65% on Telegram, 30% on web, translated into four languages: Russia floods 1,000 posts against Ukraine’s new defense minister in two days

Russia's propaganda machine swiftly mobilized against Ukraine's newly appointed Defense Minister, Yevhenii Khmara, within days of his appointment. The Center for Strategic Communications reported over 1,000 posts disseminated in just two days, aimed at portraying Khmara as a "terrorist" and reinforcing the Kremlin's narrative that Ukraine itself is a terrorist state.

This coordinated disinformation campaign follows a familiar pipeline, starting on fringe Russian outlets like Tsargrad, then amplified through the Pravda/ZOV network in multiple languages, and finally picked up by state media like RT, Sputnik, and RIA Novosti.

The Russian outlets attached fabricated accusations to Khmara, linking him to the Kerch Bridge explosion, the Crocus City Hall attack, and the car bombing of Darya Dugina, alongside claims of Ukraine's "total corruption" and alleged foreign control. These accusations, not based on established facts, are designed to frame Ukraine's defense leadership as criminal and justify Russia's war efforts among domestic and international audiences.

The campaign was designed to reach foreign audiences, with 65% of identified posts appearing on Telegram and 30% on web resources. The messages are being translated into English, French, Spanish, and other languages to maximize their impact. This method allows the Kremlin to push its narratives into Western information spaces like independent reporting, obscuring the true origins of the disinformation.