Top PSYOPs of the Week (21.09 – 27.09. 2026): Kharkiv Attacks Russia; 1600 Drones and Not a Single Bruise; The Shadow of 1939: Where Hundreds of Trolls Come From…

— Sergey, don't panic. All 1600 were successfully shot down!

— Shot down by what, Comrade President?!

— By what? By oil refineries, ammunition depots, and my favorite business center! Worked out brilliantly!

The Kremlin claimed 1,600 Ukrainian drones were intercepted, though footage of the burning Moscow Oil Refinery and the emergency shutdown of four major airports proved otherwise. This manipulation aims to soothe the domestic audience following recent elections and mask the vulnerability of critical infrastructure behind a fake "impenetrable dome."

The "Encirclement" in Kharkiv Oblast Made of Three Lost Infiltration Groups

Z-channels fabricated a story about a massive "pocket" near Vovchansk by misrepresenting small Russian DRG infiltration tactics as full territorial control. ISW analysts and Ukrainian brigades confirmed that no encirclement exists between Volokhivske and Ivashchyne; the fake serves to justify ongoing heavy KAB strikes against civilian areas.

“We Want Peace, But It’s Your Fault”: Fresh Tales from the Bunker

Putin accused Ukraine of disrupting peace negotiations due to drone strikes on Russian territory, dusting off the old Istanbul draft. The narrative attempts to construct an image of a "constructive" Russia for foreign audiences while shifting the blame for the prolonged war onto the victim of aggression.

“England and France Started It All”: How Stalin Pushed Putin’s Playbook 87 Years Ago

Drawing a direct parallel between Stalin’s 1939 Pravda interview (where he blamed the Allies for attacking Hitler) and Putin’s current rhetoric. The plot highlights how modern Russian "forced self-defense" narratives are simply recycled propaganda tactics from totalitarian Soviet history.

“Ukraine, Give Lviv Back to Poland!”: How Russian Botnets Swarmed a Ukrainian Historian

An analysis of a coordinated attack by nearly 700 automated accounts targeting a historical post about September 17, 1939. The network pushed the "give Lviv to Poland" narrative using compromised accounts and keyword triggers to exploit social media algorithms and spark artificial internal conflict.

“Land to Foreigners, Goats to Gardens”: 1 Million Hectares Under Landmines

Belarusian state media alleged that foreigners purchased over 1 million hectares of Ukrainian frontline agricultural land at bottom-dollar prices. The story completely ignores Ukrainian legal prohibitions against foreign land ownership and the absurdity of investing in active minefields under heavy drone fire.

“Green Fascism” Funded by Russian Money

A Demagog.pl investigation exposed an alliance between Russian botnets, populist politicians, and fossil fuel lobbyists smearing the EU Green Deal. The Kremlin leverages climate disinformation to delay renewable energy transitions, keeping Europe dependent on Russian oil and gas revenues.

Read more in the Ukrainian edition....