The Kremlin’s factory of fakes uses Zelensky’s confrontation with internal opponents to split Ukraine – “Schemes”

The Russian “Agency of Social Design” of political technologist Ilya Gambashidze, commissioned by the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, is actively using the difficult relationship between the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, former Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny and the current mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko to polarize society and destabilize the political situation in Ukraine. This is stated in the material of the Radio Liberty project “Schemes”.

The journalists of “Schem” within the framework of the international journalistic consortium received internal documents of the “Agency of Social Design” or “ASD” sanctioned in the EU and the USA, whose work, according to American law enforcement officers, is supervised by the Kremlin. The German media Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR, as well as the Estonian online publication Delfi, provided access to the leaked files within the framework of the international journalistic consortium “Schemes”. American law enforcement officers also published some of these documents at the beginning of September.

“Schemes” discovered among the files from the “ASD” leak a number of documents, which talk about the need to “spin” various disinformation narratives.

In particular, in one of the files containing the hashtag “pre-reality” (augmented reality – ed.), a campaign to “discredit the top leadership of the country through the demonstration of a “drain” of negotiations of the active (military – ed.) units about the possible resignation of Zaluzhny is proposed. It follows from the conversation that President Zelensky has no authority with the officers.”

And after the resignation of Valery Zaluzhny from the position of commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian forces, the “ASD” offered to “spin” the topic that “if Zaluzhny had been there, Avdiivka would not have been surrendered.”

“ASD” developed, in particular, the campaign “Who are you for?”, in which it opposed Zelenskyi Zaluzhny and Zelenskyi Klychko. In particular, political technologist Gambashidze’s creatives prepared and distributed thematic infographics, memes and caricatures for Ukrainian and European audiences.

In addition, for its campaigns to discredit representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, “ASD” produces forgeries of official documents.

In the leak, there is a fabricated order of the alleged Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi equating surrender by military personnel to treason. The goal, according to the Russian agency’s mission description, is to “discredit the military-political leadership of Ukraine and demoralize the Armed Forces.”

“Schemes” (Radio Liberty) in cooperation with a dozen European newsrooms investigated thousands of leaked files of the political technologist Gambashidze’s company. As part of the “Fake Factory” project, journalists discovered that “ASD” uses disinformation to discredit Ukraine, its top leadership and citizens, as well as leaders of Western countries who support it, and promotes the interests of Russia and European politicians who support them.