Information War. Russia Weaponizes Ukrainian Protests

The immediate catalyst for these events was the passage of Bill No. 12414 by Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada on July 22. This act fundamentally altered the structure of Ukraine’s anti-corruption system by placing two key, previously independent institutions - the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) - under the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

The decision was made amid escalating institutional tensions. Just one day prior, on July 21, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), together with the Prosecutor General’s Office, had conducted a raid on NABU headquarters.

In response, on July 22 and 23, citizens took to the streets in Kyiv and other major cities. These protests were strictly pro-democracy and anti-corruption in nature. Participants, representing an active civil society, voiced their opposition to what they saw as a political move to weaken the independence of NABU and SAPO.

In response, Zelensky stated that he would submit a draft law that will „strengthen the system of law and order” and preserve „all standards of independence for anti-corruption institutions.”

Russian Disinformation on the offensive

Russia quickly incorporated these developments into a wide-ranging disinformation operation. As noted by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin’s propaganda apparatus focused on promoting several interlocking narratives designed to completely distort the nature and significance of the protests.

One of the core narratives presented the demonstrations as anti-war and anti-government. Russian officials, members of the State Duma, and state-run media consistently claimed that Ukrainians were protesting not against corruption, but against the continuation of the war, the government as a whole, and President Volodymyr Zelensky personally. The goal was to fabricate an image of crumbling morale, fractured national unity, and widespread war fatigue within Ukrainian society.

Undermining Ukraine's credibility

The second pillar of the campaign targeted Ukraine’s reputation in the West. This narrative claimed that Ukrainian officials were massively embezzling foreign aid and that Bill No. 12414 was adopted specifically to shield corrupt elites from accountability.

This message was carefully tailored for Western audiences, aiming to erode trust in Ukraine as a reliable international partner.

Delegitimising Ukraine's leadership

Another narrative pushed by Russian media and institutions portrayed recent legislative changes as part of an alleged „anti-American coup” and a sign of Ukraine’s supposed loss of sovereignty. The alterations in anti-corruption laws were framed as a deliberate effort to push back against Western influence in Ukraine’s political system. This was a calculated inversion of reality, intended to sow distrust between Kyiv and its key allies and to suggest that Ukraine was turning against its Western backers.

The most blatant form of this attack came in the form of public calls for regime change. Some Russian public figures and media outlets openly urged the West to „replace” President Zelensky. This echoed long-standing Kremlin objectives to delegitimise Ukraine’s leadership and portray the country as a puppet state whose fate is dictated by foreign powers.

How the narrative was spread

According to The New Voice of Ukraine, the distribution of these narratives relied on a multilayered network of actors, ensuring wide reach and a veneer of credibility. At the state level, the campaign was given official weight by top Kremlin officials such as spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and members of the State Duma. Their statements served not only as expressions of political stance but also as signals to the entire propaganda apparatus to amplify the message.

The next layer consisted of the media infrastructure, including state-run news agencies such as TASS and RIA Novosti, television channels like RT and Rossiya-1, and a broad network of Kremlin-affiliated ultranationalist bloggers. Together, they formed the core information pipeline, repeatedly reinforcing key talking points in a coordinated and persistent manner.

Peskov accuses Ukraine of corruption

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Ukraine of systemic corruption, claiming that a significant portion of Western financial aid had been embezzled.

„It is obvious that a significant part of the financial aid given to Ukraine was stolen. Corruption in that country is rampant, which means American and European taxpayers« money has been misappropriated. This can be said with a high degree of certainty,” Peskov stated.

As pointed out in a detailed analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this claim is a fundamental falsehood rooted in a deliberate misunderstanding of how international aid works.

„The vast majority of US funds allocated to Ukraine are spent within the United States, not Ukraine. Much of the US and European military assistance to Ukraine funds activities related to the war, including training Ukrainian forces and intelligence support for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Ukraine. The Russian claims about Ukrainian corruption aim to exploit ongoing policy discussions and deter additional Western aid to Ukraine.”

Peskov’s objective was not to convince policy experts, but to influence public opinion in the West. By exploiting long-standing stereotypes about Eastern European corruption and simplifying complex budgetary processes, the Kremlin aimed to stir resentment among Western taxpayers and fuel opposition to continued support for Ukraine. This message aligned directly with the rhetoric of isolationist and populist political forces in the West calling for reduced assistance to Kyiv.

Foreign networks engaged

According to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU), the operation also involved an international network of pro-Russian bloggers and influencers, both within Russia and in Western countries.

„According to information obtained by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, in addition to federal resources, the Kremlin is actively deploying a network of state-controlled media, bloggers, and influencers in Western countries. The information campaign already involves foreign assets of all Russian intelligence services,” reads an official SZRU statement.

Disinformation as a tool of war

The disinformation campaign surrounding the protests in Ukraine must be viewed in the broader context of the Russian Federation’s wartime objectives. Disinformation is not a goal in itself, but a tool used to achieve tangible goals at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.

For the Kremlin, success on the information front, such as halting another military aid package for Ukraine, has direct and tangible consequences. Undermining Western support translates into weaker Ukrainian defences and a stronger Russian position on the battlefield.

Moscow does not treat information operations as peripheral PR activity, but as an integral component of warfare. Every dollar or euro blocked through effective disinformation yields concrete operational advantages that can influence the course of the conflict.

Author: Mikołaj Rogalewicz, CyberDefence24