned by Ukrainians. In its turn, Ukraine is planning to gather information about available empty state and communal properties to remake them into residential spaces for IDPs soon.

Therefore, the propagandists accused Ukraine of things that Russia is already doing on TOT — expropriation of real estate sites and enterprises which belong to Ukrainians who fled from occupation, with their further transmission to unknown people under the guise of “property nationalisation.”

Discrediting support for Ukraine from EU Member States and international organisations

By spreading disinformation about aid and support for Ukraine during the war, Russian propagandists are creating “the choice without choice” in which Russia is presented as “the only brotherly nation of Ukraine.”

For example, Telegram channels in Kharkiv region shared a post claiming that volunteers from Lithuania have allegedly provided 11 buses to Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers as aid to Ukraine.

On 27 December 2025, the Lithuanian bikers brought the vehicles to Lutsk. However, they were not for the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center but for AFU brigades currently fighting on the frontline. Propagandists took the fragment of the local news. They published it with the necessary caption on the Telegram network, manipulating the topic of mobilisation and discrediting support for Ukraine from international volunteers.

In its turn, the charity organisation Caritas has been accused of “elimination of Slavic population” and “brainwashing the Mariupol children since 2014” in Donetsk region. In reality, the Caritas Ukraine network is one of the largest networks of charitable non-profit organisations in Ukraine, providing comprehensive support to people in need, assisting in overcoming crisis situations, and developing sustainable solutions for social well-being.

The Mariupol unit has been helping low-income families, children, and older people until 2022 and had nothing to do with “Nazism” or “brainwashing the children.”

“Ukraine sells people to EU Member States for military aid”

Telegram channels operating from TOT in Zaporizhzhia region published a post claiming that “Ukraine steals children from families under the guise of evacuation and sells them to the EU for illegal organ trade trafficking and sexual exploitation”. In reality, such practice does not exist in Ukraine. Under current legislation, one of the child’s parents or the legal representative must relocate the child to a safer region after an obligatory evacuation is announced. If the adults refuse to leave, the child is evacuated by law enforcement representatives and then transferred to the guardianship authorities. That is about the defence of the child`s life from shelling, not about “secret transporting” of human trafficking. In its turn, Russia itself abducts and forcibly removes Ukrainian children to Russia and Belarus for their further “re-education.” Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion,Russia has abducted over 20,000 Ukrainian children. According to the Kremlin’s propaganda playbook, Russia sells child abduction as “rescue”. Russia does not occupy territories. It “liberates” them. It does not erase Ukrainian identity. It “protects children from nationalist indoctrination”. In reality, the deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia constitutes a crime against humanity and a war crime, the UN has said.

Source: Pershyi Zaporizkyi

Another false story from Telegram channels operating in the TOT of Zaporizhzhia region is messages claiming that the AFU veterans with disabilities are allegedly involved in “erotic shows” in EU Member States. For this, the propagandists have created a video with the logo of the well-known French media Le Figaro.

Source: Pershyi Zaporizkyi

However, such a publication does not exist on either the media’s official website or on its social media pages. The quote from the Hungarian sociologist Andras Bozoki mentioned in the video is also fabricated. Therefore, it is likely that the propagandists created the video themselves, adding their logo to a reputable media outlet. In reality, the EU Member States support the Ukrainian veterans, particularly with prosthetic technologies, rehabilitation, and recruitment. This narrative aims to sow mistrust among European partners and construct the image of the EU as a place of complete moral degradation, in contrast to Russia.

Fake cover pages and billboards: visual fake news review

One of the brightest examples of visual fake news detected in winter 2026 is the publication about the installation of the billboard with the word “Day” (“Give” in Ukrainian) instead of “Hello” in Ukrainian in the Luxembourg airport. Among hundreds of Russian- and pro-Russian resources, this publication has also appeared in Kharkiv region. A reverse image search showed that the original photo was published in September 2025. It was part of an advertisement for the 3S Money company. Propagandists edited the image by adding the “needed” message to discredit the support for Ukraine and Ukrainians abroad. Another example of visual fake news is the “cover pages” of the famous French journal Charlie Hebdo, which were detected in pro-Russian Telegram channels in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. The real editions did not contain any satirical images related to Ukraine. Propagandists deliberately used the well-known foreign media outlet to create an illusion of mass mocking of Ukraine in the EU.

Source: Pershyi Zaporizskyi

Read the full versions of the articles prepared by the journalists of the Regional EU Disinformation Resilience-related Network during the monitoring:

This quarterly overview was prepared within the EU-UA Disinformation Awareness and Resilience [DARE] Project, which is funded by the European Union. Cases presented in this overview focus on messages in Ukraine’s regional information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin narratives. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. The content, findings, conclusions, and opinions expressed within this overview belong solely to the authors and do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting, monitoring, and analysis of the 12 participating media outlets (listed above).

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