December has traditionally become the month of Russian information attacks on the Kherson region. Kremlin propagandists simultaneously tried to sow panic, discredit the Ukrainian authorities, and create the illusion of “normal life” in the occupied territories. We examine a few of the most illustrative cases.
“Yaroslav Shanko is preparing to flee Ukraine”
One of the main December fakes was the story about the alleged preparation by the head of the Kherson City Military Administration, Yaroslav Shanko, to flee abroad together with the entire apparatus of the CMA.
Russian outlets spread a video with a “secret conversation” of officials in which they talked about leaving Ukraine and “burning documents.” Propagandists claimed that Shanko’s family was already in Poland and that he himself was “packing his suitcases.”
In reality, the audio track was simply overlaid on video from a meeting of the Dolyna City Council in the Ivano-Frankivsk region — these footage had no relation to Kherson. Yaroslav Shanko himself publicly refuted the fake, emphasizing that he is in Ukraine, works in Kherson, and has no intention of leaving the city.
This case — a classic example of an information operation aimed at discrediting local authorities and attempting to undermine the community’s trust.
Oysters and perfumes: the occupiers’ economic fantasies
Another block of propaganda was aimed at creating the illusion of an “economic revival” of the left bank of the Kherson region. Occupation resources announced plans to launch oyster farms near Kalanchak, as well as the construction of a perfume factory with the involvement of a “descendant of the Russian aristocracy” who allegedly lives in France.
According to the occupiers, the projects were to create jobs and attract hundreds of millions of rubles in investment. However, even a superficial analysis makes these claims absurd: in the occupied territories there is no solvent market for expensive delicacies or perfume, and any investment activity there is unlawful under international law.
Notably, within a few days the “French investor” in publications of the occupation administration suddenly turned into a “Moscow businessman.” This only confirmed: the whole story was fabricated from the start.
“Dollars are falling from the sky in Kherson”
Another fake of December — stories about the alleged dropping of US dollars with QR codes over the right bank of the Kherson region. According to Russian media, these banknotes are used for the mass surrender of Ukrainian soldiers into captivity via special Telegram bots.
Propagandists, as always, provided no evidence of “mass surrenders.” Moreover, the story itself appears to be a mirror reflection of another fake — about the alleged dispersal by the Ukrainian side of rubles with QR codes to detect Russian military positions.
Both stories share a common trait: complete detachment from reality and reliance on the audience’s uncritical perception.
What’s the point of all this?
All these fakes have one goal — to create informational noise, undermine trust in the Ukrainian authorities, demoralize the population, and hide real problems in the occupied territories. The worse the situation on the ground, the more fantastical the fabrications of Russian propaganda become.
December proved once again: when there are no real successes, fakes come into play — from “officials fleeing” to oysters, perfumes, and dollars falling from the sky.
This material was prepared as part of a project supported by the NGO Institute of Mass Information and CzechAid