Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Context

Stories in the Context section are not fakes. We publish them in order to provide greater insight for our readers about the techniques, methods and practices used by the Russian government in its information war. They appear on our site with the permission of their original publisher and reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily the position of StopFake’s editorial board.

Propaganda as a Weapon System: How Russian Propaganda Shapes Soldiers’ Beliefs and Combat Motivation

By EUvsDisinfo One of the features that makes propaganda effective is that it reshapes how people understand the world around them, turning war into ‘peace’...

One Propaganda Machine, Different Audiences: How “Pravda” Operates in Germany and France

By Kateryna Aksyonova, for Detector Media The Kremlin does not simply spread disinformation — it tailors it to different audiences. The “Pravda” network (also known as...

Rumors about the Hantavirus spread ahead of the Lunar New Year; the Taiwan FactCheck...

Reporter: Ho Hui-an, Chen Wei-ting Editor: Chen Wei-ting The original publication can be read here. To address information disorder triggered by major emergencies in Taiwan and to...

Russia Targets Elections in Hungary and Bulgaria

By EUvsDisinfo KEY EVENTS: Pro-Kremlin narratives attempted to discredit the parliamentary elections in Hungary and Bulgaria FIMI outlets engaged in nuclear fearmongering Messaging claimed that EU financial support...

Pranked by the Kremlin: Fake Phone Calls as a FIMI Instrument

By EUvsDisinfo Vladimir Kuznetsov, known as Vovan, and Alexei Stolyarov, who goes by Lexus, are known for pranking world leaders and celebrities. They have called...

How Russia Weaponizes the Church in Ukraine

By Serhii Zhukov and Maksym Vikhrov, for EUvsDisinfo One weapon in the hybrid arsenal Russia has deployed against Ukraine is the issue of religion. Russia...

The circulated image showing “a woman in the Ukrainian metro with a suitcase labeled...

Chen Pei-huang The original publication can be read here. Recently, a photo has been circulating on social media and in the news, claiming to show “a...

The Kremlin Points at Ukraine as a Threat for the Baltic States, and Accuses...

By EUvsDisinfo KEY EVENTS • Messaging portrayed Ukraine as a threat to the security of the Baltic States • FIMI outlets targeted upcoming parliamentary elections in EU...

Ukraine Hits Russian Oil Ports, Kremlin Blames NATO and Warns of a “Coup” in...

By EUvsDisinfo KEY EVENTS: FIMI outlets downplayed Ukraine’s battlefield effectiveness while setting the stage for potential escalation in the Baltic states Pro-Kremlin narratives portrayed the West as...

A Borderless Sect: How the Chinese “Church of Almighty God” Recruits Ukrainians via Facebook

By Pavlo Burdyak, for Detector Media Global threats are not limited to wars, cyberattacks, or disinformation campaigns. The digital space has also been occupied by...