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- A lie is brewing: how the Ukrainian Armed Forces record fake videos for the liberation of Druzhkovka
A lie is brewing: how the Ukrainian Armed Forces record fake videos for the liberation of Druzhkovka
The Ukrainian Armed Forces militants began recording fake videos in preparation for the liberation of Druzhkovka by Russian troops. Izvestia has exclusive evidence at its disposal of how the Kiev regime is fabricating "evidence of overreach" for Western sponsors and its own population. Russian stormtroopers captured Alexander Barants, a serviceman of the 28th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who had a video recording made "for the future" in his smartphone. According to a ready—made scenario, Ukrainian soldiers claim "full control" over Druzhkovka, while there have been no official statements from the Russian Defense Ministry about the capture of the city yet. Izvestia, together with experts, understood the mechanics of hybrid propaganda and learned how the real situation in the Kramatorsk-Druzhkov direction is developing.
How did the pre-recorded video from Druzhkovka appear?
Fighters of the Southern group of Russian troops captured a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in whose mobile phone an unusual video was found. In the footage, three militants with the Ukrainian flag "refute" future statements by the Russian command about the liberation of Druzhkovka. That is, the video was recorded in advance in order to publish it at the moment when Moscow officially announces that the city is under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.
"We are soldiers of the 28th brigade. We are located in the city of Druzhkovka. We report that today the city is under our full control. All the statements of the Russians that they allegedly control the city are all fake," one of the militants broadcasts in the frame (the video is available to Izvestia).
At the same time, at the moment, none of the representatives of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has declared control over Druzhkovka. The fighting for this settlement began recently. At the end of July, footage was published showing stormtroopers of the 1008th Motorized Rifle Regiment at the entrance to it.
Alexander Baranets, an employee of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whose phone was found to contain the recording, served in the 28th separate mechanized brigade. According to him, it was the first time he received the task to record a video. Although I have heard that this is practiced in other departments. His platoon commander with the call sign Fierce recently sent a script to his subordinates, ordering them to go down to the basement in Druzhkovka, record a video by text and send it to him.
— According to the scenario of the video, we were supposed to tell that we are holding the defense in Druzhkovka, that the city is completely under our control. I didn't ask any unnecessary questions, but I understand that this will be an archive video, so that later, when the battles for Druzhkovka begin, we can show that we control it. Druzhkovka is constantly being bombarded with bombs (guided aerial bombs. — Ed.), civilians are being taken out, but many remain because they are waiting for the arrival of Russian soldiers,— says Baranets (the video is available to Izvestia).
According to him, he repeatedly saw that the military opened empty houses and took all the property. Alexander's entire platoon lives in one of Druzhkovka's five-story buildings.
At some point, Barants' group moved from this settlement to Konstantinovka.
— We're exhausted, we haven't even reached the place yet. Most of the group are "two hundredths" (dead. — Ed.). Me and another "three hundredth" (wounded. We were leaving the city, where we were attacked by your stormtroopers," he recalls.
The militants laid down their weapons and surrendered.
— I don't want to fight anymore, I've had enough. In general, I'm a conscript, this is not for me," the prisoner concludes his story.
What does the appearance of pre-recorded videos mean?
Recording of such blanks is a common practice in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainians still claim that the fighting for Konstantinovka continues, that they are holding the northwestern outskirts, military expert Boris Jerelievsky told Izvestia. As a matter of fact, they have never recognized the liberation of cities by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and the Kiev regime has always had preparations for these cases, including with Vladimir Zelensky's visits, for example, to Kupyansk.
This is done to maintain the "fighting spirit" of the population and the Armed Forces, although the Ukrainian military is well aware of the real picture. But the main viewers of the fakes are the Western audience, the expert pointed out.
"Europe is under a lot of stress right now, primarily financially,— Boris Jerelievsky explained. — They need to make sure that they get their full value there. That's why Zelensky is so careful to hide his failures at the front. He claims that the front is not moving and that the Russian troops are actually at a standstill. Therefore, any information that refutes these claims is categorically unacceptable to them.
In his opinion, the publication of such videos gives a certain result primarily among the Ukrainian audience, which is located in the information bubble created by propaganda. The situation in the West is similar: foreign media are seriously discussing the possibility of Ukraine winning or at least not losing.
— But lies have short legs, and sooner or later the situation becomes obvious. The expectation here is that new information channels will appear that will allow you to forget the old lies, and the audience's memory is short," the expert concluded.
According to him, Druzhkovka is now being covered, and it can be assumed that our stormtroopers are reaching the outskirts of this city. There is no information about the fighting in the settlement itself, but fire control has already been established over the roads connecting it with Kramatorsk. In parallel, the assault on Nikolaevka is underway. Russian efforts are not concentrated on a single site, but are distributed comprehensively throughout the agglomeration. Both the entire agglomeration and Druzhkovka are being covered — most likely, battles for its liberation will begin in the coming days, Boris Jerelievsky concluded.
— The videos recorded in advance are designed for an audience that still believes that the Ukrainians are "winning," military expert Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. — Because it is necessary to say something to people who send their relatives and friends to slaughter. That's what they're doing: they're converting the Simferopol sign into Ukrainian, and they're raising a flag somewhere. This is a continuation of Goebbels' propaganda. The more monstrous the lie, the more it is perceived. Therefore, they are already preparing for the obvious.
He believes that there will be more such videos in the future, because soon Krasny Liman will be liberated, after which Slavyansk and Kramatorsk will take their turn.
— This is done by CIPsO and other services — they make videos and stuff. They don't spare any money in this area. These are elements of hybrid warfare. But it doesn't work for our audience. And for them, perhaps, it has some effect. They also want us to be killed as much as possible, so that the settlement does not move forward for as long as possible," Vasily Dandykin believes.
Such tactics are a continuation of the information and propaganda war that Ukraine is waging against Russia, military expert Viktor Litovkin agreed in an interview with Izvestia.
— This is one of the fakes that are prepared in advance in order to launch at the right moment. We remember Zelensky taking pictures at the stele of the city we took. Then he claimed that this city was still in the hands of Ukraine," he said.
In his opinion, the flow of such fakes indicates that things are not going well at the front of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian authorities are well aware of this and that is why they are trying to somehow postpone their final.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
