Russian propaganda created several fake stories about battalions formed by Ukrainian volunteers-prisoners of war during Russian-Ukrainian war. Investigations of the Center for Journalist Investigations proved that these battalions «fought» mainly in social media and Russian video camera.
We focused this blog on yet another fake story of Z-propagandists about Ukrainian soldiers who were able to swim over Dnipro under shelling and surrender to Russian occupants.
Ukrainian desertion is among the most popular topics of Russian propagandists. Unauthorized abandonment of military units is the real problem for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It has been openly debated in the country. However, it is very difficult for Russian propagandists to prove massive desertion of Ukrainian soldiers under Russian flag.
When Russian occupants distribute lies about Ukrainian soldiers-deserters near Kherson, they try to force Ukrainians to become deserters.
Фейковий український «морпіх» розповсюджує російські наративи. Джерело: Telegram-канал «Free Kherson»
In yet another interview of fake Ukrainian prisoner of war, Russian propagandists try to persuade Ukrainian people that current war is not the war of Ukrainian people. Their logic is understandable. If majority of Ukrainians would ignore their service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and current army personnel would leave them, then, there will be peace in Ukraine. Russian peace and the Russian world.
Let us analyze current Russian propagandist myth. Its main hero is would be marine of the 34th brigade, born in occupied Skadovsk (Kherson oblast). Russian occupants pretend that this nameless marine sent a letter to the chat of Russian propagandist Telegram channel. It contained traditional Russian propagandist narratives about «atrocities» of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, strikes upon peaceful civilians and persecution of Russian speaking Ukrainians. This marine fled from his military unit, hid in Kherson and asked Russian occupants for help.
The letter is not genuine. It is not screenshot, it is text created with Photoshop and presented as screenshot. We used special program Photo Forensis to uncover its fake character.
Лист «морпіха», створений за допомогою фотомонтажу.
Later Russian propagandists disseminated continuation of the story. The fugitive marine stated in his letter that he hid in Kherson and did not leave the city because there were checkpoints everywhere. But then he suddenly appeared in the small forest! According to published video, Russian occupants dropped him a radio station by drone. It is strange as he had communication means before. Otherwise, how he would know where should he go or when Russians will drop him the radio?
Second, this video demonstrates cultivated field near the forest. But there are no cultivated fields around Kherson because Russian drones and artillery bombs everything on liberated part of Kherson region. It is impossible to conduct any agricultural works. Does it mean that actual footage was made deep into rear part of liberated Kherson region? Is it Kherson region per se? Or footage was made on occupied part of Kherson region?
Then, the video shows the face of would be marine. He is shaved and clean. Did he visit barber shop for deserts near the forest?
Поголене обличчя фейкового дезертира. Джерело: Telegram-канал «Free Kherson»
Finally, Russian propagandists stated that the marine avoided all checkpoints and swam over Dnipro to get to the occupied territory of Kherson region and surrender to Russians. He was met by Russian soldiers on the Left Bank of Dnipro. They put black bag on his head and then invited him for interview about atrocities of military service in Ukraine.
Let us look carefully at the clothing of the marine. He regularly changes it. At the beginning he had military uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. When he received the Russian radio station, he wore civilian clothing. After he crossed Dnipro, he was presented again in new and clean military uniform. It is strange behavior for the fugitive.
If the marine is genuine, then, why Russian propagandists do not show his face and do not disclose his name?
The answer is simple. This marine is fake person. His name is not disclosed because Russians are afraid to fail like it happened last year.
In Autumn 2025, Kremlin propagandists launched full scale disinformation campaign about situation in Kherson. They persuaded that Russian soldiers crossed Dnipro, seized district «Korabel» \ «Island» of Kherson and fully controlled part of the city. Kherson residents greeted Russian «liberators» whereas Ukrainian troops surrendered en masse.
According to Russian propagandists, their sabotage group captured Ukrainian soldier, called Soroka Viktor Yuriyovych, senior sailor of the 34th separate brigade. He told on propagandist video that he went to drink coffee in the city and was captured on his way by Russian soldiers.
Russians disseminated video with Soroka in social media whereas their bots pushed it for their narratives as if Kherson was close to surrender.
Відео з фейковим Сорокою шириться Мережею
However, the 34th brigade of marines immediately showed genuine senior sailor Soroka Viktor Yuriyovych. He did serve in the brigade, was not captured and kept defending Kherson.
After brigade’s announcement, Russian myth about seizure of Kherson quickly disappeared. Average Russians started asking propagandists for videos of Russian troops in «liberated» city district, joyful city residents greeting «liberators» etc. Propagandists had to cancel their campaign «We are in Kherson».
Справжній Віктор Сорока. Джерело: 34 ОБрМП
…Russian occupants spend billions of Rubles for the information campaign against Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They try to demoralize Ukrainian troops. Majority of their propagandist fakes are stupid and useless against people with critical thinking.
But we should not underestimate them because Russian disinformation campaigns are getting larger. Their task is to persuade that Ukrainians are tired of the war and do not want to fight anymore.
There is some truth in this statement. Ukrainians did not want and do not want this war. But they want even less to live under the authority of Russian occupants…
