The Kremlin is increasingly targeting Ukraine and its partners with AI

The Kremlin is increasingly targeting Ukraine and its partners with AI-generated disinformation: how to counter it

Russian propaganda is increasingly using both traditional methods of fabrication and artificial intelligence to create audio and images intended to discredit the Ukrainian government and military, as well as to sow panic among the population.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, 256 fake news stories and deepfakes have been identified over the past six months that were disseminated as part of various disinformation campaigns. Separately, during this period, 18 fake media pieces were recorded that purportedly contained statements from top government officials. These forgeries were most actively spread by propagandists on TikTok, Telegram, and X.

Which visual manipulations by the Russian Federation are currently most frequently observed in the information space and how to detect them—read it in this Shelter article.

How is Russia undermining citizens’ trust in the Ukrainian Armed Forces?

Alina Alekseeva, deputy head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, told Shelter that, first and foremost, enemy propaganda is mass-producing disinformation aimed at discrediting and undermining trust in the Ukrainian Defense Forces, as well as at demoralizing the population.

In particular, in early September, the Center debunked a Russian AI-generated fake video purporting to show soldiers of the 46th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The doctored video features "three Ukrainian soldiers", and a voiceover claims: "This is all that’s left of the unit" after being redeployed to a new section of the front, so the "survivors" allegedly decided to go AWOL.

As proven by specialized digital fact-checking services, this video is an enemy fabrication. In this way, the enemy is attempting to undermine the authority of the command and create the illusion of chaos within the army.

Fake Statements by Ukrainian Officials

According to Alina Alekseeva, the enemy is also releasing many fabricated video statements from "officials", particularly representatives of local authorities. Such materials are designed to elicit an immediate emotional reaction.

For example, a deepfake video featuring a purported local official from the Sumy region was circulating online. In the video, he says that "there are currently no orders to repair critical infrastructure damaged by enemy shelling".

To spread this fake news, the Russians used a network of anonymous accounts. In this way, the enemy is attempting to undermine the trust of Sumy residents in local authorities, sow a sense of hopelessness, and artificially increase psychological pressure on the residents of this frontline city.

In addition, a number of Ukrainian media outlets spread information the start of an "audit within the Armed Forces of Ukraine" from a fake page belonging to Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapato on platform X.

Bogdan Senyk, head of the Public Relations Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, informed Shelter that the account is fake and has no connection whatsoever to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Impact of Russian Propaganda in Other Countries

In other countries, particularly Western ones, Moscow is conducting coordinated disinformation campaigns using AI technologies aimed at undermining support for Ukraine, discrediting allies, and stoking interethnic hostility. At the same time, the Kremlin is moving to a new level—namely, sabotage and hybrid attacks—Dmytro Korniienko, an expert in international relations analysis and founder of the RESURGAM Analytical Center, told Shelter.

As reported by Shelter, German law enforcement recorded more than 165 suspected acts of sabotage in the first eight months of the year. At the same time, hundreds of drone flights near critical and military infrastructure were recorded in the country.

Dmytro Korniienko noted that the Kremlin is studying the country, the information landscape, and those topics that are already well-established and may align with the Russian narrative.

However, the Russian Federation’s main propaganda tactics in European countries are based not on outright disinformation, but on manipulating local public sentiment: ⠀

Spain is a key region for counterpropaganda, as Russian narratives are broadcast from there throughout South America. Russia manipulates local pacifist movements by promoting the idea that war benefits only military companies and the "Anglo-Saxons", thereby shifting the blame away from the aggressor.

In France , propaganda operates through an ideological lens, targeting right-wing forces. Putin is portrayed as a defender of traditional values, while the war itself is presented as an accident.

In Germany , the focus has shifted to economic hardships resulting from the phase-out of Russian energy resources. Politicians such as Sarah Wagenknecht and representatives of the AfD are using these issues to call for an end to aid to Ukraine in order to resume access to cheap resources from Russia.

The political scientist summarized: "Direct dissemination of fake news is not very effective, but manipulating established local groups and gradually steering them toward the desired opinion—that’s how they operate".

How can you spot artificially created videos?

Oksana Moroz, founder of the volunteer initiative "How Not to Become a Vegetable", told Shelter that since late fall 2025, audio and video updates to neural networks have made it virtually impossible to distinguish fake content by eye.

Therefore, according to her, the emotion that a person picks up on can serve as a kind of marker or red flag.

At the same time, the following serve as safeguards to minimize the impact of AI-generated content:

Cross-check with real media sources.

Engage in rational thinking.

How can you spot audio fakes?

When it comes to audio fakes, the situation is even more complicated, noted Alona Romanyuk, founder of the initiative "On the Other Side of the News", in a to Shelter. She explained: People haven’t become worse at spotting fakes; they’ve simply started to distrust authentic speech. This is the main effect that propaganda aims to achieve.

Since hearing is no longer a reliable tool for verification, the expert advises:

Check the facts, not the voice. Look for confirmation of the information in official or alternative sources.

Make sure the account hasn’t been hacked. Especially if the audio contains urgent or emotional requests.

Use a "secret question". For private conversations, have a shared fact known only to you and the person you’re talking to so you can instantly verify the sender’s identity.

How should a person respond if a video or audio clip they see evokes strong emotions?

Media expert Alona Romanyuk described her "cup of tea method", which helps people cope with overly emotional content and prevent the spread of misinformation.

She explained: a physically exhausted person loses the ability to think critically, so the best way to maintain a clear mind is to set aside a specific, limited amount of time for reading the news and social media.

Author She studied at the School of Journalism at Boris Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University. She has been working in the media since 2023. She previously worked at Channel 5. All materials

She studied at the School of Journalism at Boris Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University. She has been working in the media since 2023. She previously worked at Channel 5. All materials

She studied at the School of Journalism at Boris Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University. She has been working in the media since 2023. She previously worked at Channel 5.